Awards

ABMS Ltd and its technology partners have developed an intravenous drug delivery system that integrates the disposable drug container within the delivery device.  One of the concerning issues with IV drug delivery is the increasing incidence of 'Medication Errors' that cost healthcare services worldwide many billions of pounds and inflict patient injuries ranging from minor incidents to death.  Preliminary concept work has shown that an RFID tag prepared by the pharmacy and attached to the drug container can be read by the device and used for automatic programming, thereby drastically reducing errors in relation to the patient therapy

Anaxsys Technology Ltd has developed novel-patented technology for multiple applications in the medical field based on the detection of moisture in exhaled breath by a sensitive electrochemical sensor. A Respiratory Rate Counter (R8) for monitoring of respiratory rate in hospitals will undergo clinical trials in January 2010 and further developments of R8 are planned including an ambulance version for use by paramedics and an MRI compatible model. Respiratory rate monitoring gives an early indication of patient deterioration enabling healthcare professionals to intervene early which reduces morbidity and mortality.  This technology is also being used in the development of a lung cancer screening device

Cambridge Design Partnership is developing new technology to reduce the occurrence of Ventilator Associated Pneumonia (VAP) in the Intensive Care Unit. VAP is the most prevalent infection in the ICU, with a 10-15% incidence rate. Thousands of people die unnecessarily of VAP every year in the UK, and the cost to the NHS of treating the condition runs into hundreds of millions of pounds. The new technology aims to fully humidify the breathing air while preventing the colonisation of bacteria.

Oxford BioSignals' technology is founded on evidence-based intelligent algorithms. Applications include patient health monitoring and cardiac safety. The Visensia patient monitoring systems fuse vital signs to deliver a proven predictive assessment of patients' health. At University of Pittsburgh Medical Centre in the 18 months prior to deployment in a step-down ward, there were more than 50 unexpected fatal cardiac arrests; in the 18 months since Visensia was introduced there has been none.The project aims to exploit wireless technology to make Visensia's life saving, real-time monitoring widely available as a low-cost, unobtrusive tool for nurses.

TwistDX Ltd, a molecular diagnostics company, has developed Recombinase Polymerase Amplification (RPA) - an isothermal DNA amplification technology that uses recombinase enzymes and target-specific primers to direct DNA synthesis to defined points in a sample DNA. Benefits of RPA are: point of care application, fast results in ten minutes, sensitivity with single molecule detection, specificity, broad applicability in multiple markets, low instrumentation burden and suitability for storage at room temperature.

Competition Description

An SBRI competition is being launched in the East of England which aims to use new technologies to improve patient care and eradicate errors - with a focus on patient safety. Could technology provide the answer and ensure best practice is applied every time?

Have you got a technology or product idea that could help? Your business may not be currently working in the healthcare sector but your technology could cross over into the sector and be applied to solve some of the problems.

Specifically, the competition is looking for improvement in these areas:

• Better patient monitoring, accurate transfer and interpretation of data to determine correct treatment
• 'Designing-in' best practice
• Elimination of calculation errors in medication.

We would like competition ideas that eliminate errors in patient care and demonstrate ways in which monitoring and assessment of patients could ensure higher quality and more effective care. Improvement in these areas would help support the achievement of regional health priorities and increase the possibility of adoption in the NHS.