Health Innovation Hub Ireland, headquartered in UCC, is supporting local companies to develop their HealthTech products.
Health Innovation Hub Ireland, a national initiative supported by the Department of Enterprise Trade and Employment, the Department of Health, Enterprise Ireland and the HSE is led-by and headquartered in UCC with a partner hub in MTU . The goal of HIHI is to support Ireland’s health technology industry by connecting innovators with healthcare and driving the development of products through HIHI’s unique innovation pathway. HIHI supports innovations at idea stage, pre-commercial prototype stage and market ready products. HIHI supports companies based anywhere in Ireland but we are particularly proud of the work we’ve done to support local Cork-based industry. Here is snapshot of some recent successes:
Health Innovation Hub Ireland supports Cork-based Gasgon Medical with clinical feedback of AirVault – a novel device to limit the impact of air bubbles in infusion therapy lines.
Cork- based Gasgon Medical has developed a novel closed-system air trap, the AirVault. As a single-use device, AirVault is designed to provide a safe, easy and effective technology to prevent the impact of Air-in-Line, a common disruptor of infusion therapy, which will result in improved safety for patients and healthcare staff. Gasgon Medical approached Health Innovation Hub Ireland (HIHI) to get feedback on its AirVault medical device from clinical experts to ensure it will meet the needs of healthcare professionals and their patients.
Through its clinical network, HIHI identified suitable clinicians to attend five focus groups in three different hospitals in Cork and Dublin. HIHI facilitated the focus groups, advised on the key questions which were addressed by over 35 experts in nurse practice development, nursing management, infection control, oncology, pharmacy, quality risk management and biomedical engineering.
The company received valuable feedback and suggestions, which assisted them in the final design of the AirVault. The clinical feedback also highlighted other use-cases for this technology which HIHI is currently helping the company to explore. Now with a design freeze, Gasgon is beginning a multi-centre study designed to capture clinical evidence and contribute towards CE mark and FDA accreditation
Read the full case study here: https://hih.ie/downloads/case-studies/HIHI-case-study_Gasgon_Medical.pdf
HIHI supports Cork sisters to pilot innovative sustainable PPE in healthcare
Cork sisters, Dr Mary O’ Riordan and Lisa O’Riordan, have developed the HaPPE Apron- a more sustainable alternative to traditional personal protective equipment (PPE) in a bid to help cut carbon emissions from healthcare.
The “green” PPE apron is made from a proprietary resin that is composed of compostable bioplastics. It matches the safety parameters of current, medical Low-Density Polyethylene (LDPE) single-use aprons, is CE approved and suitable for use in healthcare. Overall, the apron has a carbon footprint 75 per cent lower than a standard PPE apron, with no waste in the manufacturing process and using sustainable energy sources for production.
Health Innovation Hub Ireland working with the South Infirmary Victoria University Hospital (SIVUH) in Cork piloted the HaPPE Apron with 7,000 aprons tested for wearability, acceptability, sustainability and durability, across the elective orthopaedic ward, the orthopaedic rehab ward and across the hospital catering and kitchen services.
“To see our compostable apron being used by frontline staff in the South Infirmary Victoria University Hospital and to get such support from the HIHI team was invaluable to us. It is through collaboration like this that we bring practical solutions to our health system,” the co-founders said.
“Worldwide, the healthcare sector is responsible for as much as 4.6 per cent of total greenhouse gas emissions. If Ireland is to make an impact, we need to look at innovative products that reduce carbon emissions while maintaining safety, UCC has a strong sustainability agenda and we are delighted to support sustainable healthcare products” said Dr Tanya Mulcahy, Director of Health Innovation Hub Ireland.
UCC based Start-up Teleatherapy begins Health Innovation Hub Ireland pilot with the HSE
Founded in 2020 by Clare Meskill, Teleatherapy has developed a platform to better connect speech and language therapists with patients that have Parkinson’s disease.
The platform enables speech therapists to prescribe exercises for clients, which can then be completed at home through an app on their phone or tablet. This product is designed to save time for speech therapists and reduce waitlists for patients.
Through Health Innovation Hub Ireland, Teletherapy are piloting their platform within the HSE. The company will gather feedback from patients, carers and speech therapists as part of the pilot.
“Clare Meskill is a UCC graduate (College of Medicine and Health) and a UCC Ignite alumna, Teleatherapy has offices in UCC Gateway and it’s great that Health Innovation Hub Ireland is in a position to support the company development. Teleatherapy is improving the quality of life for Parkinson’s patients and we are delighted to be able to help” Dr Tanya Mulcahy, Director Health Innovation Hub Ireland.
Cork’s Orthopaedic Medical Device Company OrthoXel supported by HIHI to address MDR compliance
Cork-based OrthoXel approached HIHI to assist it in carrying out the human factor usability testing of the completion of its Implant Card in compliance with the MDR. HIHI first identified that orthopaedic theatre nurses are the healthcare professionals responsible for completing the Implant Card in this case. Through its clinical network and the HSE clinical staff assigned to HIHI, HIHI identified orthopaedic theatre nurses and facilitated two rounds of ergonomic usability testing. HIHI provided clinical liaison and project management expertise throughout the project to ensure that this testing was carried out in line with OrthoXel’s tight timeline.
OrthoXel is a specialist orthopaedic trauma company, which uses innovative engineering design to evolve the next generation fracture fixation devices. Its innovative orthopaedic trauma devices are inspired by surgeons and are focussed on delivering superior patient outcomes. OrthoXel’s products include the Apex Tibial Nailing System and the Apex Femoral Nailing System, both of which are CE marked and FDA cleared.
https://hih.ie/downloads/case-studies/HIHI-case-study_OrthoXel.pdf