Posts by: Caroline McGarry

HIHI Director Dr Tanya Mulcahy appointed as expert advisor for the World Health Organisation Technical Advisory Group on Public Health Innovation

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We are delighted to announce that our Director, Dr Tanya Mulcahy has been selected as an expert advisor for the World Health Organisation Technical Advisory Group on Public Health Innovation.  Dr Mulcahy is one of 15 experts who will use their personal expertise and knowledge to support WHO Europe in addressing the complex health challenges that face us as a region through the strategic assessment, implementation and optimisation of innovations in public health. The Technical Advisory Group for Building an Innovation Ecosystem for Public Health (TAG-BIEFPH) is envisaged to play a pivotal role by providing expert guidance and recommendations to navigate the complexities of fostering innovation within the public health sector.

Speaking on her appointment to the expert advisor role Dr. Mulcahy said “‘I’m really excited to contribute to this expert group. I’m acutely aware of the problems we are facing in Europe and globally in healthcare, but I’m also at the front line of innovation development. I can see the huge potential for innovative solutions to address these challenges but the biggest barrier we face is how to assess and implement these solutions at scale. Fundamentally it is about bringing the best solutions to where they are needed, resulting in better health outcomes for all.’

Dr Tanya Mulcahy is Director of Health Innovation Hub Ireland, a national healthcare innovation initiative supported by the Government of Ireland through the Department of Health and Department of Enterprise Trade and Employment, Enterprise Ireland and the HSE. HIHI is a partnership of academic and clinical groups led by University College Cork with University of Galway, Munster Technological University, Trinity College Dublin, the Mater Misericordia Hospital Dublin and the Pillar Centre.

 

HIHI launches new case study with Eila Connect a tech solution which supports independent living for older adults

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This November Health Innovation Hub Ireland spotlights our latest clinical evaluation study with Eila Connect developed by Crothers Security Ltd.  It’s a technology enabled care product which supports independent living for older and vulnerable people who live alone. Falling is the most common cause of injuries in the home for older adults, with approximately 30% of those over 60 falling each year.

Eila Connect provides a solution to the issue. It’s a monitoring unit which uses technology to help relatives and carers get a picture of the ongoing well-being of the person. Using motion detectors, it builds a “Day Story” of a person’s activity. This story is available as a visual graphic on an app and gives a full picture of a person’s movement and activity and alert systems are also built in.

Consequences of falls include injuries, fractures, problems with mobility, depression, loss of independence, and a substantial economic burden on health care systems. One in eight older adults who fall report lying on the floor for more than an hour. These ‘long-lies’ have a devastating effect on the older adult’s health. Older adults often have declines in mobility and reduced activities of daily following a fall and long-lie. A sudden reduction in mobility leads to a decreased physical, psychological, and social state with an accompanying drop in self-esteem.

Personal falls alarms such as pendant alarms are commonplace in Ireland, however they rely on the user to wear the device and to physically press a button when a fall occurs. This method has several disadvantages including, but not limited to (i) unable to notify of a fall if not wearing, (ii) requires the person to be conscious and cognitively intact following a fall (iii) does not work outside of the house.

Current research reports use of personal alarms such as pendant alarms is infrequent among older adults, suggesting a need for exploration of newer technologies to address these disadvantages. Previous research suggests the development and implementation of innovative technology for automatic fall detection to address the failures of personal alarms (Blackburn et al., 2021).

HIHI worked with the team at Elia connect and facilitated three separate evaluation sessions with five clinical experts working with older adults and several benefits were noted throughout the sessions. Each of the clinicians noted that the technology was excellent and that Eila Connect provided a great service. The use of sensors to detect falls instead of using cameras gives the patients their independence while providing peace of mind to worried family members. The customisable nature of the service by adapting the parameters to the patient’s routine and letting the patient receive the same notifications as the family is ‘empowering’. In comparison to the other known competitors, such as pendant alarms, it offers several advantages and addresses a lot of the barriers.

Eila Connect presents several significant advantages over current falls detection systems. It’s ability to detect falls at home without wearing a pendant could prevents a huge number of long lie associated injuries which in turn could reduce hospital admissions and costs due to same.

Martin Crothers, CEO of Elia Connect highlighted the value of working with HIHI. “From the very beginning I found HIHI very easy to deal with, from the online application to our first direct communication, everything was clear and easy to understand. HIHI began to work quickly to pull together a consultation process with clinical experts who were knowledgeable in the requirements of Elder Care. The result of our interaction with HIHI was very positive and the insights from our consultations were really useful. In addition, we got to meet people who work with the cohort we are aiming to provide Eila Connect to and educate them on how this technology can help their patients. I would recommend that anyone who has innovative solutions for the healthcare sector to reach out to HIHI and see what they can do for you”.

Read the full case study here https://hih.ie/downloads/case-studies/HIHI-case-study_Eila-Connect.pdf

 

HIHI launches new pilot study with Irish company Norma, a digital health platform that offers hope to women suffering from Genito-Pelvic Pain Disorders (GPPPD’s)

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New digital health platform Norma offers hope to women suffering from Genito-Pelvic Pain Disorders (GPPPD’s) providing access to an expert led intimacy education platform and psychosexual therapists

HIHI is delighted to launch it’s most recent FemTech pilot study with Norma.  This new digital health solution will help Irish women to receive help for a previously taboo subject of intimate pain associated with Genito-Pelvic Pain Disorders. Norma, an Irish company, tackles this widespread but often overlooked and underdiagnosed health issue. The figure for those suffering in silence is staggering.  “It is estimated that 10–28% of reproductive-aged women in the general population complain of persistent pain during sexual intercourse”.

What are GPPPD’s? These are conditions which cause chronic pain and discomfort during activities like intercourse, tampon use, and intimate medical exams and generally there are no universally accepted treatment approaches.

As a GPPD sufferer, a female entrepreneur and an Irish innovator, Norma’s founder, Gráinne Byrne herself suffered from this painful condition. Like most patient innovators she sought to find a solution as she set about her innovation journey to develop a technology for herself and others. Grainne’s response was to create a new Irish FemTech digital solution which is an expert led intimacy education platform. The condition can be isolating so it is important to know that there are other people in the community who are also suffering in silence.

Gráinne reassured those with GPPPD’s that there is help out there:  “My personal experience with vaginismus, a form of genito-pelvic pain, was deeply isolating. I struggled with basic things like inserting a tampon, undergoing an intimate medical exam, or having penetrative intercourse. Each attempted insertion was painful and distressing. Over eight GP appointments, I was repeatedly dismissed or told my pain was ‘normal.’ As the years passed, my mental health and sexual wellbeing severely declined due to the lack of accessible care and proper guidance. I founded Norma with Clinical Psychologist & Psychosexual Therapist Dr. Natasha Langan to fill this gap. Our mission is to connect people with accredited psychosexual therapists to provide the expert support and resources they truly deserve, at every stage of life.”

The unique digital psychosexual health platform offers its expert-led intimacy education through online sexual wellbeing workshops. The overall mission is to increase access to accredited sex therapists. Norma’s key goals set out to address treatment for a range of genito-pelvic pain/penetration disorders (GPPPDs), such as vaginismus and dyspareunia, by delivering evidence-based educational tools. Norma’s online workshop programme combines insights from psychology, cognitive therapies, psychosexual therapy, breathwork, and pelvic floor physical therapy to support individuals in managing their conditions and improving sexual wellbeing.

This innovative digital education solution provides accessible support for those with the condition. The programme is a life saver for women who may not previously have come forward and sought treatment. It helps participants understand their condition, manage pain, and improve sexual health

A recently completed pilot study conducted by Norma with Health Innovation Hub Ireland showed promising results. HIHI provided the clinical research and facilitated patient feedback necessary to complete this successful pilot. Participants felt that the digital health solution positively impacted their sexual wellbeing. Confidence was increased by having the access and the tools to manage the symptoms more effectively and consequently strong user satisfaction was reported.

Commenting on the successful completion of the product pilot,  Dr. Michael Twomey, Senior Research Manager, Health Innovation Hub Ireland said: “Health Innovation Hub Ireland is delighted to have supported the Norma pilot. Driven by a user-innovator who has experienced genito-pelvic pain disorders, Norma embodies the true spirit of FemTech. This platform goes beyond being a digital solution—it’s a lifeline for women facing chronic, often overlooked conditions. By combining personal experience with cutting-edge technology, Norma empowers women to improve their sexual health and quality of life. HIHI’s role in facilitating participant feedback and aligning the programme with healthcare needs helped validate Norma as a credible, research-backed initiative, showcasing the transformative power of FemTech in women’s healthcare.”

For those looking to avail of this new platform it is available at the aptly named feelnorma (as in feel normal) web-site.  https://www.feelnorma.com/

HIHI pilot study with NORMA

https://hih.ie/downloads/case-studies/HIHI-case-study_Norma.pdf

 About FemTech @ Health Innovation Hub Ireland

For full details log on to https://hih.ie/engage/femtech/

Journal reference

https://link.springer.com/referenceworkentry/10.1007/978-3-319-59531-3_39-1

 

 

 

On World Stroke Day HIHI launches new case study with Cork company Ocras which aims to restore the enjoyment of eating for patients with Dysphagia

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On World Stroke Day Health Innovation Hub Ireland is delighted to launch its latest Clinical Evaluation Study with Ocras. The company founded by Niamh Condon and her partner Siobhain McNulty produces individually portioned texture modified food for people with dysphagia which affects 8% of people worldwide. It is caused by medical conditions such as stroke, cancer, brain injury, MS and Parkinson’s making eating and swallowing problematic.

Ocras came up with a innovative healthcare solution to improve the eating experience, developing a new range of food products suitable for people with dysphagia and worked with Teagasc to create a novel edible glue-like formula that it uses to self-adhere foods. They created frozen and pureed food products designed specifically for the healthcare sector.

HIHI organised a focus group meeting at (CUH) Cork University Hospital to sample and provide feedback on the food working with speech and language therapists, catering staff and consultants. Ocras demonstrated their dysphagia-friendly foods to kitchen staff, who were also given the opportunity to both prepare and blind test them. The feedback was extremely positive in terms of taste, palatability and texture.

Niamh Condon founder of Cork company Ocras today spoke about the innovation journey: “In 2014, I embarked on my healthcare culinary journey as the head chef of a nursing home in Cork. Early on, I realised how crucial food was to the overall wellbeing of residents. However, I found myself questioning the standard methods for preparing and presenting pureed food. Driven to make a difference, I began exploring innovative ways to restore enjoyment in eating, even for those facing swallowing difficulties. This led me to partner with Siobhan, and together we founded OCRAS, focusing on creating frozen, pureed food products designed specifically for the healthcare sector.

The saying “we eat with our eyes first” underscores the importance of visual appeal in food presentation. Rooted in positive psychology, this idea suggests that easily recognisable, visually appealing meals can significantly enhance the dining experience. Our goal is to enable residents, patients, caregivers, and caterers to form a positive emotional connection with each meal, resulting in greater satisfaction and enjoyment of our tasty, palatable products. The support from HIHI (Health Innovation Hub Ireland) was instrumental; they facilitated a focus group at CUH (Cork University Hospital), where the insightful feedback proved invaluable to our fledgling business. From our initial contact to now, their guidance has been both helpful and approachable. We’ve already introduced our products across institutions within the South-West Regional Health Authority and are excited to expand further in the near future”.

Read the full case study here. https://hih.ie/downloads/case-studies/HIHI-case-study_Ocras.pdf

 

Great coverage of HIHI’s new FemTech case study with CLISTEPROBE in the Irish Times and Irish Medical Times

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Read the coverage here.

Great article by Ciara O’ Brien for the Irish Times.

New breast cancer diagnosis technology aims to cut waiting times
Clisteprobe is a high-tech solution developed by team based in Cork

https://www.irishtimes.com/technology/2024/10/11/new-breast-cancer-diagnosis-technology-aims-to-cut-waiting-times/

Irish Medical Times article 

New Irish technology aims to reduce wait times for breast cancer screening results

HIHI launches new FemTech case study with CLISTEPROBE. Their novel diagnostic technology aims to reduce wait times for breast cancer biopsy results

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CLISTEPROBE technology aims to decrease anxiety for women waiting for breast cancer results with a novel biopsy technology which will reduce result wait times

Read the full case study here https://hih.ie/downloads/case-studies/HIHI-case-study_ClisteProbe.pdf

October marks Breast Cancer Awareness Month internationally. CLISTEPROBE have devised a novel method for breast cancer diagnosis which will reduce delays in providing patients with results. The Cork team based at University College Cork (UCC) and supported by Health Innovation Hub Ireland (HIHI) offers new hope to women with their innovative breast cancer screening and detection technology. This will come as welcome news as each year in Ireland, more than 3,400 women and approximately 30 men are diagnosed with breast cancer. Globally, according the World Health Organisation (WHO) breast cancer caused 670, 000 deaths in 2022.

The new venture emerging from UCC and Tyndall National Institute is an Enterprise Ireland (EI) Commercialisation Fund programme and was awarded €753K by EI to continue technical and commercial development on a bioimpedance biopsy needle. CLISTEPROBE specialises in developing advanced biopsy devices which will improve the accuracy and efficiency of disease detection in breast cancer and prostate cancer.

What is the new technology and how will it improve the detection and treatment of breast cancer? The biopsy device provides real-time diagnostic data to empower clinicians to make informed decisions during biopsy sampling by identifying benign and cancerous tissue. Millions of women around the world undergo breast biopsies following suspicious mammograms, waiting days and even weeks to get results. This causes stress and anxiety and in some cases unnecessary worry as up to 80% of these breast biopsies are benign and not indicative of cancer. The gamechanger is separating benign and malignant cases at the time of biopsy leading to a reduction in turnaround times of the biopsy. For those with malignant results, it will allow patients to start treatment immediately.

CLISTEPROBE’s pioneering technology is designed to revolutionise breast cancer diagnosis during biopsy procedures. The device named CLISTEPROBE, enhances point-of-care capabilities by integrating sensors that provide real-time tissue assessment. Bioimpedance sensors are used to differentiate diseased from healthy breast tissue, which is based on the changes in the electrical properties of each tissue type. The sensors are fabricated on the bevelled needle surface. The technology allows for more targeted biopsies, reducing the number of benign samples sent for histopathology and potentially minimising the need for multiple biopsies. The benefits from a clinical perspective are: a reduction in the workload of radiologists, improvement in  the patient care model and most importantly providing quicker and more accurate biopsy results. This will go a long way towards accurate and timely diagnosis of breast cancer in Irish women.

According to Breast Cancer Ireland

  • 1 in 7 women will be diagnosed in their lifetime
  • 1 in 728 men will be diagnosed in their lifetime
  • We have 3,700 new cases of breast cancer diagnosed each year.
  • 23% of women are diagnosed between the ages of 20-50 years.
  • 34% of women are diagnosed between the ages of 51-69 years.
  • 43% of women are diagnosed over the age of 70 years.
  • Only 5%-10% of breast cancer cases are hereditary.

Health Innovation Hub Ireland (HIHI) played a crucial role in the CLISTEPROBE project with Dr Michael Twomey (Senior Clinical Research Manager) and Ms Niamh Allen (HIHI Clinical Liaison, based at University College Cork & South Infirmary Victoria University Hospital) facilitating part of the evaluation phase of their innovation pathway in breast cancer diagnosis. HIHI organised a series of focus groups and interviews with relevant healthcare professionals, including breast surgeons, oncologists, radiologists, and nurses, to gather feedback on the CLISTEPROBE device. HIHI’s involvement ensured that the team received comprehensive insights that could be integrated into their research and development processes to optimise the device for clinical use.

This newly launched CLISTEPROBE pilot study is part of HIHI’s FemTech initiative which focuses on women’s health from birth to death and includes areas such as adolescent health, fertility, menstruation, menopause, gynaecological health, pregnancy, cancer, mental health, female wellness and health conditions that affect women disproportionally. Health Innovation Hub Ireland’s FemTech initiative, supports the development of high potential new products, services and start-ups aiming to improve the health and wellbeing of 50% of the Irish population, women. It also aims to create a geographical FemTech focus and build an ecosystem of experts and entrepreneurs supporting, driving and innovating.

Dr Justina Ugwah CEO, commented on Breast Cancer Awareness Month and the benefits of CLISTEPROBE

“The devastating impact of this disease through my father’s friends who lost their wives to breast cancer. The pain and anguish I saw left an indelible mark on me. What’s particularly striking – and heartbreaking – is that even today, women still endure the excruciating 10+ day wait for biopsy results, a wait filled with anxiety and uncertainty. This reality drove me to get involved with CLISTEPROBE. To me, this isn’t just about developing technology; it’s about transforming lives. Every day of waiting for results is a day of emotional turmoil for patients and their loved ones. By providing rapid, accurate diagnostic results, we’re not just saving time – we’re offering peace of mind, enabling faster treatment decisions, and ultimately, saving lives.

 

Breast cancer doesn’t just affect individuals; it impacts families, friends, and entire communities. During this Breast Cancer Awareness Month, I’m more determined than ever to ensure that the next generation of women won’t have to endure the same agonizing wait that countless others have faced. CLISTEPROBE represents hope – hope for quicker diagnoses, more effective treatments, and ultimately, better outcomes for breast cancer patients everywhere. This is personal for me. It’s about honoring those we’ve lost, supporting those who are fighting, and creating a future where breast cancer diagnosis and treatment are faster, more accurate, and less emotionally taxing for everyone involved”.

Dr Tanya Mulcahy, Director HIHI Ireland and founder of FemTech Ireland welcomed the launch of the CLISTEPROBE pilot.

“Supporting innovations in women’s health is the key driver of our FemTech programme, we are delighted to support CLISTEPROBE, through clinical engagement, in the development of their novel biopsy device. Supporting the translation of academic research to product drives better outcomes for patients and in this case has the potential to impact the millions of people who undergo breast biopsy globally”.

HIHI kicks off new pilot study with Micro-Cosmos and UHG of a new dome product that helps patients sleep better in a low stimulus environment

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Pictured from Left to Right: Caitriona Boyce, Clinical Skills Facilitator Trauma Orthopaedics, St Finbar’s Ward University Hospital Galway; Martina Finnerty, Clinical Nurse Manager II (CNM II), St Finbar’s Ward University Hospital Galway;  Eef Lamers, Founder Micro-Cosmos

On Monday 23rd of September, Micro-Cosmos and St Finbar’s Trauma Orthopaedic Ward at University Hospital Galway began a pilot study of the Micro-Cosmos dome.

Micro-Cosmos Ltd. is located in Nijmegen, the Netherlands and was founded in 2020. The Micro-Cosmos dome concept emerged from a Dutch Health Hackathon—a collaborative event at Radboud University Hospital where individuals from diverse backgrounds converge to collectively explore and address health-related problems. The founding team of Micro-Cosmos consists of Eef Lamers and Skip van de Kandelaar. Micro-Cosmos received funding from EIT Health, the European Institute of Innovation and Technology, in 2023 to introduce the dome to a new country such as Ireland.

Micro-Cosmos chose Health Innovation Hub Ireland (HIHI) as their partner organisation. The Micro-Cosmos dome aims to provide a calmer atmosphere for patients to aid with sleep. When completely closed, an average sound reduction of 3 dB(A) is achieved. Sound spikes above 40 dB(A) are reduced by 40%. St Finbar’s Trauma Orthopaedic Ward at University Hospital Galway is the first site in Ireland to trial the Micro-Cosmos Dome. The study will run for a period of seven weeks.

 

 

HIHI completes an AI pilot study which is set to improve the accuracy of bladder scans

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Great to conclude another successful pilot study!
Health Innovation Hub Ireland have recently concluded a pilot study focused on improving patient care with an AI enhanced bladder wall detection tool with University Hospital Galway.

Launched at University Hospital Galway’s Urology Department in collaboration with Health Innovation Hub Ireland, the study focused on enhancing an AI model’s ability to detect bladder wall edges using a Convolutional Neural Network (CNN). The study, which received full ethics approval, involved the collection of anonymous scan images over three months using the Vitacon Bladder Scanner to refine the AI model.

This advancement underscores the commitment of UHG, HIHI, Vitacon, and Cardiogenics Ltd  to pioneering AI-driven solutions that elevate patient care standards.

Special thanks to everyone involved in making this study a success, particularly Brian Turvey from Cardiogenics for his generous donation of anatomical models and posters to the Urology Department at Galway University Hospital.

Photo – Left to Right – Maria Kelly GUH/HIHI, Michael Duane GUH/HIHI, Brian Turvey (Cardiogenics), Geraldine Rooney Urology ANP UHG and Therese Kelly Urology ANP UHG.