HR HealthCare, a family-owned medical device maker based in York, Pennsylvania, announced on September 3 the launch of its Liv™ Pre-lubricated Intermittent Catheter, a product built specifically around the daily realities of women who self-catheterize. The device enters a bladder-management category where most products have historically been designed without much attention to sex-specific differences in anatomy or lifestyle needs. “Intermittent catheterization is part of everyday life for many women, and the device they use should fit into that life as seamlessly as possible,” said Colby Wiesman, President and CEO, HR HealthCare.
What Liv Does Differently
Liv™ keeps its catheter housed inside a protective sleeve so hands and outside surfaces never touch the working end of the device, a design choice meant to cut down on contamination risk during self-catheterization. The tip is soft silicone and comes pre-lubricated, built to ease past the distal urethra, and the company points to published research on introducer-tip catheter designs and their association with lower urinary tract infection rates among intermittent catheter users. Each catheter ships individually packaged, and the device uses HR HealthCare’s proprietary EZ‑Advancer® locking mechanism to help guide smooth, controlled insertion. Liv is available in French sizes 8 through 14 and comes in boxes of 30.
Company Leadership Frames It as a Category Bet
“Liv reflects our commitment to the bladder-management category, meaningful innovation, and women’s quality of life. By bringing clinically informed technology together with thoughtful, purpose-built design, we are expanding our portfolio with a product intended to support active women who self-categorize, said Ms. Wiesman.
“Through ongoing conversations with women who use intermittent catheters and the clinicians who support their care, we saw an opportunity to build on established catheter technologies in ways that better reflect women’s lifestyle needs,” said Sara Zebouni, Regional Sales Director, HR HealthCare. “Sharing those perspectives and drawing on those experiences across our organization helped inform a design intended to fit naturally alongside the personal products women carry and use every day.”
Part of a Broader Push Into Urology
Liv ™ isn’t HR HealthCare’s first move to deepen its urology footprint this year. The company acquired SteriGear LLC and its Fig Leaf brand of urinary drainage devices in June, adding a line of privacy-focused drainage bags and procedural covers to its portfolio, and it expanded its EZ-Series intermittent catheter line with a new hydrophilic closed-system option back in March. Taken together, these moves point to a company building out a full bladder-management platform rather than launching Liv as an isolated product.
About HR HealthCare
HR HealthCare is a professionally managed, family-owned company headquartered in York, PA, recognized as a trusted leader in the U.S. medical technology industry. The company specializes in the development, manufacture, and supply of healthcare products, with integrated technology and support services to meet diverse healthcare needs. Guided by its purpose of Positively Impacting People’s Lives, HR HealthCare delivers innovative solutions to help healthcare professionals, patients, and caregivers across the care continuum.
