Medical
Investigating uses for a new type of polymeric valve, including
Inventors: Dr. Marta Serrani & Professor Geoff Moggridge, Chemical Engineering & Biotechnology Mentor: Bill Matthews The inventors have developed a new type of polymeric material which has high durability and specific mechanical properties, being stiff in one direction and flexible in another. The bio-compatible materials can be manufactured easily using standard industrial methods and are…
Investigating patient and clinician acceptance of different methods for monitoring
Inventors: Dr. Gita Khalili Moghaddam (Clinical Neurosciences), Professor Chris Lowe (Cambridge Academy of Therapeutic Sciences) & Jeff Blyth (GlycoVue) Mentor: Bob Pettigrew Diabetes needs to be carefully controlled, with regular monitoring of blood glucose levels and careful use of insulin. The incidence of both type 1 and type 2 diabetes is increasing throughout the world,…
Identifying medical applications for a device which can improve fine
Inventors: Dr Gerald Mako, Cambridge Motorics Mentor: Bill Matthews How to support ageing populations is one of the most pressing issues Europe and other parts of the world are facing; according to the UN, the percentage of people over 65 is expected to rise from 11.3% in 2005 to 18% in 2030 and in Japan…
Finding the best medical applications for a new neurostimulation device
Inventors: Dr. Christopher Proctor & Vincenzo Curto, Electrical Engineering & Dr. Damiano Barone, Addenbrookes There are currently two different types of spinal cord implants available to clinicians and patients. These electrically stimulate the spinal nerves as a way of managing chronic pain in patients who are not responsive to opioids. One of these is very…
Wireless neonatal monitoring
Inventors: Oliver Bonner & Dr. Joan Lasenby, Engineering & Dr Kathy Beardsall, Consultant Neonatologist, Addenbrooke’s Mentor: Dr. Oriane Chausiaux In the UK, the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) cares for approximately 95,000 critically ill newborn babies per year, including many who are born prematurely. The care provided is among the most intensive, specialised and high dependency…
Identifying the need for monitoring extracellular fluids in brain injuries,
Inventor: Dr Tanya Hutter, Chemistry Mentor: Bob Pettigrew Microdialysis is a sampling technique that is used for continuous measurement of free, unbound analyte concentrations in the extracellular fluid of a tissue. The inventors have developed a new method to detect several chemical molecules simultaneously in microdialysis fluid. This means they can detect these molecules very…
Designing a screening device for ovarian cancer
Inventor: Dr. Elizabeth Moore, Obstetrics & Gynaecology at Addenbrookes Hospital & Cancer Research UK Mentor: Dr. Marc Bax Ovarian cancer is typically difficult to diagnose by symptoms alone, with the result that many cases are not diagnosed until the cancer is at a late stage. The current blood test which is used as the first…
Developing a low-cost finger-prick sensor for blood potassium levels
Contact: Dr Tanya Hutter, Chemistry Mentor: Tom Collings, Cambridge Consultants Maintenance of blood potassium levels within defined limits is crucial to health; healthy blood potassium levels are between 3.5 and 5.0 mmol/L. Both severe hyperkalaemia (high-potassium) and hypokalaemia (low-potassium) are associated with abnormal heart rhythms and sudden death. In patients with kidney dysfunction, potassium levels…
Novel extraction of specialist cells for use in cellular therapeutics
Contact: Dr. Krishnaa Mahbubani & Dr. Kourosh Saeb-Parsy, Department of Surgery Mentor: Dr. Karin Schmitt Human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) isolated from living donors are the main source of lymphocytes for basic and translational research, including drug screening and the generation of cellular immunotherapies such as Chimeric Antigen Receptor (CAR) and regulatory T cells.…