The small UK manufacturer at the forefront of next generation of medical technology

It’s often said that, despite the large budgets and dedicated facilities available to corporations, the most innovative companies are the smaller ones. Morgan Innovation and Technology (IAT) is a case in point. Based in an identikit building on an identikit industrial estate near Petersfield, the company operates mainly in the highly regulated and competitive medical technology sector, and specialises in new technologies.

The Engineer met Nigel Clarke, Morgan IAT chief executive, who has taken over the running of the company from his father, Howard, who founded Morgan with his wife Sue around 30 years ago. The company offices above the shop floor have the cosy atmosphere of a small family operation, even including a large friendly dog whose toys litter Sue Clark’s office, where she still oversees company finances.

Howard Clarke worked for British Steel as an electrical engineer for many years, and founded Morgan to commercialise a device to alleviate chronic pain. Based around radio-frequency nerve ablation, which involves directing microwaves at the nerve transmitting pain to the brain to heat water in the nerve sheath to prevent the pain signal from travelling, Clarke developed a range of devices under the name Neurotherm. “My father invented it with my brother’s godfather, who was a GP living down the road; this was an entirely new process and it is still the leading device for this form of pain relief,” Nigel Clarke explained. “We sold the rights about 25 years ago to a very large medical equipment company based in Minnesota; we manufacture the device for it and it sells it around the world. We make about 600 per year. The device itself is worth a few thousand pounds, but it’s one of these things where the money is made on the consumables: every use of the machine requires a fresh needle. Each treatment lasts between one and five years, and it’s extremely effective; there are some cases where patients have come in using a wheelchair and walked out.”