Irish Times series: Irish Health Innovators: Dr Aisling Snow and Fiona Snow
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Dr Aishling Snow and Fiona Snow developed disposable X-ray markers which minimise contamination and improve accuracy. Read about the project:
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Health Innovation Hub Ireland offers unique quid pro quo to enterprise and the HSE, as it launches national ‘dragons den’ style call for Irish start ups
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Government initiative, Health Innovation Hub Ireland (HIHI), today launched a national call – both focussed and open – to industry. HIHI works across the health sector with Irish businesses to solve problems, improves the health service and in the process helps to create jobs and exports. The annual HIHI call brings finalists together for a national dragon’s den style pitch, with the winning products fast tracked into Ireland’s health service for study.
This 2018 call is aimed at companies, start-ups, SMEs, who have innovative products or services that are at pre-commercial, demonstration or late development phase and have the potential to significantly impact healthcare. HIHI offers a unique tailor made pathway for start-ups seeking pilot or validation studies for commercialisation.
The first stage of the HIHI call will be open until August 31, during which time companies must submit an application, available on hih.ie. At stage two, successful applicants are invited to a rigorous competitive pitch process, with representatives from Enterprise Ireland, Science Foundation Ireland, Health Research Board, HSE and other influencers that they would not ordinarily have direct access to.
At stage three, HIHI acts as a broker, matching companies with relevant clinical teams, overseeing a study of each product in a real life Irish clinical setting and authors a report upon completion of the study. The completed report can offer leverage for products in international markets, enhance distribution opportunities and inform further development.
HIHI National Director, Dr Colman Casey said:
“HIHI provides a unique quid pro quo – we offer companies the opportunity for pilot and clinical validation studies and the health service access to innovative products, services, devices, that they may otherwise not be exposed to.
“These studies offer added credibility with investors and may help with early adoption. The fact is if you have not tested your product in a clinical setting, then commercialisation is distinctly more difficult. Or the HIHI study may identify that a product needs further refinement after observing its use by a clinical team, which is crucial prior to achieving commercial return on any product or device.”
HIHI partner, the HSE, has highlighted a strategic need for the health service in the focussed call – ‘Enabling positive ageing’ and although all products will be considered for the HIHI pitch, the HSE has asked that companies also consider impact in:
- Dementia Care
- Integrated Care
- Limiting acute hospital admissions
- Promoting healthy living for longer
- Minimising polypharmacy
- Promoting increased independence at home
- Providing care closer to home
The HSE faces many pressures including an ageing population, rising incidence of long-term conditions, increased costs and budget limitations.
HIHI National Lead and Principal Investigator, Prof John Higgins said:
“The HSE recognises that collaboration with enterprise can benefit patient care, patient pathways and outcomes. Although HIHI operates an open door policy to both start-ups and the healthcare community, we also work with our partners on focussed calls such as this.
“Our population is growing older, with the number of people aged 65 years and over increasing from 11% in 2011 to 13% in 2016. And this trend will continue; forecasts tell us that the number of people aged over 65 will increase by a further 18% to 753,000 in the next five years. HIHI can provide solutions here, working in partnership with the HSE.”
HIHI works directly with three hospital groups (South/South West, Dublin Midlands and Saolta in the West/North West). Pitch winners will effectively have express access to these 23 hospitals, community healthcare facilities and three clinical research networks and HIHI network can access other acute and community hospitals, pharmacies, primary care centres and healthcare centres.
Innovation in HealthTech Event – Tyndall National Institute, Cork
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Innovation in HealthTech brings together leading academics, clinicians, experts and engineers to discuss technology solutions to human health problems.
On 11 June evening, leading academic, clinical representatives and enterprises will discuss the challenges experienced in day to day clinical practice and the wealth of state-of-the-art technology solutions available in academic and industry circles. Discussion areas are respiratory medicine, infectious diseases, general surgery and emergency medicine.
On 12 June, speakers from higher education institutions and industry will present data from diverse pedagogical approaches and models which involve researchers from the engineering, industrial design, medical and business communities to develop medical device solutions in healthcare.
Register here for an opportunity to join the discussion!
Innovation in HealthTech is enabled jointly by the Ireland – Wales EU INTERREG operation Celtic Advanced Life Science Innovation Network (CALIN) and the H2020 Erasmus+ MedInvent project, in collaboration with Health Innovation Hub Ireland, University College Cork Medical Education Unit and Assert.
Innovation in HealthTech
11th – 12th June 2018 Tyndall National Institute, Cork
Event Programme
11th June: Addressing Challenges in Medical Device Development
| 16:00 | Registration & Welcome Coffee / Tea |
| 16:30 | Opening Remarks
Prof Eoin O’Reilly – Interim CEO, Tyndall National Institute |
| 16:45 | Session I: Panel Discussion “From Prototype to Market”
Dr Ciarán Duffy – European Advisor / National Contact Point, Horizon 2020 Societal Challenges – Health, Enterprise Ireland (Session Chair) Dr Colman Casey – Director, Health Innovation Hub Ireland Mr Larry O`Dwyer – Scientific Affairs Manager, Health Products Regulatory Authority Ireland Dr Paul Galvin – Head ICT for Health Strategic Programmes – Head of Life Science Interface Group, Tyndall National Institute |
| 17:30 | Keynote Talk: Connecting the dots in Healthcare – the next generation of connected services
Dr Brian Flatley – Business Strategy and Engagement Director, S3 Connected Health |
| 18:00 | Buffet Dinner & Networking |
| 19:00 | Session II: “Needs & Challenges in the Clinical Market” |
| 19:00 | Respiratory Disease – Opportunities for Innovation
Dr Marcus Kennedy – Consultant Respiratory Physician and Interventionist Pulmonologist, Cork University Hospital |
| 19:30 | A role for technology in the fight against Antimicrobial Resistance?
Dr Corinna Sadlier – Consultant in Infectious Diseases and Acute Medicine, Cork University Hospital, Member of the National Immunisation Advisory Committee |
| 20:00 | Robotic Joint Replacement Surgery
Mr Stephen Brennan – Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon, Bon Secours Hospital, Cork |
| 20:30 | Stop telling us YOUR solutions to the problems YOU perceive we have!
Dr Jason van der Velde – Prehospital Emergency Medicine and Critical Care Retrieval Physician, National Clinical Lead MEDICO Cork |
| 21:00 | Closing Remarks |
| 21:15 | Finger Food & Networking |
| 22:00 | End of Day 1 |
12th June: Collaborative Healthcare requires Collaborative Education
| 09:45 | Opening Remarks
Dr Padraig Cantillon-Murphy – Lecturer at the School of Engineering, University College Cork and visiting faculty at IHU Strasbourg |
| 10:00 | MedInvent – Educating for innovation and standards in medical device design
Dr Jef Vanderoost – Lecturer, Faculty of Engineering Science, University of Leuven |
| 10:45 | Medical Device Design at UCD: From classroom to commercialisation
Dr Eoin O’Cearbhaill – Director of the UCD Medical Device Design Group, Lecturer in Bioengineering at the School of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, UCD |
| 11:30 | Coffee/Tea Break & Networking |
| 12:00 | Co-education in EUNCL: from cross-expert fertilization to regulatory co-learning
Dr Simon Baconnier – TNA Manager European Nanomedicine Characterisation Laboratory EU-NCL, Clinical Alliance Manager, CEA Grenoble |
| 12:45 | Lunch & Networking |
| 14:00 | Hybrid Surgery at the IHU-Strasbourg: a new paradigm of education and innovation in France
Prof Lee Swanstrom – Head of GI and Minimally Invasive Surgery at the Oregon Clinic, Chief Innovations Officer IHU Strasbourg, Clinical Professor in the Department of Surgery at OHSU |
| 14:45 | Smart Digital Healthtech: from Key Enabling Technologies to 4P
Dr Paul Galvin – Head ICT for Health Strategic Programmes, Head of Life Science Interface Group – Tyndall National Institute |
| 15:30 | Closing Remarks & End of Day 2 |
| 16:00 | End of Day 2 |
Electronic Prescription Trial in Mallow- data collection now complete
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HIHI with McLernon’s Software and Complete GP are and trialling an Electronic Prescription System that uses barcodes printed on the prescription to populate the pharmacy software when scanned on site using a barcode reader.
The current practice of creating a prescription within a GP Practice Management System and printing either to a laser or dot matrix printer has always lead to the potential for error when being transcribed into a pharmacy system due to legibility or human error. This puts the patient at greater risk; however it’s possible to reduce potential errors through the introduction of Electronic Prescription Services (EPS). This enables the prescription to be transferred electronically from GP surgeries to a Pharmacy Computerised System. As there is a legal requirement for a paper-based prescription, the paper prescription will be maintained as the primary document during the course of this study. All other relevant legislation will also be adhered to.
HIH Project Objective
To introduce and roll-out a pilot operation and assessment of a barcode enabled Electronic Prescription Process to Pharmacies in the Mallow catchment area. The project will include Pharmacies using McLernon’s Software and also those who do not use McLernon’s software.
Project Summary
Introduction of Electronic Prescription Service to pharmacies within a 5 mile radius of the Mallow region. All pharmacies in this region were invited to participate. All GPs in this geographic region were informed of the project.
The project was conducted in stages.
Stage 1 – Proof of concept that the bar code on the paper prescription could be used to pull the relevant data into the pharmacy computer system.
Stage 2 – Advance notification to GPs and Pharmacies of the pilot.
Stage3 – GP and Pharmacy feedback
Stage 4- evaluation of data and completion final report
Clinical Location and Team
All Pharmacies within a 5-mile radius of Mallow Town were invited to participate, the following agreed:
Mulcahy’s Pharmacy Main St
Mallow Community Pharmacy
O’Sullivan’s Pharmacy
Doneraile Pharmacy
Boots Pharmacy
Mallow Late Night Pharmacy
Townview Pharmacy
Weedle Pharmacy
Joyce’s Pharmacy
Project Status
The pilot operation is complete. Surveys have been collected and data is currently under review.
Meetings and surveys with participating pharmacies provided valuable feedback.
A report is being completed- this will provide an independent review of the operation of a barcode enabled EPS.
Cork CF Unit is cleanest in the world
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Cork University Hospital (CUH) now has the “cleanest hospital rooms that exist in healthcare worldwide” within its new cystic fibrosis (CF) ward, effectively removing the threat of cross infection to patients.
That’s according to consultant respiratory physician Prof Barry Plant, who was speaking at the official opening of ward 5B, CUH’s new 20-bed adult CF and respiratory ward, paid for by CF charity Build4Life at a cost of €2.3m, the largest single philanthropic donation ever made to the hospital.
Prof Plant said it was a “great day for CUH” and the “realisation of a dream” for patients and families affected by CF in the Munster area.
“It’s been a long road to get here today and you all know why these facilities needed to be developed — to allow our friends and family with CF enter the hospital environment without fear of cross infection,” said Prof Plant.
See full article on: www.irishexaminer.com
Health 2.0 Cork November Meetup
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Health 2.0 Cork aims to have a meet up of healthcare professionals, IT professionals, academics, patient groups and general public. Meet-up session includes talk by guest speakers from healthcare and IT sectors on relevant healthcare related topics and how technology can be an adjunct in rendering healthcare delivery. Panel discussions on the topic is also held. Start-up companies are given an opportunity to demo their product as well. Meet-ups concludes with coffee and networking sessions.
Call for Start-Up Innovations – Medtech Europe 2016
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We are pleased to announce that the call for entries to the 2016 Medtec Europe Start-up Academy is open!
The Start-up Academy is where a select number of Europe’s most innovative start-ups will be invited to demonstrate their products and exhibit for FREE at our flagship event in Germany.
Taking place on 12–14 April 2016 in Messe Stuttgart, Germany, Medtec Europe is your gateway to inspiration and all the latest developments around Medical Device Technology.
In 2015 we had over 50 entries with the winner’s trophy going to an Italian company LiquidWeb and its innovative product calledBraincontrol – an augmentative and alternative communication system based on Brain-computer interface (BCI) technology.
We are now calling for submissions from all over Europe from medical device start-ups. Whether yours is a pre- or post-revenue business, we encourage all start-ups from the above regions to make submissions and go forward to demonstrate their innovations at the show.
We will then choose the best start-ups, who will be offered a free stand at Medtec Europe, in addition to a free demonstration slot at the Start-up Academy and a chance to win €2,000!
If you have an innovative product you wish to showcase, we want to hear from you! Contact Svetlana Fathers atsvetlana.fathers@ubm.com or call +44 (0)20 7955 3973.
The deadline for submitting your interest isMonday 11 January 2016.
To learn about the submission criteria, please visit the Start-up Academy page on our website.
We look forward to hearing from you!
Kind Regards,
The Medtec Europe Team
Fastform Research announces North American Distribution Agreement
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Waterford’s FastForm Research Announces North American Distribution Agreement for Its
Orthopedic Injury Management Products
Waterford, Ireland – 1 October, 2015 – FastForm Research (FastForm) announced today that it has signed a distribution agreement with Breg, Inc., a leading provider of sports medicine products and services headquartered in Carlsbad, Calif. Breg will exclusively distribute FastForm’s fracture and soft tissue injury products in the United States and Canada through its network of sales representatives, and distribution partners.
The distribution partnership expands FastForm’s presence in North America, and will accelerate the introduction and use of FastForm’s breakthrough casting and bracing products. FastForm’s initial product portfolio treats forearm and wrist fractures, a market in whichthere are over 640,000 distal radius (forearm) fractures and 250,000 wrist fractures every year in the U.S. alone.1
An alternative to plaster and fiberglass casting, FastForm’s products are hygienic and comfortable. When heated, FastForm’s proprietary PolyTrexX material converts from a rigid state to a pliable, highly conformable brace, giving patients a custom fit that is lightweight, water resistant, radiolucent and biodegradable. The products give orthopedic surgeons a single solution that serves as splint, cast and brace.
“I am delighted we now have a golden opportunity to bring FastForm’s differentiated products to the U.S. market through a prestigious company like Breg,” said David Sheehan, CEO of FastForm Ltd. “Together with Breg we can improve the healing experiences of patients in North America, and advance fracture management and soft tissue injury repairto the next level in patient care.”
“We are excited to begin distributing FastForm’s fracture bracing products and supporting both of our companies’ commitment to developing and launching innovative products,” said Brad Lee, president and CEO of Breg, Inc. “FastForm products give our orthopedic customers access to a more comfortable alternative to plaster and fiberglass casting. We look forward to a long and productive relationship.”
About FastForm Medical
FastForm is an innovative and dynamic life science company, focusing on the development and commercialization of superior medical products for the healthcare industry. The Companydesigns, develops and manufactures advanced orthopaedic orthosis that combine highly conformable PolyTrexX™ polymers and breathable DermaWick™ liners to deliver superior comfort and enhanced quality of life for patients from injury right through to recovery. FastForm is headquartered in Killowen, County Waterford, Ireland. Visit www.fastformmedical.com
About Breg, Inc.
Breg provides premium, high-value sports medicine products and services that advance orthopedic patient care. From pioneering cold therapy and innovative bracing to caring customer service and award-winning orthopedic practice business solutions, Breg delivers a 360⁰ customer experience unmatched in the industry. Founded in 1989, Breg is based in Carlsbad, Calif., and is a company of Water Street Healthcare Partners, a strategic investor focused exclusively on the health care industry. Visit www.breg.com.
References
1.“The Epidemiology of Distal Radius Fractures,” Nellans, K.W., MD, et al. Hand Clin. 2012 May: 28(2): 113-125
Media Contacts
Breg, Inc.
Kelly Neagu
Director, Marketing Communications
1+760-795-5996
FastForm Medical
David Sheehan
Founder, CEO
+ 353 (0)51 306912