Toumaz chief sticks with smart plasters

Published on Saturday 19 December 2009 18:23

THEY may sound like something from a science fiction film but "smart plasters" which monitor a patient's health using wireless technology are already being used.

AIM-listed Toumaz Holdings has developed a system which is on trial at a London hospital to enable doctors to monitor indicators such as blood pressure, temperature, pulse and breathing round-the-clock.

The wireless system, which uses digital sensors, means patients don't have to be physically hooked up to medical equipment. The company is also exploring other applications including sports performance monitoring.

Shares in Toumaz have strongly risen from a low of 3p in October but non-executive director Dr Winston Wong appears to be confident of further progress. Last week he purchased 750,000 shares at 7.5p each to take his holding to more than 26 million shares.

Earlier this month the company raised 9 million through a placing of new shares. The money will be used for working capital to take the group to cashflow breakeven. Its results for the first half of the year showed it made a pre-tax loss of 939,000 compared to a loss of 1.7m in the same period last year.

&#149 Dr Gerald Murphy, a non-executive director at British American Tobacco, has bought his first stake in the company since joining the board earlier this year. He purchased 3,000 shares at 1959p each.

&#149 Andrew Cosslett, chief executive of the leisure group InterContinental Hotels, has increased his holding with the purchase of 30,676 shares at 901p each.

&#149 Greg Fitzgerald, chief executive of construction group Galliford Try, has upped his stake in the company. He bought 13,490 shares at 296.5p each and now holds 585,008.

&#149 Sir John Collins, a non-executive director of 3i Infrastructure, has increased his family's holding with the purchase of 19,215 shares at 103.3p each.

&#149 Patrick McKenna, a non executive director at Ingenious Media Active Capital, has bought almost 6m worth of shares in the Guernsey-based investment company.

He bought 12.6m shares at 46p in the company which takes stakes in independent media businesses. McKenna, a former head of Deloitte & Touche's media group, now owns just over 25 per cent of the company.