Negative pressure wound therapy device

Varivac set out to create ARC, a variable vacuum wound drainage pump designed for patients recovering from surgery. Unlike traditional hospital-based systems, ARC needed to be low-cost, compact, lightweight, and quiet enough for patients to comfortably use at home. The device also had to meet strict medical safety standards while giving patients more independence in their recovery.

Outerspace worked closely with Varivac to take on this challenge. Our multidisciplinary team provided design, engineering, and development expertise to transform the concept into a fully realized medical device, ready for safe, effective, and affordable use in both hospital and home environments. A unique algorithm was written to detect blockages and leakages from a single pressure sensor input only, in order to ensure high functionality with low cost.

Client

Varivac

Industry

Medical and Scientific

Expertise

Industrial Design
Mechanical Engineering
Electronic Engineering

Awards

ARC’s design was approached holistically — combining ergonomics, styling, mechanical engineering, and electronics with intuitive UI/UX. Outerspace developed a form that is friendly, discreet, and practical, allowing patients to carry it easily in a pocket or on a belt. The main body is injection moulded from medical-grade plastics, with a simple bayonet-style canister attachment for easy replacement. On the electronics side, the hardware was deliberately kept simple and low-cost, while the firmware was made highly sophisticated. A unique algorithm was written to detect blockages and leakages, ensuring patient safety. Safety features, such as a timer to prevent cross-contamination and controlled pressure settings, were also integrated to meet regulatory and medical standards.

The mechanical engineering team was central to making ARC lightweight, compact, and manufacturable at low cost without compromising safety. They optimized the housing, attachment mechanisms, and canister interface to ensure reliable performance and intuitive patient use. Injection moulded construction allowed the design to meet high medical standards while remaining suitable for scalable production. Outerspace’s electronics and firmware engineers overcame significant technical challenges by pairing simple, cost-effective hardware with advanced software. The custom firmware algorithm provided functionality usually reserved for larger hospital-based devices, all within a pocket-sized unit. This balance of mechanical engineering precision and electronic innovation made Arc the smallest portable negative pressure vacuum device of its kind — one that delivers real independence, faster recovery, and improved quality of life for patients.

“A broad range of industry experience from the Outerspace team challenged our assumptions and led to a much better design solution.”

Jim Gallagher

“Our long association with Outerspace has delivered substantial benefits to our development process. This has resulted in medical products that now receive international attention and are achieving record sales.”

Warwick Freeman – Compumedics

“Outerspace proved to be the ideal partner working closely with our hardware design, manufacturing and software teams around the world to realise our vision”

Jim Gallagher

Warwick Freeman – Compumedics

Geoffrey Wanless

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