1. Company Presentation
Company Mission
To provide
simple, wearable, inexpensive flexible
protective clothing for those vulnerable
to abnormal risks as a result of their
age, physical or medical condition and
occupational or leisure activities.
1Dermatuff©2013
WARNING – Contains pictures of injuries which
may upset some people with low tolerance.

2. DERMATUff Ltd, EX5 1EE
Telephone: 01395 548199
Mobile: 07836 212713
peter.thornton@dermatuff.com
www.dermatuff.com
Company Number: 06299804
2Dermatuff©2013

3. Mir Concepts Ltd was founded by Nick Pitts and Peter Thornton in May 2005 to
research and develop new ideas, from concept to market place. They had previously
worked together after the restructuring of a company in which they had both been
involved. DermaTuff is a project spun out of Mir Concepts Ltd.
Both Peter Thornton and Nick Pitts have an extensive business background
particularly in the food manufacturing and marketing sectors. CV’s for both are
available as an annex but of note is that Peter Thornton was a director of his family
business of Thornton’s Plc for most of his 34 years of employment and Nick Pitts has
spent several years with large food manufacturers such as Hazlewood Foods, St
Merryn Meat, Hygrade Foods and Tulip, in senior finance positions. To date both
have worked equably in partnership as Joint Managing Directors, Nick has
concentrated on finance and administration and Peter on product and potential sales
development. Business concept development has been a joint responsibility.
Through the start-up phase these roles will continue with considerable flexibility.
3Dermatuff©2013
The Founders and Directors

4. Our first products, Skin-Tear Protection
Socks and Sleeves were launched in April
2012
Registered as a Medical Device Class I by the MHRA
They were manufactured in Italy from yarn (60%
Technora and 40% nylon) sourced from an
Italian spinning company by a local Italian
stocking manufacturer. In the future the
products will be manufactured in England.
4Dermatuff©2013

5. •Combined DVT/Skin Tear Protection Socks
•Much more wearable Vascular Socks
•Combined Vascular/Skin Tear Protection Socks
•Protective Socks and Sleeves for Sports
•Lightweight Protective Socks and Sleeves for
hazardous work.
5Dermatuff©2013
Potential for more Products under the Concept of our
Mission Statement

6. In case anyone does not
know what they look like.
6Dermatuff©2012
The Problem that we seek to
prevent – Skin Tears

7. LeBlanc et al. (2007) defined skin tears as:
‘the result of shearing, friction or
blunt trauma that causes
separation of skin layers. The
subsequent wounds are partial or
full thickness depending upon the
degree of tissue damage.’
7Dermatuff©2012

8. 8Dermatuff©2012

9. Summary of Risk Factors
Age and gender
•History of previous skin tears
•Dry, fragile skin
•Medications that thin the skin such as steroids
•Ecchymosis (bruising / discolouration of the skin caused by
leakage of blood into the subcutaneous tissue as a result of
trauma to the underlying blood vessels)
•Impaired mobility or vision
•Poor nutrition and hydration
•Cognitive or sensory impairment
•Co morbidities that compromise vascularity and skin status,
including chronic heart disease, renal failure, cerebrovascular
accident
•Dependence on others for showering, dressing or
transferring.
9
Dermatuff©2012

10. Predisposing Factors
•Age related changes to the skin
•Skin becomes thinner
•Can be 20% reduction in thickness of
the dermis
•Collagen becomes less elastic
•Skin becomes less stretchy and
resilient
10Dermatuff©2012

11. Some Causes
•Trauma, usually blunt, often minor
•Cot sides/Bed rails
•Shopping Trolley
•Car door
•Falls
•Tripping on the staircase
•Getting on the bus
•Rose thorns
•Nurses/care
11Dermatuff©2012

12. 12
Example of Cost Saving in a Nursing Home
I was given an example of the cost of treating a skin tear in a Nursing Home.
•Costs each Treatment
Cost of trained staff each time £7.50
Costs of dressings each time £16.00
Total cost each time £23.50
Twice per week for 7 weeks = x14 = £329
This resident has one skin tear per month therefore
total for year = £3948
97% chance of being effective
•Therefore annual saving = £3829
•Cost of two pairs of socks = £60
With a patient of this age there is a considerable
chance that the skin tear will then turn into a leg
ulcer. Dermatuff©2012

13. Market Size and Growth Rates
13
Dermatuff©2012
•There are no statistics but published academic studies give
an average figure of 1.5309 skin tears per annum for people
in the vulnerable age group – 75+ years. Many younger
people are vulnerable but for the purpose of this exercise
we will ignore those.
•Cost of two pairs of socks and sleeves for each person is
£120, cost of treating a wound is £329. therefore dependent
upon variability it is probably worth 80% of the age group
wearing them.
•Let’s say only 40% of the whole group would choose to
wear socks and 20% sleeves.

14. •In the UK the %ge of the population who are 75+ is 8.062% =
5.085million, 40% of that for socks is 2,035million, 20% of that for
sleeves is 1,017million. We will take this as the UK market size.
•At 1.5309 skin tears per annum this would mean that there will
be 7.784 million skin tears each year in this age group alone.
•Which it costs approximately £2.56bn to treat.
•The market for these products will exist in the more affluent
countries globally: 8.062% of those populations will be deemed to
be the market for the products.
•Worldwide population in affluent countries over the age of 75 =
86,949,496.
•The UK 75+ population and therefore our market is growing at
2.5% per year.
14Dermatuff©2012

15. How do Dermatuff Skin Tears Protection
Socks and Sleeves work?
This shows how a terry loop is made. The loops
coloured yellow are made with the specialist
abrasion and impact resistant aramid yarn
whilst the base fabric (coloured black) is nylon.
Inside
Outside
15Dermatuff©2012

16. •The combination of the looping system and the
hard aramid prevents the result of shearing,
friction or blunt trauma that causes separation
of skin layers
•The socks are not compression stockings
•They apply only a safe level of pressure
•This amount of pressure is necessary to
enhance comfort to stay in position and provide
close fitting
• The socks have a doubled-over soft-top
which ensures that they stay up
16
Dermatuff©2012

17. •The leg portion of the socks and the sleeves
excluding the cuffs are made with the
protective material.
• The stocking feet are made with Cotton
as they do not need to be protective.
•They do not cause any irritation or allergy
•They are warm in winter and cool in summer
•They may be washed by normal means at normal
temperatures.
•Registered as a Medical Device Class I
•Listed on NHS Supply Chain
17Dermatuff©2012

18. 18Dermatuff©2012

19. 19
Dermatuff©2013
Sock Size Ankle
Circumference
B
UK
Shoe Size
USA
Shoe Size
EU
Shoe Size
Large 27 cm to 33
cm
9 to 11 10 to 12 43 to 46
Medium 24 cm to 27
cm
6 to 8.5 7 to 9 39 to 42
Medium-
Wide
20 cm to 24
cm
6 to 8.5 7 to 9 39 to 42
Small 17 cm to 20
cm
3 to 5.5 4 to 6 35 to 38
Sleeve Size Circumference
of Forearm
above Elbow G
Circumference
of Wrist C
Length of Wrist
to Elbow C-E
Large 30 cm to 42 cm 21 cm to 32 cm 30 cm to 38 cm
Medium 24 cm to 36 cm 16 cm to 24 cm 25 cm to 30 cm
Small 18 cm to 26 cm 13 cm to 20 cm 20 cm to 25 cm

20. First Evaluation in Care Homes
•The evaluation took place in five Care Homes
During July to September ‘09.
•Result - great reduction in painful skin-tears and
other harmful effects.
•Reduction in dressing of wounds.
20Dermatuff©2012

21. Second Evaluation in Care Homes
• 23rd December 2010 to 15th February 2011 in
five Care Homes. There were fourteen
participants.
•All nursing home managers thought that
wearing the socks definitely prevented many
more injuries.
•There was a high level of acceptability of the
socks by the residents.
21Dermatuff©2012

22. Days Hours Skin-tears Bruises No. of people
747 7822 1 0 20
Skin-tear
measure
Actual skin tear
rate
Potential skin tear
rate % reduction
Skin-tears per
person
0.05 1.85 97.30%
Bruises
measure
Actual Bruises
rate
Potential Bruises
rate
% reduction
Bruises/
person
0 3.6 eliminated
Evaluation Results
22Dermatuff©2012

23. •Florence Lees, now aged 92 who is a very happy resident of Cranford Nursing
Home in Exmouth has been wearing the socks for two years. She says that she
has had no problems at all with wearing them and no itching or overheating.
•“I’ve been very comfortable with my protective socks” she said,
•“They have saved me a great deal of pain and suffering”
23
Vulnerable
Resident
has no skin
tears for
over 2 years
Dermatuff©2012

24. Randomised Controlled Trial to take place
•Dr Roy Powell, a researcher and statistician together with his research team
made an application for an award of £250,000 to the National Institute for
Health Research under its Research for Patient Benefit Scheme to research
the effectiveness of the skin tear protection socks and was successful.
•The trial will start in July 2013 and will last for 16 weeks but because of the
very considerable analysis of the data necessary the findings will be published
at the end of 2014.
•The ‘STOPCUTS’ Trial will take place in approximately 30 care homes
situated in Exeter, Exmouth and North Devon. Ninety residents will be
randomly selected: half of them will wear the socks and half who
will be the control group will not do so.
24Dermatuff©2012