Los Angeles' Bruin Biometrics received $9 million from new and existing investors to commercialize its hand-held SEM scanner for detecting early-stage pressure ulcers, commonly referred to as bed sores. The CE-marked device was launched in the U.K. and Ireland in 2014. "Fewer patients are developing pressure ulcers in the U.K. and Ireland when nurses use the Scanner," said Bruin Biometrics CEO Martin Burns, said in a statement. "We are now equipping BBI with the resources to match the demand for the Scanner, which is growing as more people learn about the device's clinical impact and the consequential cost savings for the health system." The company says 2.5 million Americans per year develop pressure ulcers at acute care facilities, and 60,000 of them die from the resulting complications of localized damage to the skin and underlying tissue, including cancer, sepsis, cellulitis and MRSA. Release
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