When he was 62 years old, John Miskie was diagnosed with prostate cancer. Surgery successfully left him cancer free, but it also left him with an incontinence problem.

“After frustrating experiences with adult diapers and condom catheters, my father thought there must be a better way,” said his son, Mark Miskie. “He knew I had product development experience, so he asked me to design something new. It was a way to give something back for all the things my father did for me.”

Mark began intensive research into the problems, identifying the individual drawbacks of products on the market, and then worked with engineers, urologists, and nurses to find innovative solutions to challenging problems.

In 2002, Mark left his management job with John Deere to devote more time to transforming his research into viable products. Things came together in 2004 when lead prototypes tested well, manufacturing processes were established, and the investment community saw enough progress to invest in the launch of Arcus Medical and its patented afex® system.

“If it hadn’t been for my dad being so dissatisfied with existing products, I would never have started looking into incontinence,” Mark said. “This entrepreneurial experience has been a blend of altruism and capitalism. It's been a long steep climb but well worth it because we have already improved the quality of life for so many people.”

Today Arcus Medical offers both men and women a full range of patented and proprietary products with its afex®, Folex®, and Provent brands.