The Department is involved in technology transfer of its innovations using commercial exploitation to ensure that advantages of medical devices developed within the Department are propagated rapidly throughout the health care field, to the great benefit of the NHS. The Department provides specialist services to non-NHS organisations - for example to the sunscreen industry.
Mechanical and electronic engineering facilities are used to design and develop novel medical instrumentation to attack problems whose solution is essential to development of cost-effective clinical services. The Department is involved in development of original diagnostic, therapeutic and remedial equipment.
The Department has over 30 innovative devices and concepts and is interested in meeting with other medical research organisations or companies involved in developing new technologies associated with medical and healthcare activities. Commercial research contracts into medical device development are also being sought. The Department is keen to meet organisations which could assist them in developing commercial sales distribution and/or manufacturing licences for any of the medical innovations and devices below:
Device |
Description |
|---|---|
| Accident and Emergency Analysis Display System | The Accident & Emergency Display System is a computerised system capable of monitoring and recording patient output data from a patient monitor and displaying it on a flat screen in an easy-to-read format. The system is an add-on tool that works in conjunction with a patient monitor. |
| Algorithm to Assess Endo-tracheal Tube Fit | Neonates and infants are intubated with an uncuffed endo-tracheal (ET)
tube. With an un-cuffed ET tube, air will leak out to the atmosphere from
the lung via the spaces between the tube and the larynx. By means of a
mathematical model, leak resistance can be measured non-invasively via
analysis of the pressure and flow waveforms at the ventilator. Product features: Non-invasive measurements and ability to calculate leak will enable ventilators to more accurately determine values for lung compliance and airway resistance. |
| Automatic Pipette Cleaner | A cleaning system that will handle approximately 120 glass pipettes. The process involves the continuous flow of cleaning liquid through the bores of the pipettes under ultrasonic agitation. A simple model, whereby, dye is absorbed onto the surface of the glass, can be effectively clean using the system developed. Final confirmation of the efficacy of the system can only be obtained by using the new system in the clinical environment. |
| Cerebral Blood Flow Probe | There is a clinical need to monitor and measure cortical blood flow in patients with a severe head injury. This is a useful additional parameter that is needed for the management of patients with such injuries. The Department has experience in the development of thermal clearance probes that have been successfully evaluated in the clinical area. |
| Cerebrospinal Fluid Monitor | There is an established need to measure the patency of hydrocephalus shunts. This is a many faceted problem. In the past, methods such as thermal clearance, isotope imaging and NMR have been used without success. |
| Chest Drain | This device incorporates a ball and socket joint between the drainage pipe and the flange that attaches to the patients skin. It allows the position of the drainage pipe to be adjustable and reduces the risk of infection. |
| Digital Goniometer | This device is used in the clinical situation to measure angles at joints in the human body. The active element is a potentiometer in which there is a linear relationship between the angle of the shaft and the resistance. |
| Digital Turning Clock for Pressure Sore Management | Patients at risk of pressure sores especially over bony prominences where interface pressures may be above 150 mm Hg. According to the Reswick (1978) data, the pressure has to be relieved from the area where the pressure-time characteristic falls within an unacceptable area of the curve (e.g. for 150 mm HG this relates to a relief time of just over 2 hours, so the patient for safety is turned at 1 hourly intervals). It is part of the management of patients that are at risk from pressure sores whilst as an in-patient, that there is a turning regime instigated for each patient. A digital turning clock system has been developed that is kept on the ward-based PC computer. |
| Disability Aids | Head Mounted Laser Pointer for people with impaired communication Grab Bar Switch for children with Cerebral Palsy Suction Grab handle for people with Cerebral Palsy Gate for doorway and stairs to protect against dangerous areas of the home |
| Electronic Portering Software | Allows efficient use of portering staff within the hospital by recording all aspects of patient journeys to and from the radiology department. Provides a record of performance times and workloads to be easily monitored. |
| Functional Thermographic Imaging | A new technique has been developed which applies pixel by pixel analysis to the dynamics of reheating patterns of skin after a mild cold challenge has been applied. The parameters derived from this analysis are used to produce functional images, which contain very much more information relating to blood flow than conventional static thermographic images. |
| Hand Pressure Monitor | The monitor measures the hand strength of patients recovering from strokes and assists in the rehabilitation process. Product features: Ease of use, no figures to interpret only a visible bargraph display, used by patients with a wide range of physical disabilities, overcomes drawbacks of existing systems. |
| Intelligent, Automated Conformal UV Phototherapy for Psoriasis | Intelligent, Automated Conformal UV Phototherapy for Psoriasis - A combined imaging and UV laser system could be designed such that the imaging system recognises areas of psoriasis (e.g. by detecting changes in colour or blood flow between psoriatic plaques and normal, uninvolved skin) and planned the treatment (in an analogous way to radiotherapy treatment planning). Whilst this proposal is new, the engineering technology involved has much in common with the modern treatment/imaging systems used for conformal radiotherapy of internal cancers. Advantages: The cost of hospital-based UVB phototherapy requiring out-patient visits over several weeks is labour intensive in terms of nursing and other staff and a formidable time commitment by patients and consequently their employers. A treatment that reduces the number of patient visits from around 25 to 5 or less has obvious economic and social benefits. |
| Midwifery Stool | Provides postural support to midwives attending home births. Product features: Easily assembled/disassembled (without tools) for transportation and made from material suitable for steam sterilising. |
| Multi-site Peripheral Pulse Measurement | This system is a non-invasive vascular measurement system for the initial screening of peripheral arterial disease. This system compares multi-site pulse waveforms obtained from various different body sites and also compares each site with normative pulse data in order to determine if significant vascular disease is present. The multi-site pulse approach also shows promise for the assessment of peripheral arterial aging and for the assessment of autonomic function. Product features: Simplicity of application, ease of data collection, it has a benefit for screening patients in GP surgeries and other primary care establishments. |
| Optical Stencils | A set of stencils have been constructed to help record outputs from Visual Field Analysers on standard Goldmann field Charts. In addition, there are drawing aids to standardise the results of eye test in patient notes. |
| Orthopaedic Products | Femoral De-Rotation Osteotomy Guide Bi-Planar Osteotomy Guide Spinal Pedical Screw Guide |
| Portable Ultrasonic Power Balance | This device measures the output sound pressure produced from medical ultrasound machines. The ultrasound transducer is held against a clear gel covered membrane on the device and activated. The resultant ultrasound output is measured and displayed on an analogue meter. Since the publication of the international standard IEC 1157 in 1992, it has been compulsory for manufacturers of diagnostic ultrasound scanners to supply information on the acoustic power emitted by their products. For physiotherapy equipment, there is currently a new international standard being drafted. This document also requires manufacturers to measure the ultrasonic power given out by the devices they produce. Product features: Meets UK and European regulations. Allows wide aperture linear and curvilinear arrays to be easily accommodated. High sensitivity and a wide dynamic range. Robust and portable. Cheap to manufacture. |
| PUVA Timer | Phototherapy irradiation cabinets normally rely on one timer or dose meter to control the ultraviolet (UV) exposure of patients. Faults may occur in the electronic control, or the operator may set the prescribed dose incorrectly. If this happens a patient will receive an exposure different from that intended, which in the case of overexposure may result in severe burning resulting in hospitalisation. Some phototherapy equipment has secondary devices (e.g. mechanical timer) for controlling the dose in case the primary system fails. We have designed and built a secondary dose meter that sounds an alarm if an overdose is about to occur. Product features: Automatically set alarm time depending upon the irradiance within the cabinet and thus compensate for irradiance changes as the lamps age. Minimum input from the operator. Quick and easy to use. Works independently of the phototherapy unit. No electrical connection to the irradiation cabinet, avoiding any problems with manufacturer's liability. Sound an alarm if over exposure condition occurs. If the phototherapy cabinet is switched on without setting the secondary dose meter then a buzzer sounds to warn the operator. |
| Seat Belt Clip and Cover - Aid for the Disabled | The device restrains the person from preventing accidents in vehicles by covering the release button of a seat belt which can only be released by a carer or parent |
| Sway Magnetometry System | The system monitors the swaying motion of a standing subject to assess postural stability. The subject stands within a weak magnetic field (produced by the system) movement of the body is monitored by measuring the magnetic field using small detectors placed on a belt around the hips. The system is ideally suited for identifying whether or not a subject's stability is within expected normal limits, and for following changes in stability to monitor efficacy of treatment strategies. |
| Ultrasound Scanning Platform | The platform was primarily designed to assist sonographers in raising a standing patient to a convenient height for scanning lower limbs. Product features: Allows easy application for scanning and overcomes the problems of Sonographers bending and twisting to scan patients whilst viewing the monitor. |
For further details contact, in confidence:
Bill Allan
Regional Medical Physics Department
Sunderland Royal Hospital
Kayll Road
Sunderland
SR4 7TP
Telephone 0191-569-9035.
Regional Medical Physics Department, Newcastle General Hospital, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE4 6BE, UK.
Tel: +44 (0)191-233-6161 Fax: +44 (0)191-226-0970 E-mail: webmaster@rmpd.org.uk Web: http://www.rmpd.org.uk
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Regional Medical Physics Department, a Clinical Directorate of the Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.
Copyright ©1999-2008 All Rights Reserved. Revised 23 July, 2008.
