Devices for Dignity recognises outstanding achievement at Medilink UK awards

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The finest of the UK’s Life Sciences and Healthcare Technology sector have been honoured at the 2014 Medilink UK Healthcare Business Awards.

This year’s coveted National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Devices for Dignity Healthcare Technology Co-operative (HTC) Outstanding Achievement Award was awarded to Moor Instruments.

Moor Instruments is a market leader in providing laser Doppler imaging system for tissue blood flow assessment. Over the past decade, they have advanced laser Doppler imaging technology from a purely research tool in to a dedicated medical device for burn assessments in clinical settings.

The Medilink UK Awards, this year held at the Med-Tech Innovation Expo, at the Ricoh Arena, Coventry, is an annual event that celebrates cutting edge technologies, outstanding business achievements and international successes across the UK’s Life Sciences sector.

Winners from five categories – Start-up, Innovation, Partnership with the NHS, Export Achievement and Outstanding Achievement – were honoured at the prestigious event.

The Awards was hosted at the end of the first day of the exhibition, as part of the Medical Device Manufacturing Conference, with leading professionals from the Life Sciences sector, UK government, research institutes and overseas organisations in attendance.

Gary Stapleton, Medilink UK’s new Chairman and Business Director of 3M Health Care Business Group, West Europe, said: “We are proud to celebrate the considerable achievements of companies who have continued to push the boundaries of healthcare innovation for the benefit of business, healthcare systems and most importantly the patient.

“I would like to extend a massive congratulations to all of our winners and shortlisted companies. Their achievements should give us great encouragement for the future of our industry.”

The nominees for the awards were derived from the regional awards which were selected by Medilink’s network across the UK.

Winner of the Nabarro LLP Start-up Award was Derbyshire-based FLi Medical Innovations, for its novel piece of surgical equipment which assists surgeons in an approach for Total Hip Replacement, known as the ‘Direct Anterior Approach’. Independent assessments have indicated an annual saving to the NHS of over £300m if this technology is widely adopted.

Crewe-based Medtrade Products Limited won this year’s  HGF Innovation Award for its unique Celox Rapid Gauze – a new haemostatic bandage used in traumatic injuries. The gauze stops the most severe bleeding after only 60 seconds of pressure and takes around 30 seconds to pack into a deep wound. It is designed for emergency services such as ambulance paramedics as well as police forces and military medics.

The UK Trade & Investment Export Achievement Award was awarded to Halifax-based Sidhil. Sidhil is a volume manufacturer of beds for acute and community applications. Continued investment has seen the company branch out successfully into the export market with a number of major contract wins.

The Medilink UK Partnership with the NHS Award was awarded to Zilico Ltd. Zilico is developing the next generation of diagnostics that utilise electrical impedance spectroscopy to provide accurate and real-time results. Its flagship product, ZedScanI, is in the area of cervical cancer diagnostics and received its CE mark in September 2013.

High-dependency kids wheelchair in spotlight at IET Awards

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A high-dependency paediatric wheelchair was a finalist at the Institute of Engineering and Technology (IET) Innovation Awards 2013.

The Chair 4 Life, an adaptable wheelchair for children with high dependency needs competed against other leading medical innovations in the Healthcare Technologies category at the awards in London.

One of the key features of the Chair 4 Life is a vertical lift which allows the children eye-to-eye interaction with their peers, which improves dignity and independence.

The chair was built by design specialists Renfrew Group International, who won a National Innovation Centre competition to develop the idea based on feedback from children with high-dependency needs.

One of the key things which makes the Chair 4 Life unique is that it can be easily updated and modified through a series of attachments and components, which reduces the need to renew the entire wheelchair as the child grows, reducing clinic time and costs.

The National Institute for Health Research Devices for Dignity Healthcare Technology Co-operative (NIHR D4D HTC) was a partner in the first phase of the Chair 4 Life project.

The aim of the project was to build a chair which would incorporate the most complex equipment needs such as ventilators and oxygen cylinders, but allow children to leave hospital and be able to get out and about safely, confidently and more independently.

NIHR D4D HTC collected thoughts and ideas about design and functionality from children with high dependency needs through a series of workshops which put the children’s requirements at the forefront of the chair design. These workshops were arranged with Frazer-Nash Consultancy and hosted by the disabled children’s’ charity Whizz-Kidz.

Nicola Heron, Programme Manager of NIHR D4D HTC, said: “I’m really proud that an innovation which NIHR D4D HTC played such a key part in creating has been recognised. Children who are confined to a chair need to be able to feel dignified and independent and the Chair 4 Life gives them this.”

The IET awards were held at The Brewery, London.

To find out more visit www.theiet.org/awards

D4D present at EPRSC Partnership Awards

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Devices for Dignity (D4D) has participated in a workshop in London for potential applicants of the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) NIHR Healthcare Technology Co-operatives Partnership Awards.

The workshop was held for potential applicants to network and explore the work of the eight HTCs in more detail, and to ask questions about the application and assessment process.

Dr Wendy Tindale and Dr Nicola Heron attended the event in London on behalf of D4D to present on the remit of D4D. Click here for D4D’s presentation.

Visit here for more information about the awards.

NIHR showcases the clinical research that could bring hope to the nation’s dementia sufferers

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To mark the start of World Alzheimer’s Month, the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) is showcasing some of the cutting-edge clinical research that could bring new hope to dementia patients and their families.

Launched in 2006 by the Department of Health, the National Institute for Health Research invests in all aspects of clinical research across England, so that patients have the opportunity to take part in suitable studies, and evidence can be gathered to keep improving treatments for NHS patients.

Over the past two years, the National Institute for Health Research has put millions of pounds of extra investment into supporting clinical research into dementia, which affects 800,000 people in the UK – a figure that is expected to rise to one million people by 2021.

Now, as part of World Alzheimer’s Month, the National Institute for Health Research has launched www.FocusOnDementia.nihr.ac.uk Aimed at the general public, the online showcase highlights some of the pioneering work supported by the NIHR, which could lead to better treatments for dementia sufferers, and improvements in the quality of life for those with the condition.

For example, the showcase reveals how, with support from the NIHR, researchers in Cambridge are investigating new gene therapy for Parkinson’s disease, to help patients to gain better control over the slow, stiff movement that is a feature of the disease.

The showcase also features the work of researchers in London, who are using NIHR investment to investigate how tele-care and other home support can help dementia sufferers to stay independent and live in their own homes for longer.

Visitors to the showcase site can also read how the NIHR is also supporting research into a “magic bullet”, to help “repair” the brain, and prevent people with Parkinson’s disease developing dementia.

Speaking about the launch of the online showcase, Dr Jonathan Sheffield from the NIHR said:

“The number of dementia and neurodegenerative disease studies we have delivered in the NHS has increased by 40 per cent over the last two years, and this is a growing area of clinical research. So, with World Alzheimer’s Month about to start, we wanted to take this opportunity to give people an insight into the trailblazing work that is going on behind the scenes to tackle this major problem for our society.”

The National Institute for Health Research’s showcase, www.FocusOnDementia.nihr.ac.uk , includes case studies and interviews with leading researchers, patient views on living with dementia, and advice on finding out about current clinical trials.

For further press information, or to arrange interviews, please contact:

Leicia Feare, Leicia.feare@nihr.ac.uk, 0113 343 0321

Tracy Gregg, Tracy.gregg@nihr.ac.uk, 0113 343 6570

Notes to editors: About the NIHR

The National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) is funded by the Department of Health to improve the health and wealth of the nation through research.

Since its establishment in April 2006, the NIHR has transformed research in the NHS. It has:

  • Increased the volume of applied health research for the benefit of patients and the public
  • driven faster translation of basic science discoveries into tangible benefits for patients and the economy
  • developed and supported the people who conduct and contribute to applied health research.

The NIHR plays a key role in the Government’s strategy for economic growth, attracting investment by the life-sciences industries through its world-class infrastructure for health research.

Together, the NIHR people, programmes, centres of excellence and systems represent the most integrated health research system in the world.

For further information, visit the NIHR website www.nihr.ac.uk

Facts about dementia
Source: www.alzheimers.org.uk

  • Dementia describes different brain disorders that trigger a loss of brain function. These conditions are all usually progressive and eventually severe
  • Alzheimer’s disease is the most common type of dementia, affecting 62 per cent of those diagnosed
  • Symptoms of dementia include memory loss, confusion and problems with speech and understanding. Dementia is a terminal condition
  • There are 800,000 people with dementia in the UK with numbers set to rise to over 1 million by 2021. This will soar to 1.7 million by 2050
  • One in three people over 65 will die with dementia
  • Dementia costs the UK over £23 billion a year, and this figure will rise to £27 billion per annum by 2018
  • There is no cure for Alzheimer’s disease or any other type of dementia. Delaying the onset of dementia by five years would halve the number of deaths from the condition, saving 30,000 lives a year.

Innovative new collar to end MND patients’ neck distress

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A revolutionary new device to replace ‘hated’ neck support collars for Motor Neurone Disease (MND) patients has been developed.

Imagine being unable to support your own head, unable to speak properly or eat without assistance. That is the reality for patients with MND; enabling the continuation of the most basic aspects of living such as being able to maintain eye contact with other people can dramatically improve quality of life.

Moya Briggs, 67, who was diagnosed with the less aggressive form of MND four years ago, chose to take part in a unique patient-led project, called ‘Head-Up’ to create a more suitable collar for patients with MND.

Moya said: “I hate the current collar I have to wear, absolutely hate it. When I’m wearing it I feel like an Egyptian mummy, all choked around my neck. For it to give me enough support I’ve got to have it really tight and when it’s tight I feel like I’m choking in it. It makes me feel as if I’m only partly communicating with the world.

“I hate the look of my current collar too and I cover it with a scarf. The fact that this new collar is inconspicuous and comfortable will make all the difference.”

The award-winning ‘Head-Up’ project is funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Invention for Innovation (i4i) Programme. It is a collaboration between Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Barnsley Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, the University of Sheffield and Sheffield Hallam University. The team was brought together and provided with early funding by the NIHR Devices for Dignity Healthcare Technology Co-operative (D4D HTC).

The collar came from a complete rethinking of existing collars as it sits low on the patient’s neck and offers support along the contours of the neck muscles, making it much easier for patients to carry out everyday tasks such as eating and communicating. The new collar will be undergoing a comprehensive evaluation later this year.

The involvement of patients and the public in research has been strongly promoted by NIHR, and is at the heart of D4D’s culture. Moya and other MND patients have played an extensive part in the design workshops for the new collar.

She said: “The whole device is very inconspicuous and provides so much more support. The snood itself feels like a second skin. It was wonderful for me because the muscles at the back of my neck usually feel the strain but I could instantly feel the relief in my neck.”

“I think it’s going to be a great relief to a lot of people. Every time I go out I will be wearing it and I need it for when I’m on the computer or if I’ve got to sit at the table or do anything for a long period of time.”

D4D, which is hosted by Sheffield Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, brought together an extensive multidisciplinary team including designers and engineers from Sheffield Hallam University’s Lab4Living, clinicians, clinical neurologists, MND nurse specialists, occupational therapists, physiotherapists and medical engineering experts from the University of Sheffield, Sheffield Teaching Hospitals and Barnsley Hospital.

This group was supported by MND patients and carers through the Motor Neurone Disease Association. D4D is also leading the regulatory compliance, evaluation and commercialisation work to put the collar as quickly and effectively as possible into the hands of patients.

Moya said: “I think the role that initiatives such as the NIHR D4D HTC play is very important. They can add an extra dimension – bringing forward products which integrate modern materials and help make people feel more part of the community and less obviously disabled.”

The project was led by Dr Christopher McDermott, who is a Consultant Neurologist and a Co-Director at the Sheffield MND care centre and also supported by the Motor Neurone Disease Association (MNDA).

Sheffield Hallam design hits health note at European conference

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Clinicians, patients, academics and designers from across Europe have convened at Sheffield Hallam University to highlight the crucial role design plays in healthcare innovation.

Design4Health 2013, a week-long series of events hosted by Sheffield Hallam’s Lab4Living created a forum to discuss and develop designs and ideas to improve patient care.


The week began with a high-pressure 24-hour design challenge, which pitted teams against each other to create a device or intervention which would assist in the transition of one of the case conditions, Motor Neurone Disease (MND) and Cystic Fibrosis (CF).

Within each of the four competing teams was someone living with or caring for someone with the case condition, working alongside two clinicians and a team of designers.

Ten countries were represented by the designers: South Korea, Portugal, Italy, France, Mexico, Poland, Argentina, Japan, Denmark and the UK.
The teams created prototypes with 3D printers and presented their concepts before a panel of judges from key healthcare organisations and charities, with two teams sharing an award for best concept.

Lab4Living is now working with the teams to take these concepts forward and seek funding for development.

The week also signalled the start of a major new exhibition featuring different health innovations including a suit made of mohair wool designed to react to individual body temperatures and an exhibit entitled ‘Head-Up’, which displayed a series of neck collars to assist patients with MND and neck muscle weakness.

The main conference was attended by more than 100 delegates from 19 different countries.

David Pao, Clinical Lecturer and HIV Physician, Centre for Behavioural Medicine, UCL School of Pharmacy, who attended the conference and exhibition, said: “‘When I initially walked into the exhibition, I thought I had entered an art gallery. But as I spent time and looked more closely, I began to see real attention to detail, quality and a considered depth to the issues the exhibits were focusing on.

“The conference was the most uplifting, friendly and welcoming I have ever been to. At the same time, the presentations demonstrated the tangible value of the collaboration between design and health, and the potential to learn from each other, working and moving forward together.”

The conference organiser, Lab4Living, is an interdisciplinary research initiative, based at Sheffield Hallam’s Art and Design Research Centre which develops environments, products and creative strategies for future living in which people of all ages and abilities ‘not merely survive’ but are enabled and empowered to live with dignity, independence and fulfilment.

Joe Langley, Senior Research Fellow at Sheffield Hallam’s Lab4Living, said: “This year’s conference was a great platform for different groups of people to see the diverse range of content, methods and disciplines which exist when creating healthcare innovations.

“The exhibition provided a real, tangible focal point for many of the debates in the conference, creating provocations, case studies and examples which enhanced and livened the discussion.”

The next Design4Health Conference is planned for 2015.

Medilink UK Awards recognise the best in UK healthcare

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The finest of the UK’s Life Sciences and Healthcare Technology sector have been honoured at the 2013 Medilink UK Healthcare Business Awards.

The Medilink UK Awards, this year held at the NHS Healthcare Innovation Expo, at the ExCel Centre, London, is an annual event that celebrates cutting edge technologies, outstanding business achievements and international successes across the UK’s Life Sciences sector.

Winners from five categories – Start-up, Innovation, Partnership with the NHS, Export Achievement and Outstanding Achievement – were honoured at the prestigious event.

Hosted by celebrated international broadcast journalist Edie Lush, guests recognised the achievements of the award winners and networked with some of the leading professionals from the Life Sciences sector, UK government, research institutes and overseas organisations.

Tony Davis, Medilink UK’s Chairman, said: “Set against the backdrop of innovation and wealth creation, driven by the Department of Health’s (DH) Innovation, Health and Wealth strategy, NHS Expo was a great opportunity to celebrate the excellence of the UK’s Life Sciences sector through the Medilink UK Awards.

“I would like to extend a massive congratulations to all of our winners. Their success is further proof that our sector is in excellent health and gives us great encouragement for the years ahead.”

The nominees for the awards were derived from the regional awards which were selected by Medilink’s network across the UK.

Winner of the Start-up Award, supported by NSF-DBA Medical Devices, was East Yorkshire-based Savantini Ltd, for its research, design and retailing of products to help men and women improve pelvic floor problems, bladder-weakness and other health related issues.

Edinburgh-based DySIS Medical Ltd won this year’s Innovation Award, supported by the HealthTech and Medicines KTN. DySIS Medical won the award for its development of ground-breaking technology for the evaluation of epithelial based cancers using dynamic spectral imaging.

The Export Achievement Award, supported by The Engine Room, was awarded to Llanelli-based Chromogenex Technologies Ltd. The company secured the award for its outstanding record in selling its range of laser and light-based products for the medical and cosmetic market to more than 50 countries worldwide.

The Partnership with the NHS Award, supported by Array Media, was awarded to Truro-based myClinicalOutcomes. The web-based clinical data collection and reporting platform, developed by clinicians, allows patients with orthopaedic conditions to monitor their progress remotely and long-term using clinically validated assessments.

Deltex Medical, based in Chichester, won this year’s coveted Medilink UK Outstanding Achievement Award, sponsored by Eversheds. Deltex Medical designs, manufactures and markets its CardioQ-ODM Oesophageal Doppler Monitor, a device that provides a solution to fluid management in surgery and intensive care.

Recommended by NICE in 2011 for use in over 800,000 NHS operations, it was cited within DH’s Innovation, Health and Wealth as one of the six high impact innovations to be adopted by the NHS in 2013/14.

This year the awards were supported by the NIHR Devices for Dignity Healthcare Technology Co-operative, the organisation that drives forward innovative new products, processes and services to help people with debilitating conditions preserve their dignity and independence.

D4D Renal Theme awarded NIHR Research Fellowship

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D4D’s Renal Theme has been awarded a Doctoral Research Fellowship to develop work on Body Composition Monitor (BCM) in haemodialysis patients.

The award, presented by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR), in partnership with the Chief Scientific Officer (CSO) for the Department of Health, will support a Clinical Scientist working in Leeds Teaching Hospitals Trust to build on the validation and adoption of the BCM and develop BCM guided fluid management strategies for dialysis patients.

D4D will be a collaborative partner in the work and one of the Renal Theme leads, Dr. Elizabeth Lindley, will act as one of the supervisors for the work.

The BCM will be used to characterise fluid distributions in healthy volunteers and in haemodialysis patients as well as exploring how these distributions are altered in these patients during fluid removal on dialysis.

Attempts at optimising fluid removal, such as promoting fluid shifts from body tissue into the vascular system, will be fully evaluated. The project aims to produce a number of fluid management strategies for different dialysis patient sub-groups, such as those with oedema or those who are prone to symptomatic episodes during dialysis. It is hoped this will help to reduce the rising number of cardiovascular risks in the population which has been linked to overhydration.

David Keane, Clinical Physicist at Leeds Teaching Hospitals, said: “This award is the culmination of years of work in the Renal Unit in Leeds, that started with a D4D funded project looking at BCM in paediatrics and has been supported by D4D throughout.

“It will allow me to work full-time on the project, which will use the BCM to try to make the process of fluid removal less traumatic for patients and better suited to their clinical needs.

“It also gives my team in Leeds the chance to extend their links with D4D and to forge new collaborations with clinicians and scientists in the UK and abroad.”

The NIHR, in partnership with the CSO for the Department of Health, annually runs the Healthcare Science Research Fellowship Competition to support the development of healthcare science research.

D4D expands its expert panel

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Devices For Dignity has strengthened its panel of experts with the additions of two vastly experienced clinicians.

Dr Sandip Mitra has joined D4D’s panel of experts to co-lead the Renal Technologies theme. He will provide further knowledge as this theme expands to cover not only improved patient care in home and hospital dialysis but also looks to address early diagnosis of kidney disease.

Dr Mitra is a Consultant Nephrologist at the Central Manchester Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust where he leads the largest Haemodialysis at Home programme in Europe. He leads transformational change and Innovation in dialysis delivery systems aimed at improving patient experience and outcomes.

Professor Bipin Bhakta has joined D4D to co-lead the Assistive and Rehabilitative Technology theme to further boost knowledge in the area of rehabilitative medicine.

Mr Bhakta is Charterhouse Professor in Rehabilitation Medicine and Head of Academic Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Division of Musculoskeletal and Rheumatics Diseases, University of Leeds.

He is an NHS Consultant Physician and clinical lead for Specialist Rehabilitation Medicine Services at Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust. He is also a lead for the regional specialist rehabilitation centre for people with disability arising from neurological conditions.

His research focuses on how disabled adults and children with neurological injury (e.g. stroke, multiple sclerosis, cerebral palsy) and other causes of disability such as musculoskeletal diseases reacquire functional skills.

Dr Nicola Heron, Programme Manager for D4D, said: “We’re delighted to welcome Sandip and Bipin to our expert panel.

“They have exceptional knowledge across two of our key themes and strengthen what is already a highly knowledgeable and proactive group of experts. Having such as vastly experienced panel of experts allows us to provide informed support for companies which are developing new technologies for areas of clinical need.

“We’re looking forward to working with them both on a number of projects in 2013 and beyond.”

Profile of D4D continues to rise

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The profile of Devices for Dignity will receive a significant boost over the coming months with its role at a number of key healthcare related events around the UK.

Professor Wendy Tindale, D4D’s Clinical Director, will speak at an event in January 2013, having already played the role of compere at the Medilink Yorkshire & Humber Healthcare Business Awards in November (see picture).

The Medilink Healthcare Business Awards, held at the Cutlers’ Hall, Sheffield, celebrated the achievements of the leading healthcare businesses in Yorkshire and Humber.

Professor Tindale will take part in the Later Life: Engaged in Older Age Conference, at the Barbican, London, at the end of January as part of a Panel Debate.

The debate, “The impact of demographic change on public services: How do we make sure we don’t fail the Baby Boomers?”, will explore the most pressing demographic change facing the UK at the moment (and into the future) – that most of us will live for at least a decade longer than was expected when we were born.

Earlier in the month, Dr Nicola Heron, Programme Manager at D4D, will present at Assist UK’s National Conference, ‘Personal Independence Payments’, held at Heritage Motor Centre, Warwickshire.

Dr Heron’s presentation will look at assistive technologies delivering innovative solutions to support patients with long term conditions and preserving their dignity and independence.

Earlier this year, D4D announced that it had entered a partnership with the charity Assist UK as part of its commitment to Patient and Public Involvement.

Professor Wendy Tindale said: “To be involved in so many high level events around the UK is a fantastic platform for us to communicate the important work we are doing at D4D.

“Knowledge of D4D and our role is growing rapidly and we’re looking forward to taking part in a number of events throughout 2013.”

These events follow on from D4D’s Assistive Technology Lead, Professor Mark Hawley, presenting as the key-note speaker at November’s RAatE conference in Warwick. RAatE 2012 is the only UK conference focused on the latest innovations in Assistive Technology.