DOST Chief lauds Filipino innovator Denver Chicano
By Victoria “NIKE” De Dios
Diabetes is the 6th leading cause of death among Filipinos, and last year, the total number of cases of diabetes in adults in the country are at 3.9 million.
The advent of COVID-19 pandemic in the country (and in the whole world) in 2020 has led to the sedentary lifestyle of many people due to lockdown as part of the community quarantine and health protocols imposed by the government. This of course inevitably leads to many more cases of diabetes in the country.
Cognizant of the danger posed by diabetes and pandemic, a Filipino registered nurse and innovator, Denver Chicano came up with the idea of developing a wound patch specifically for diabetic patients.
His personal experience as a nurse at the Burn Unit of the Philippine General Hospital motivated him to develop such products that will helps patients with wounds to heal faster and better. Because of the result of narrowed blood vessels, diabetic wound healing is impaired because there is less oxygen that reach the wound that results in slow healing.
Seeing the great potential of the invention of Chicano, the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) through the Small Enterprise Technology Upgrading Program (SETUP) supported supported this initiative to develop the technology of producing a perforated wound patch made out of coconut for diabetic persons, now called by its trademark Vermac which prevents infection, especially for diabetic wound complication.
DOST Chief impressed by the ‘wonder patch’
DOST Secretary Fortunato T. de la Peña expressed his appreciation with the PatchMed Cosmetics Trading, the company established by Chicano that is behind this innovation during the recent department’s weekly report aired at DOSTv.
“Nakakamangha itong company na ito dahil nakita ko kung papaano sila umangat sa kanilang ginagawang produkto. Noong una gumawa sila ng wound dressing mula sa coconut o niyog – na tinatawag nilang cocopatch. Ngayon ay mayroon na naman silang bagong produkto na ipapakilala.”
Chicano, the company’s proprietor, shared that with the help of DOST, the company got familiar with the technicality of their products. Their products actually started without bioequivalence throughout the world.
“From a seed idea to an actual product, the DOST SETUP project helped us with the machines we need to manufacture our products,” Chicano said.
Not contented with just developing the product, Chicano has now diversified from producing wound dressing products for burns and wounds to establishing the first wound care clinic in the Philippines called Alphacell Wound Clinic.
“With the establishment of our clinic, we saw a problem with the diabetic patients na iba-iba ang ginagamit na standard for ointment at gasa. Because of this, we came up with perforated cellulose which has better moisture control and autolytic debridement for diabetic wounds”, Chicano highlighted.
Chicano added that they also developed a product to be used as an alternative to povidone-iodine. The anti-bacterial spray gel for wound care for kids has coconut-based components as the active ingredient.
The technology has been recognized worldwide and won several awards such as UP-PGH Recognition, Tatak PGH Nurse Innovator Award, Most Promising Intellectual Property Award by the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Philippine Green Innovation Product 2014, and Creative Design Category Regional Winner during the National Invention Contest and Exhibits organized by the DOST-Technology Application and Promotion Institute.
PatchMed Cosmetic Trading products are now supplied to the different hospitals and wound care clinics in the country and are also available for online delivery through their Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/cocopatchdotcom/