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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.
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Calling all clinical innovators ! HIHI will shortly be announcing details on how to apply for this year’s Health Innovation Hub Ireland Enterprise Ireland Clinical Innovation Awards 2024.
Full details will be available on this site shortly.
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This August HIHI’s company spotlight is on MedScan3D
Health Innovation Hub Ireland this month showcases another Clinical Evaluation Study. The focus of the evaluation was to identify new areas where 3D printing technology can add benefit within the healthcare system. The company wanted to explore fresh opportunities and connect with key people to champion 3D printing technology.
Working with our HIHI team Michael Duane, Noel Murphy and Neil Tilley, MedScan3D explored the value of printing patient specific models and beyond this in healthcare fields such as Orthopaedics, Paediatrics, Cardiology and Dentistry. HIHI advised clinical engagement to explore service need, application and adoption of a bespoke 3D printing offer.
HIHI’s national network was used to identify and connect with key experts in clinical engineering across the country and also in radiotherapy working with Tallaght University Hospital, Galway University Hospitals and Cork University Hospital Group. HIHI also arranged, facilitated, and chaired each evaluation session.
HIHI’s engagement and network was invaluable to the company. “HIHI facilitated our connection with experts to gain fresh insights into our service offerings. The feedback from this evaluation has helped identify market value points and initiated a HIHI pilot study at one of the clinical locations involved in the evaluation.”- MedScan3D
Read the full case study
https://hih.ie/downloads/case-studies/HIHI-case-study_MedScan3D.pdf
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HIHI Meet the Team. Health Innovation Hub Ireland (HIHI) is thrilled to announce the appointment of Geraldine O’ Flynn as the new HIHI Manager at the University of Galway.
Geraldine, who has a robust background in clinical and health technology, previously served as Project Manager and Senior Accounts Manager at an Irish healthtech company. She played a pivotal role in the development and success of their digital therapeutics products, which earned a National Healthtech Award in 2023 for ‘Most Transformative Impact – Diagnostics for Prevention.’
Her extensive experience spans clinical work within the NHS in Cardiac Rehabilitation, a role as Associate Lecturer in Sports Medicine at the University of Glasgow and leadership of integrated community health programs in chronic disease care. Geraldine also brings expertise in commercialisation within the UK and US markets.
With a special interest in cardiac rehabilitation and behavioural science, she holds a BSc in Exercise Science from ACU Texas a Master’s in Cardiovascular Rehabilitation from University of Liverpool, and a certificate in Project Management from TUD
Geraldine will manage the Galway office, leading on ideas assessments and the Clinical Innovator Awards. Her experience in conducting research, improving patient outcomes, and fostering innovative ideas will undoubtedly contribute to the ongoing enhancement of health innovation in Ireland.
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HIHI is delighted to welcome Laura Caden to our team. She joins as Health Technology Innovation Specialist, based at Mater Misericordiae University Hospital
Laura brings a wealth of experience to Health Innovation Hub Ireland. She has worked across all sectors of the medical device industry inclusive of start-ups, multinationals and corporations looking to diversify their business portfolios into medical device design and manufacture. Her experience to date includes the design and development of novel Med Tech applications from conceptualisation and prototyping as well as supporting clinical trials through to commercialisation readiness.
Laura has a B. Eng in Biomedical Engineering from NUI Galway, an MSc. in Mobile Application Design from TUD, and recently completed a post graduate certificate in Creativity, Innovation and Entrepreneurship with UCD.
In her role she will support the submission and progression of ideas put forward through the HIHI Innovation Portal, as well as delivery of pilot studies and end user evaluations. Laura will work with HIHI and health care professionals/staff based at MMUH, to drive innovation and create powerful and disruptive technology that improves patient outcomes and clinician experience.
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HIHI Senior Clinical Research Manager, Dr. Michael Twomey recently participated in the 2024 World Congress on Virtual Rehabilitation which was held in Amsterdam in the Netherlands in June 2024.
University College Cork (UCC) researchers are collaborating with European partners in a new 5-year project aimed at providing a platform that offers access to virtual rehabilitation therapies for those most in need, thus reducing healthcare rehabilitation waiting lists. Scale-Up4Rehab, an Interreg North-West Europe (NWE) grant involving 13 European partners across clinical and research and development sectors, represents a major advancement in the digitalisation of rehabilitation services across Europe. The project aims to develop an open NWE virtual rehabilitation clinic similar in design to platforms such as Netflix, through which existing virtual rehabilitation therapies will be piloted and scaled up.
The response of healthcare services to the Covid-19 pandemic has demonstrated opportunities that digital solutions offer in terms of access, efficiency and effectiveness. Following professional assessment and individualised treatments prescribed by clinicians, digital rehabilitation harnesses the latest virtual reality technology and will offer access to dedicated rehabilitation care regardless of the location of the patient.
Scale-Up4Rehab aims to ensure equal access to rehabilitation care and foster the resilience of healthcare systems throughout North-West Europe. European partners in rehabilitation clinics, medical centres and innovation networks, along with experts in research and development in engineering and computer science will collaborate on the project over a five-year period.
Dr Joseph McVeigh, Head of Discipline of Physiotherapy and Mr David Murphy, School of Computer Science and Information Technology, lead UCC’s involvement in the €10.8 million project, with almost €1 million allocated to UCC.
Five regional pilots in Ireland, the Netherlands, Germany, Belgium and Luxemburg, will establish the feasibility of the virtual rehabilitation clinic across a range of conditions such as stroke, back pain, Parkinson’s disease and cerebral palsy. The UCC team (Dr Joseph McVeigh, Mr David Murphy, Mr Eoghan Ó Riain, Mr Aaron Cole, Ms Ciara Hanrahan, Mr Declan O’Sullivan, Ms Trish O’Sullivan and Dr Michael Twomey), working with the other Irish partner University College Dublin (UCD), will focus on people with chronic pain and long covid.
Dr McVeigh expects the project to significantly improve access to effective rehabilitation services for patients.
“Waiting lists across a range of rehabilitation services are far too long. Patients need early and appropriate interventions. Digital solutions offer the potential to deliver rehabilitation earlier, faster, and direct to their home. All patients will continue to require bespoke individualised care that is appropriate for their needs at any time, but we also need to be open to the opportunities and improvements that technology can offer patients,” Dr McVeigh said.
Scale-Up4Rehab aims to develop applications that meet the highest standards of efficacy and effectiveness, as well as having high acceptance amongst healthcare professionals and patients.
“We need a clear set of requirements for applications to create a scalable virtual rehabilitation clinic. These requirements will cover medical, technical, and legal criteria,” said David Murphy.
The project will also embed digital rehabilitation into the physiotherapy curriculum at UCC, exposing students to digital technologies and digital rehabilitation early in their training. “At UCC we are training physiotherapists not just for today and tomorrow but for many years to come. While it is widely accepted that physiotherapists are evidence-based and research led, physiotherapists of the future need to be equipped with the skills to work with future digital technologies. We want our students at UCC to be leaders in this field,” added Dr McVeigh.
Commenting on the Scale-Up4Rehab project, Professor John Cryan, Vice-President of Research and Innovation at UCC said:
“This project represents a fantastic opportunity to revolutionise rehabilitation services in the healthcare system, providing solutions to the challenges associated with rehabilitation care and recovery. Significantly, it will also embed research-led innovative technological solutions into our physiotherapy curriculum at UCC.”
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This July, HIHI is spotlighting our latest Clinical Evaluation Study with CergenX with their product CergenX Wave which provides new hope for early recognition of potential Brain Injury in Newborns.
At least 5 out of every 1,000 newborns in the developed world have some form of brain injury at birth. Newborn brain injuries are frequently clinically invisible and can be undiagnosed at birth, resulting in lifelong consequences for not only the infant but also their families and society. In the USA, the lifetime care costs for an individual born with brain injury can be up to $3 million. Currently, EEG (electroencephalography) is the gold standard for detecting brain function issues. However, its widespread use is limited by several factors: it requires specialised expertise for analysis, results can take hours to days, it is costly, and scaling up its availability has proven challenging.
CergenX is a high-potential start-up supported by Enterprise Ireland and a spin-out from Infant Research Centre at University College Cork has developed a groundbreaking solution. The CergenX Wave is an innovative two-channel EEG device integrated with artificial intelligence (AI). This device allows for the early recognition of potential brain injury in all infants, facilitating timely intervention, leading to reduced infant morbidity, improved developmental outcomes, and decreased severity of brain injuries. The Role of HIHI was crucial in assisting CergenX on their innovation journey.
HIHI facilitated the evaluation of the CergenX Wave by organising focus groups with neonatal healthcare professionals across multiple hospitals (Cork University Hospital, Galway University Hospital, Portiuncula Hospital in Galway, and St Luke’s General Hospital in Kilkenny).HIHI identified and recruited participants, coordinated sessions, and helped design the presentations and questions to gather insightful feedback.
HIHI also analysed the data and prepared a comprehensive report, aiding CergenX in refining their product to better meet clinical needs. This project underscored the importance of early detection tools in neonatal brain health and demonstrated the significant impact such innovations can have on improving outcomes for newborns and their families.
Jason Mowles, CergenX CEO commented on the valuable role of HIHI on their innovation journey: “Medical professionals have notoriously busy schedules, but HIHI has the network and relationships that allowed us to secure time with the people we needed to speak to. Their ability to engage relevant healthcare professionals to gather crucial insights has significantly contributed to refining CergenX Wave. We collaborated closely with Michael and Maria to maximise the value of every session. No ask was too great—they were a pleasure to work with.”
Read the full case study here : https://hih.ie/downloads/case-studies/HIHI-case-study_Cergenx.pdf
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If you want to be at the forefront of healthcare innovation leadership and become an innovation champion of the future then apply today to the Postgraduate Diploma in Healthcare Innovation. This one year course is run by Trinity College Dublin in association with Health Innovation Hub Ireland. Accelerate your career and lead the delivery of innovation impact across Irish healthcare. The closing date is approaching so apply now by 30th June, 2024.
By enrolling in this programme you will:
Graduates of the Postgraduate Diploma in Healthcare Innovation form part of a year-on-year a growing network of national Innovation Champions.
Please find additional course information and online application form here https://www.tcd.ie/medicine/clinical-medicine/postgraduate/pgraddip-in-healthcare-innovation/
For course-related queries, please e-mail: Dr. Michelle Armstrong (Course Co-Ordinator) or Dr. Alison Keogh (Academic Co-ordinator) at pgdip.healthcareinnovation@tcd.ie
Watch the course informational videos to find out more.
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A collaboration between HIHI and UHG and ATU’s Industrial Design third-year students has recently wrapped up with a very successful demonstration of the intersection of healthcare and design thinking.
HIHI’s Michael Duane, Clinician Liaison and Principal Engineer for HIHI, Medical Physics and Clinical Engineering together with Kenneth Nevin, Lecturer in Product & Industrial Design, MSc Design Innovation, oversaw the program within the hospital. The initiative immersed third-year students in various hospital departments, where they addressed real-world problems encountered by clinicians daily and embarked on a design process which involved presentations by clinicians on their needs. Through iterative dialogues with clinical staff, the students refined their concepts and this hands-on approach ensured that the designs addressed the practical needs of the hospital environment.
The semester-long collaboration culminated in new product designs being presented to clinical staff which highlighted the synergy between the students’ fresh perspectives and the clinical expertise of the hospital staff. The success of this module has set the stage for a new partnership between Atlantic Technological University and the hospital, promising a future where design-led solutions continue to enhance healthcare delivery.
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Read a great article by Terence Cosgrave editor of the Irish Medical Times on how Irish start-up Telea is helping Parkinson’s speech therapy. Health Innovation Hub Ireland has recently completed a pilot with Telea which was launched on World Parkinsons Day this year. This new home therapy platform offers new hope to the 12,000 Irish people living with the disease.
Read the article in the IMT here. https://www.imt.ie/features-opinion/software-helps-parkinsons-speech-therapy-22-05-2024/
Read the full case study here. https://hih.ie/downloads/case-studies/HIHI-case-study_Telea2.pdf
