Kidney Research UK announces winners of second MedTech competition

Kidney Research UK has announced the winners of its second MedTech competition, specifically designed to advance innovation and discovery within dialysis.

The research organization has confirmed that three innovative projects spanning from wearable technology to online training platforms and safety devices have been shortlisted, each of whom will receive over £25,000 in training to help them bring their innovations to the patients they care about. Help those who are in immediate need of it.

Working with In-Part, a specialist agency, the charity encouraged scientists, academics, engineers and technology manufacturers to propose their dialysis-related innovations through a second MedTech competition. A short list of projects was put before a “Dragon Den” style panel of experts, including nephrologists and patients, to select the winners.

A team from Keele University and the University of Bristol will develop online training and other resources to support decision-making processes for patients who may have difficulty doing so independently. Dialysis is a difficult and exhausting treatment so choosing the right option is paramount to patient outcomes. Training is also planned across England and Wales to help build a sensitive approach to supporting families and patients.

Meanwhile, researchers at Queen Mary University are focusing on the optimal management of fistulas – access created by surgeons by connecting a vein to an artery, usually in the arm, to create a larger, stronger blood vessel to connect to a dialysis machine. point. Before each dialysis session, the fistula should be checked to see if it is working properly; If it is not fully functional, additional surgery will be needed to create a new fistula. The team will create wearable technology that can keep patients and staff informed about the status of a patient’s fistula. The technology will monitor blood flow through the fistula using sensors less than a millimeter thick, providing quicker and more accurate confirmation that the fistula is still working.

As well as the academic winners, Edinburgh-based company Javelo Health has also been selected to create new safety lines for children on dialysis that will prevent the connection between blood vessels and the dialysis machine from breaking. Passing 200-500 ml of blood per minute through the machine is at greater risk. Life-threatening incidents of ruptured lines occur every year, causing concern about children undergoing hemodialysis. JVelo Health is confident that their new safety lines will help reduce anxiety, supporting a more positive experience for children undergoing dialysis.

Dr Kirsty Frearson, dialysis program manager at Kidney Research UK, said: “Dialysis is still as grueling and scary as it was when it was first introduced in the 1950s and new innovations are desperately needed to improve safety and patient outcomes Is. We are confident that the projects we have chosen to fund will be of immense benefit to patients and help us in our mission to transform treatment for all kidney patients.

Researchers in all three projects will also benefit from membership in an exclusive Academy program that helps advance their work. This approach provides a commercial and business-oriented focus, helping researchers ensure that their innovations reach patients. Building on the traditional grant model, the course helps participants pitch their medtech projects to potential investors through an introduction to innovation and creating a start-up company.

Angela Watt, Trustee of Kidney Research UK, said: “My background as a renal nurse and almost 20 years working in hemodialysis care gives me a good feel for how important these proposals are to change dialysis treatment for the better Were. I was really impressed with the range of innovations that were presented to the panel, which made the decision of choosing the winners quite difficult. Despite some lively discussion, we all agreed that those selected for funding provided the best opportunity to make a difference for kidney patients.