Medsure Unveils Smart Portable Analgesic Pump After Six Years of R&D: Aiming to Reduce Labor Pain to the Level of a Mosquito Bite
In medicine, human pain is classified into 10 levels.
Level 1 is inadvertent mild pain, such as from mosquito bites;
Level 2 is sudden pain, such as from an injection;
Level 3 is mild pain, such as being pricked by a sharp object;
Level 4…
The most severe human pain is classified as Level 10, which denotes unbearable pain, such as that experienced during childbirth.
Due to intense uterine contractions and vaginal tearing, pregnant women experience excruciating pain during childbirth. The rapid loss of blood and the relentless, severe physical pain pose an extreme challenge to both the physical and mental well-being of expectant mothers. Childbirth is akin to passing through the gates of hell; for women with weaker constitutions, it can even mean the end of life.
Today, women have an additional option for childbirth: cesarean section. While some women appear to have escaped the pain of labor, intense postoperative pain still serves as a reminder that the pain of childbirth is unavoidable.
Can Labor Pain Be Alleviated? Researchers at Home and Abroad Have Made Numerous Attempts in This Field.
In recent years, numerous products for labor analgesia have been launched abroad, with product lines reaching maturity. However, in China, due to slow technological advancements over the years, a shortage of anesthesiologists, and cost-related factors, the prospect of “labor pain being as mild as a mosquito bite” remains an elusive dream for most women. In 2018, during the Two Sessions, Huang Yuguang, a member of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference and Director of the Department of Anesthesiology at Peking Union Medical College Hospital, noted that the rate of labor analgesia in China was less than 10%.
To change this situation, Medsure Medical spent nearly six years refining its analgesic products.
Since its founding in 2014, Medsure Medical has established pain infusion as its core area of expertise, embarking on the development of intelligent portable analgesic pumps. Two years ago, Medsure’s remarkable progress in analgesic pump research earned it prominent front-page coverage in the Suzhou Daily. Now, after six years of meticulous refinement,Medsure’s intelligent portable analgesic pump has not only successfully obtained the domestic medical device registration certificate in China, but also secured the CE certification for electronic analgesic pumps, which is currently the only one of its kind in China.It has surged to become the company’s star product.
Why is Medsure’s smart portable analgesic pump so eye-catching? What are its standout features compared to traditional portable analgesic pumps?
Wang Guangming, Founder of Medsure MedicalIt is stated that traditional portable analgesic pumps are gradually being phased out due to their limited scope of application, low precision, and limited functionality. In recent years, although the second-generation electronic analgesic pumps developed and manufactured by some domestic manufacturers have shown significant improvements, they still suffer from defects in product craftsmanship. For instance, these devices utilize plastic movements, exhibit poor stability, and face issues such as requiring return-to-factory refurbishment after delivering 15,000 mL of output.
Wang Guangming told VCBeat that Medsure Medical’s intelligent portable analgesic pump features an all-metal movement. Its dual-system architecture enables real-time monitoring of the infusion process, while multiple analgesia modes meet diverse clinical application needs. Functions such as automatic leak prevention and backflow prevention ensure the safety and stability of the infusion throughout the entire process. Currently,This analgesic pump has been successfully included in the “Catalog of Excellent Domestically Produced Medical Devices,” selected and published by the National Health Commission.
Medsure’s smart portable analgesic pump consists of two detachable components:The upper part is the electromechanical control system, and the lower part is a single-use fluid reservoir (sterile).During operation, the operator can control and monitor the infusion time and dosage of the medicinal solution in the reservoir through the device’s control system, drive system, and monitoring system.
Medsure Smart Portable Analgesic Pump
The infusion modes of this analgesic pump include three types: continuous infusion mode, chronotherapeutic infusion mode, and intermittent bolus infusion mode.In addition to setting the total dose and infusion duration, it allows for fractionated and timed infusions based on clinical needs, with the ability to specify the volume for each individual infusion during the intervals.
According to Wang Guangming, the analgesic pump'sContinuous infusion is primarily used in clinical settings such as postoperative analgesia, cancer pain management, and tumor chemotherapy; chronotherapy is mainly targeted at tumor chemotherapy and cancer pain management; while intermittent bolus dosing is predominantly applied to labor analgesia.
“Although the analgesic pump appears to be only palm-sized, it is fully equipped with all essential components. In the field of medical devices, its level of complexity is considered exceptionally high,” Wang Guangming told VCBeat. This analgesic pump is classified as a Class III medical device, subject to the most stringent regulatory oversight within the medical device sector. The successful launch of this product represents the collective dedication and hard work of all the company’s employees.
Wang Guangming emphasized the application of this analgesic pump in tumor chemotherapy.
“We now advocate for comfort-oriented medical care, placing greater emphasis on patients’ treatment experiences and their psychological well-being. It is widely recognized that cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy essentially live in a state deviating from normal daily life. Their daily routines and social activities are significantly impacted by the pain associated with chemotherapy. Our portable analgesic pump allows patients to carry it conveniently. Patients can administer analgesia according to their individual conditions, striving to return to a normal lifestyle—such as enjoying unrestricted daily activities and engaging in regular social interactions—rather than being confined all day to the somber atmosphere of the hospital.”
When introducing this smart portable analgesic pump, Wang Guangming summarized it with the term “trinity.” “Our analgesic pump is a precision medical device; it is manufactured in a cleanroom environment and serves as a sterile polymeric consumable. The electromechanical control system of the pump allows for setting and adjusting the infusion volume and duration of the medication. Furthermore, this analgesic pump is connected to PC-based software—an IoT system—that enables user pain monitoring and tracking, wireless analgesia management, cloud data storage, and more.”
According to Wang Guangming, Baxter, a world-renowned multinational medical company, conducted a year-long evaluation of Medsure’s intelligent portable analgesic pump, giving it high praise and expressing sincere interest in collaboration. Currently, the two parties are negotiating cooperation in areas including research and development, manufacturing, and sales.
Medsure Medical completed two rounds of financing, each amounting to tens of millions of yuan, in 2017 and 2019, respectively, with its primary investors being Cowin Capital and Weili Medical. Currently,Medsure Medical has launched a new round of financing, aiming to raise RMB 50 million. The funds will be primarily used for the research and development of new product pipelines and the market promotion of existing products.
When asked about the secret to creating high-quality products, Wang Guangming stated, “An excellent R&D team is indispensable.” Medsure Medical’s R&D team consists ofSun JianUnder the leadership of Sun Jian, the “Chief R&D Engineer for Asia-Pacific” at Smiths Medical, an internationally renowned medical device company, who boasts extensive experience in product development.
Beyond technology, whether the company’s leaders possess foresight and can act in a timely manner to make correct strategic layouts is also a key factor determining the company’s survival.
Although not from a medical background, Wang Guangming, who has worked in the industry for many years, is well-versed in how to lead his company forward correctly. “A good product is fundamental,” said Wang Guangming. The company places great emphasis on resource integration in its strategic layout and seeks complementary advantages among industry, academia, research, and healthcare sectors.
He told VCBeat that Medsure Medical has currently established collaborations with senior experts from multiple renowned medical institutions in China. In addition, the company leverages the robust academic foundation and technological achievements of the Suzhou Medical Device Research Institute of Southeast University,An industrialization platform for innovative medical device technologies in anesthesiology and ICU has been established. The product portfolio spans three major areas: pain management, infusion management, and visualized airway management, with broad applications across departments including anesthesiology, ICU, pediatrics, emergency medicine, and oncology.
“For the past six years, we have made perseverance a habit and overcoming difficulties our norm. In the face of various external challenges and setbacks, we have come to realize with increasing clarity that without the ability to integrate resources and without advancing the integrated model of industry, academia, research, and clinical practice, it is difficult to develop high-quality products. Only by creating such products—endowing them with strong competitiveness—can a company truly establish a solid foothold in the medical device sector,” said Wang Guangming earnestly.
Good products also require effective promotion. As its products entered the market, Medsure Medical established an excellent sales team to rapidly reach customers in need. “Currently, we have deployed sales teams across East, North, South, Southwest, and Central China, and engaged distributors in various regions. With growing emphasis on pain management within the broader healthcare sector, this presents a significant opportunity for product promotion,” said Wang Guangming.
In 2014, Wang Guangming resigned from his executive position at a multinational corporation and founded Medsure Medical. Like most entrepreneurs, he was driven by passion and rational insights into the industry.
Why Leave at the Peak of One’s Career in a Foreign Enterprise to Start a Business, Trading Stability for Uncertainty?
“I have worked for multinational corporations for many years and possess a deep understanding of both the domestic and international landscapes. While serving as the Head of Supply Chain for China at Smiths Medical, I was inadvertently introduced to the field of analgesic pumps. I observed that domestic portable analgesic pumps lagged significantly behind their foreign counterparts in terms of product functionality, quality, and industrial design. At that time, competition among enterprises in this sector in China was relatively extensive, focusing primarily on sales rather than on product competitiveness.” Wang Guangming paused briefly before continuing:
“The field of pain infusion is in its early stages of development, with considerable market potential in the future. My long-held aspiration to build a domestic enterprise could no longer be contained. With my wife’s understanding and support, I resigned from my position to embark on this entrepreneurial journey.” His voice betrayed evident delight, as if the emergence of this business opportunity were a gift bestowed upon him by fate.
Wang Guangming, Founder of Medsure Medical
Wang Guangming founded Medsure Medical and endowed the company with a unique corporate culture.
“Medsure Medical” may not seem particularly striking at first glance. The name neither conveys an obvious meaning nor is it unique enough to be thought-provoking. However, when Wang Guangming elaborates on the rationale behind the company’s naming, these words become truly memorable.
“Medsure Medical’s English name is ‘Medsure.’ ‘Med’ stands for ‘Medical,’ while ‘Sure’ signifies assurance. This reflects our commitment to creating trustworthy products in the healthcare industry. In Chinese, ‘Mai’ (麦) refers to wheat ears, symbolizing our dedication to practical action. ‘De’ (德) represents medical ethics. We aim to operate with integrity, much like physicians who uphold their profession through ethical practice. ‘Xun’ (迅) denotes speed and convenience, reflecting our goal to design simple, practical products that return to the essence of product utility and address the pain points of both patients and healthcare providers.”
“Medsure Medical” embodies the commitment to uphold medical ethics in this essential livelihood sector, designing simple and practical products to meet the needs of both patients and healthcare providers.This is Medsure's vision and mission.
Privately, employees at the company refer to Wang Guangming as “Superman” because he never misses any critical information in the company’s group chats. When VCBeat asked Wang about the origin of this nickname, he explained that while it does reflect his diligent work ethic, human energy is inherently limited, making it impossible to attend to every detail personally. He attributed his efficiency primarily to his masterful use of various corporate management software tools. Wang emphasized that he places great importance on leveraging diverse tools to handle complex and miscellaneous tasks efficiently.
“The gentleman is not different by nature; he is good at making use of things.” This quote may be the best interpretation of Wang Guangming’s personal style of conduct.