Kimal
AN INNOVATIVE AND TRUSTED DEVELOPER AND MANUFACTURER OF VASCULAR ACCESS DEVICES, KIMAL HAVE HAD SUCCESS IN VARIOUS ENTERPRISES FOR 50 YEARS
Kimal has taken its award-winning multi-tube technology platform to the next level with its groundbreaking 7 lumen catheter.
Altius ® SEVEN Lumen offers 7 perfectly round lumens in an 8.5 french gauge size along with the standard revolutionary features of Altius ®, which improve performance, increase safety and provide greater protection. No other catheter on the market offers this smaller size of catheter with 7 lumens.
Already the 7 lumen catheter has been adopted across sites in Europe, including QEHB( UK).
( Pictured L-R) Ruth Clarke, Steve Minett and Pilar Mena, Kimal plc
A uniquely closed and colour coded system means that the innovative 7 lumen catheter also aids in the fight to combat misconnections of IV lines and the ability to keep incompatible drugs apart in identifiable separate lumens.
Altius ® 7 lumen catheter offers the ability to reduce the number of catheters and insertions required by some patients, aiding in the battle against CBRSI and Sepsis. 100,000 people each year suffer from serious sepsis costing the NHS £ 2.5 Billion each year.
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Top Tips on Protecting Your Brand
BY AMY WOOD AND JOHN FERDINAND- MARKS AND CLERK LLP
Choosing a new brand The initial decision of selecting a trade mark and in particular the name for a new product can be difficult one. Generally, from a legal perspective the strongest marks are those that are wholly invented, such as ROLEX or VIAGRA, as they are highly distinctive and easier marks to enforce. However even marks such as APPLE and INNOCENT- words in the public domain and yet applied in an unusual way- can result in brands just as strong. Depending on the type of product and the market, there can be a preference to adopt marks which provide some kind of indication as to the nature or purpose of the products in question so a message is conveyed to customers. The problem is that it may be very difficult to obtain protection for descriptive trade marks and prevent others using them. It is a good idea to balance the importance of conveying specific information to customers about the nature of the product against that of building a strong and enforceable brand name.
Consider protection for more than just“ word” trade marks The choice of packaging and other branding elements, such as logos can be equally as important for your brand- where branding materials and packaging have been designed by external agencies it is important to make sure that IP rights in the designs are transferred to your business- in many cases unless there is a specific agreement on this point your business will not own the IP even if you have paid for the work to be done!
FOR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE VISIT WWW. MARKS-CLERK. COM OR CONTACT: T: 0121 643 5881
Clearing your brand For all types of marks, it is advisable to conduct searches to determine freedom to use the mark and avoid confusion with any existing third party rights. This is particularly worthwhile in the medical and healthcare sector where there could be clear public health considerations should confusion arise.
Using your mark Once using a trade mark, it is crucial to show consistently that the mark is being used as a trade mark for the goods and services concerned. In promotional material, it is necessary to always ensure that the mark is used as an adjective as opposed to a verb or noun as, through continued use of the latter, the mark is at risk of becoming generic.
Medical & Healthcare Business Awards 2015 7