AMTEC, a Co Antrim-based developer of intelligent medical technologies, has clinched a £40 million sterling (€63.3 million) distribution deal with one of the world's largest medical device companies.

Under the terms of the agreement, US corporate Smith & Nephew has been granted exclusive international distribution rights for the Amtec Venometer.

Based on technology developed at Musgrave Park Hospital, Belfast, the venometer was the first product introduced by Amtec in 1996.

The venometer is a portable device that provides a user-friendly and cost-effective test to determine the likelihood of potentially life-threatening blood clots in the lower limbs of patients.

The device will receive its international debut at next month's American Association of Orthopaedic Surgeons annual conference in San Francisco.

Smith & Nephew is also planning further launches in a number of other key overseas markets, including Japan and France, in the coming months.

The venometer is in use in almost 100 hospitals in the UK and Ireland, where Amtec has retained distribution rights.

According to Mr Will McKee, managing director of Amtec, the device gives an objective and reliable result to patients within 10 minutes with a non-invasive test.

This can save thousands of pounds on the cost of patient care, reduce the number of bed days required for DVT (deep vein thrombosis) admissions and help avoid the risk and cost of unnecessary anticoagulation, he said.

Amtec is one of a handful of medical technology companies in the UK and Ireland specialising in blood-clotting technology.

It recently completed development of a consumer device designed to prevent blood clots forming as a result of the much-publicised "economy class syndrome".

The product, which is called a "calf stimulator", promotes blood flow in the legs during long-haul flights and will be put on the market in June.

"It is an exciting product for us and will be offered to customers just like, say, travel adapters are in shops at airports," said Mr McKee. "We have already talked to airlines about the product and expect to sign a distribution deal."

The success of its technology to combat blood clots will enable Amtec to grow its staff to 50 people this year. The deal with Smith & Nephew will boost revenues by an average of £4 million over the next decade.

Amtec is also negotiating with several UK and Irish investment firms, and will soon begin a £4 million fund-raising round. As well as specialising in blood-clotting technologies, Amtec has developed products that measure the level of anaesthetic required by patients undergoing surgery.

As previously reported in The Irish Times, Amtec's Fathom product was introduced at a conference in Birmingham last year, nine months after the technology on which it is based was licensed from Manchester University.

The company claims it can prevent the rare situation where a patient wakes during surgery but is paralysed and cannot alert anyone to their condition.

Amtec outsources its production to Trivirix, a US contract medical equipment manufacturer that has a facility in North Belfast.