Summary
TickleTec’s founder had had type 1 diabetes for many years and had never been comfortable with the act of self-injecting. The occasional, painful nerve strike made him fear the thought of injecting; he suffered from bruising and he could only reach a limited area with sufficient control, making him vulnerable to lipohypertrophy. As an engineer, he resolved to improve the process both for himself and the many others who had similar issues. He entered the Design Council’s Spark competition and, as one of the three winners, enjoyed the financial and mentoring support that made it possible to turn the dream into reality.
Innovation
Improving the self-injection process is a novel concept with no other competing products. TickleFLEX is the result of several generations of product simplification and improvement. The first variant, with 68 parts, was designed to fit on to the pen but, with so many different types available, each would have needed its own adaptor. Realising that, although the pens were different, the needles were all largely the same, the next device was designed to fit on to the needle. However, with 28 parts it was still too complicated. The present design has had all the mechanical moving parts reduced to a silicon flexure designed to grip the skin and fold up in use with all the necessary motions. It has just two parts. It is also more durable, cheaper, effective and easy to use. The idea is pure and novel with no prior art, so has the potential for strong intellectual property rights. The patent applications are now progressing through the national phase. The TickleFLEX looks natural, like a friendly marine creature, which makes it approachable and fun, especially for children. It conceals the needle and the act of penetration, easing stress for needle phobics. It disguises discomfort by applying distraction analgesia – like rubbing an ache or scratching an itch. The large pad area acts like a snow shoe, preventing the needle from going in too deep, significantly reducing bruising. Its ‘fingers’ grip the skin, preventing needle shear from an unsteady hand, and extending the area that can be safely used for injecting.
Results
For some parents, giving the necessary insulin injection to their loved ones is a troublesome and heart-breaking necessity. Many testimonials have been received from such parents who are grateful for the benefit TickleFLEX has brought to their lives.
Dissemination and Sustainability
TickleTec Ltd is majority-owned by its founder and both Bola Lafe and Christopher Kennedy have bought personal stakes and become Directors. TickleTec has no other outside investors or shareholders. It is owned and run by those contributing their time and effort to its development.
The number of people with diabetes who have to self-inject continues to grow. Already more people with type 2 diabetes self-inject than the 10% who are type 1. It is estimated that the global total for self-injecting exceeds 100 million. TickleTec’s priority is to spread the word and provide access. However TickleTec does not have to concern itself directly with sales and marketing and can focus on extending the benefits of distraction analgesia to other subcutaneous injected medications and tackling more of the issues confronting those with diabetes. This includes innovating new therapies for peripheral neuropathy, a condition that affects 20% of those with diabetes, sometimes resulting in amputations, and costs the NHS an estimated £3 billion annually.
Method
Having an attractive shop window to help communicate such a novel concept was always going to be important. Chris Kennedy from Get Animated, a medical communications company, was invited to join the team and produced a top-class website with professional product animation and e-commerce at a modest cost. Bola Lafe from Opus helped to build relationships with the professional diabetes community; gaining acceptance there has been crucial in giving confidence to distributors and wholesale organisations. Diabetes.org.uk will be selling TickleFLEX in its shop.
