Smart Reactors Transforming Medical Device Coatings across the United Kingdom

Heparin-free Camouflage™ coating prevents clots, reduces inflammation, promotes healing in medical implants, addressing key biocompatibility challenges.

BELFAST, ANTRIM, UNITED KINGDOM, March 13, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- “The ultimate challenges for scientist around the world is to develop synthetic coating that will make a medical device truly biocompatible” This is exactly what Smart Reactors has been working toward since its inception.

Founded by Brian Haddigan and Mark Brassil, entrepreneurs with decades of experience in the medical device sector, Smart Reactors has grown rapidly, assembling a highly skilled team and preparing for major international expansion. The company has developed a proprietary coating technology designed to reduce the risk of blood clots while promoting healing in implanted medical devices.

For decades, the medical device industry has relied on heparin-based coatings to prevent clotting. However, regulatory concerns, supply chain issues, and safety risks have led authorities in the U.S. and other markets to scrutinize these coatings.

In response, Smart Reactors has developed a heparin-free, proprietary coating designed for medical implants, cardiac interventions, and respiratory support devices. This breakthrough solution is positioned to become the preferred alternative, offering a safer and more sustainable approach. The company licenses its intellectual property (IP) to major pharmaceutical and medical device manufacturers, ensuring widespread adoption and commercialization.
a cross-border presence in Northern Ireland - United Kingdom, the company initially focused on ECMO and Perfusion (Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation) coatings and has since expanded into vascular implants, neurovascular devices, dialysis membranes, and beyond.

Under the leadership of co-founders Brian Haddigan and Mark Brassil, Smart Reactors has built a global reputation for innovation, reliability, and scientific excellence. Their expertise in medical device development and commercialization has positioned the company as a trusted partner for medical device manufacturers worldwide.


Advancing Biocompatibility in Medical Devices
Smart Reactors specializes in advanced surface treatments for medical devices, addressing critical challenges in thrombosis prevention, inflammation control, and endothelialization.
The company’s flagship technology, Camouflage™ Coating, is backed by intellectual property (IP) and enhances medical implants by:
• Preventing blood clot formation (anti-thrombogenic properties)
• Reducing inflammatory response (minimizing complications)
• Encouraging endothelialization (promoting natural healing and integration with the body)
Through extensive collaborations with global medical device manufacturers, Smart Reactors provides coatings that make medical devices safer, longer lasting, and more effective for patients worldwide.

Securing Intellectual Property
Smart Reactors recognizes that innovation in medical device coatings relies on a strong foundation of intellectual property (IP). To maintain its leadership in biocompatible coatings, the company has prioritized IP protection for Camouflage™, ensuring it remains at the forefront of surface technology. By safeguarding proprietary advancements in biocompatibility, thrombosis prevention, and endothelialization, Smart Reactors reinforces its competitive edge in the global medical coatings industry while securing long-term value for medical devices.

Biocompatibility Challenges in Medical Devices
Medical device manufacturers face significant challenges in improving the integration and performance of implants. Smart Reactors addresses these critical issues with coatings designed to:
Enhance endothelialization to support natural tissue growth and improve long-term functionality.
Provide anti-inflammatory properties to reduce immune system reactions and improve patient comfort.
Deliver anti-thrombogenic effects to minimize clot formation and associated risks, ensuring safer implant performance.

By solving these problems, Smart Reactors enables medical device manufacturers to develop implants that are more biocompatible, reducing the likelihood of complications and improving patient outcomes.
The Services Smart Reactors Provides
Smart Reactors offers end-to-end coating solutions for medical device manufacturers, including:
• Prototype Coatings – Custom development of surface treatments to meet specific biocompatibility needs.
• Design & Process Optimization – Enhancing medical device surfaces to improve performance, durability, and manufacturability.
• Technical Transfer & Manufacturing Support – Ensuring seamless integration of Smart Reactors’ coatings into large-scale production.
• After-Sales Support – Continuous guidance on coating performance and regulatory compliance.
These specialized services enable medical device manufacturers to achieve the highest standards of safety, performance, and regulatory approval.
Global Reach in Medical Device Coatings
Smart Reactors has collaborated with leading medical device companies worldwide, providing customized coating solutions that enhance the biocompatibility of implantable and extracorporeal devices. Camouflage™ is utilized across multiple device categories in diverse healthcare markets.

Strong Collaboration with domestic & Northern Irish MedTech
Smart Reactors was established in 2019 with support from Enterprise Ireland (EI) and other state-backed programs that fuel innovation in life sciences and medical technology.
With offices in both Ireland and Northern Ireland, the company has benefited from:
• Cross-border access to MedTech research hubs
• Funding for R&D initiatives
• State-backed resources for scaling internationally
This foundation has enabled Smart Reactors to collaborate with leading universities, research institutions, and medical device manufacturers, accelerating growth and innovation in the competitive medical coatings market.

Cutting-Edge Research & Development
Beyond coatings, Smart Reactors is pioneering breakthrough research in artificial lung technology through the Cell Membrane project, which focuses on developing a nanocellulose membrane for use in artificial lung devices. With lung disease being the third leading cause of death worldwide and millions relying on short-term artificial lung support, existing devices face critical challenges, including poor blood flow, thrombosis risks, and limited usability.
By leveraging 3D printing and biomaterials, Smart Reactors is developing a highly biocompatible, cost-effective membrane that improves gas exchange efficiency and reduces clot formation, enabling longer-term support for patients awaiting transplants.
"This approach is a radical shift from traditional artificial lung manufacturing," says Brian Haddigan, CEO. "By mimicking human lung function and improving blood compatibility, we aim to create a safer, more effective solution."

Working alongside Brunel University of London, the University of Tübingen, and the University of Galway. and research institutions, CELLINK, Smart Reactors is advancing:
Next-generation biomaterial membranes for respiratory support
New surface treatments that enhance biocompatibility for emerging medical applications
As the lead partner, Smart Reactors is managing collaboration milestones, ensuring the project aligns with clinical and regulatory standards. The first phase is expected to result in a functional prototype designed for real-world application in artificial lung devices

Physical Presence at leading MedTech Trade expeditions
Smart Reactors exhibits at major international medical technology events each year, including:
*MEDTECH Birmingham
*ELSO 2025 Milan
*MD&M USA
*Medical Technology Ireland

These platforms enables Smart Reactors to showcase its technology, expand partnerships, and further its mission of transforming medical devices.

The Future of Smart Reactors
As Smart Reactors marks its five-year milestone, the company is focused on:
• Strengthening research partnerships to drive the next wave of biocompatibility breakthroughs.
• Expanding the portfolio into new medical device categories.
• Continuing contributions to the Irish and Northern Irish life sciences sector.
With a strong foundation, state support, and global recognition, Smart Reactors is positioned to become the leading provider of medical device coatings worldwide.

Pioneering Biocompatible Solutions for Medical Devices
Smart Reactors specializes in developing advanced biocompatible coating technologies that transform the performance of medical devices. The company's flagship product, Camouflage™, represents a significant advancement in medical device coatings. This proprietary technology is specifically designed to make blood-contacting devices more biocompatible, addressing critical challenges in medical device performance and patient safety.
Unlike traditional heparin-based coatings, Camouflage™ utilizes a gentle water-based chemistry that adheres to all medical grade materials without requiring UV or thermal crosslinking. The coating works through a unique "mechanism of action" that provides a cloaking effect on the device surface, masking it from circulating blood. This approach offers medical device manufacturers a smoother pathway to regulatory approval compared to drug-eluting alternatives.

Comprehensive Medical Device Applications
Smart Reactors has strategically expanded the application of its coating technology across multiple medical specialties, demonstrating the versatility and effectiveness of Camouflage™ in diverse healthcare contexts.

Perfusion Systems
Initially focusing on ECMO and Perfusion (Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation) applications, Smart Reactors developed coatings that enhance the performance of devices that temporarily assume the functions of the heart and lungs. These critical applications require exceptional biocompatibility to prevent complications during life-saving interventions.

Cardiovascular Solutions
The company's technology portfolio includes advanced coatings for cardiovascular devices, addressing the significant challenge of blood compatibility in heart-related interventions. Camouflage™ technology helps prevent thrombus formation while maintaining optimal device performance in these critical applications.

Neurovascular Devices
Expanding into neurovascular applications, Smart Reactors has developed specialized coatings for devices used in the treatment of conditions affecting blood vessels in the brain. The precision and reliability of Camouflage™ make it particularly valuable in these sensitive applications, where device failure or complications could have severe consequences.

Dialysis Membranes
Recognizing the importance of biocompatibility in renal replacement therapy, Smart Reactors has applied its coating technology to dialysis membranes. These specialized coatings help reduce thrombogenic responses during dialysis procedures, potentially improving treatment outcomes for patients with kidney failure.

Structural Heart Devices
The company has further expanded its portfolio to include coatings for structural heart devices, addressing the complex challenges of biocompatibility in implants designed to repair or replace heart valves and other cardiac structures. Camouflage™ technology helps these devices integrate more effectively with surrounding tissues while minimizing adverse reactions.

Electrophysiology Applications
Smart Reactors also provides coating solutions for electrophysiology devices, supporting advancements in the diagnosis and treatment of cardiac arrhythmias. The enhanced biocompatibility offered by Camouflage™ helps improve the performance and safety of these specialized medical technologies.

Key Features and Benefits of Camouflage™ Technology
The Camouflage™ coating technology offers several significant advantages for medical device manufacturers and, ultimately, for patients:
Excellent Hemocompatibility
Camouflage™ minimizes thrombus promotion, addressing one of the most significant challenges in blood-contacting medical devices. This enhanced hemocompatibility helps reduce the risk of clot formation and associated complications.

Accelerated Endothelialization
The coating technology promotes faster endothelialization, the process by which blood vessels form a natural lining over implanted devices. This natural healing response helps reduce thromboembolic conditions and improves long-term device performance.

Drug-Free Solution
As a passive (non-heparin) biocompatible coating, Camouflage™ offers medical device manufacturers a drug-free alternative to traditional approaches. This characteristic potentially simplifies the regulatory pathway, allowing for more efficient device approval processes.

Antimicrobial Properties
Camouflage™ demonstrates antimicrobial properties that help reduce biofilm formation on coated devices. This added benefit addresses another common challenge in medical implants, potentially reducing the risk of device-associated infections.

Comprehensive Service Portfolio
Smart Reactors offers a full spectrum of services to support medical device manufacturers throughout the product development lifecycle:

Prototype Coating
The company provides custom coating development services tailored to meet specific biocompatibility requirements. These services help device manufacturers enhance performance from concept to clinic, allowing them to validate the benefits of Camouflage™ technology during early development stages.

Design & Development
Smart Reactors supports clients with expert design and process optimization services that ensure efficiency and manufacturability at every stage. This collaborative approach helps streamline device development while incorporating advanced coating solutions.

Manufacturing Transfer
The company facilitates seamless transitions from development to full-scale production through comprehensive technical transfer and manufacturing support services. This expertise ensures consistent coating quality and performance as devices move toward commercialization.

After-Sales Support
Smart Reactors provides ongoing technical assistance, including maintenance, upgrades, and compliance guidance. This continued partnership helps ensure the long-term success of coated medical devices in clinical applications.

Innovative Research: The CellMembrane Project
Beyond its core coating technology, Smart Reactors is pioneering breakthrough research in artificial lung technology through the CellMembrane project. This innovative initiative focuses on developing a nanocellulose-based membrane for use in artificial lung devices, potentially serving as a vital bridge for patients awaiting lung transplants.

With lung disease being the third leading cause of death worldwide and millions relying on short-term artificial lung support, existing devices face critical challenges, including poor blood flow, thrombosis risks, and limited usability. The CellMembrane project addresses these challenges by leveraging 3D printing and advanced biomaterials to develop a highly biocompatible, cost-effective membrane that improves gas exchange efficiency and reduces clot formation.

This approach represents a significant departure from traditional artificial lung manufacturing methods. By mimicking human lung function and improving blood compatibility, Smart Reactors aims to create a safer, more effective solution for patients with severe respiratory failure.

The company is collaborating with several prestigious research partners on this project, including Brunel University of London, the University of Tübingen, the University of Galway, and CELLINK. This international collaboration brings together expertise in biomaterials, medical device engineering, and clinical applications.

Global Industry Presence
Smart Reactors maintains an active presence at major international medical technology events, showcasing its innovations and expanding its network of industry partnerships. The company regularly exhibits at:

MEDTECH Birmingham
ELSO 2025 Milan
MD&M USA
Medical Technology Ireland

These platforms enable Smart Reactors to demonstrate the capabilities of Camouflage™ technology, engage with potential clients, and stay informed about emerging trends in the medical device industry.

Brian Haddigan
Smart Reactor
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Smart Reactors' Redefining Medical Device Coating Solutions