Two Cambridge-based teams win Innovation Voucher competition

The winners of the Innovation Voucher competition, run by NHS medtech innovation consultancy Health Enterprise East (HEE) and sponsored by eg technology, a Cambridge-based design engineering development consultancy, have been revealed as two teams from Cambridge University Hospitals (CUH). 

The HEE Innovation Voucher competition is designed to reward the most novel ideas in medtech innovation with vouchers donated by eg technology worth the equivalent of up to £5,000 of the company’s time in-kind, to enable the innovators behind the technologies to develop their ideas.

The two winners were selected by sponsors eg technology, which specialises in taking medical and diagnostic devices from concept to industrialisation.

In the final round, the competition received numerous applications covering a range of emerging medical technologies, with the accolades going to two solutions with the potential to improve patient care. 

One winning team is led by Dr Ryan Seguna and Dr Jurgen Herre, who developed a solution which aims to improve patient safety during procedures that remove fluid or air from around the lungs or abdomen. The team will use its Innovation Voucher with eg technology to refine the design to enable the manufacture of prototypes for further testing.

Also in receipt of an award are Mr Andrew Hindmarch and Dr Gareth Corbett who have designed a solution for aerosol reduction to mitigate the risk of cross-infection from aerosol generating procedures. The team will use its Innovation Voucher with eg technology for ideation workshops to help conceptualise the invention, in preparation for the production of concept drawings which will be the foundation for ongoing development.

Dr Karen Law, head of innovation at HEE, said: “It is great to continue our work with partners such as eg technology for another round of awarding Innovation Vouchers, a competition we have been running since 2014. The Innovation Voucher competition is designed to connect innovators with the expertise they need to take their concepts to the next stage and recognises the importance of supporting innovations from the ground up. Accessing technical expertise is vital for the success of any early-stage development and being able to support such high calibre technologies at this crucial stage via the Innovation Voucher competition is a truly rewarding endeavour.”

eg technology associate director, Rouzet Agaiby, said: “We are extremely excited to be working with both winners to develop their concepts. Each project demonstrates a unique innovation and could make a direct difference to how patients are treated. We specialise in bridging the gap between clinical innovation and market-ready products and are proud to sponsor the Innovation Vouchers through our partnership with HEE and look forward to continuing to support the development of innovative medtech solutions to improve patient care.”

Discussing the win, Dr Ryan Seguna added: “We are grateful to HEE to have been awarded this opportunity to work with eg technology. We believe that their expertise and knowledge will provide us with the best chance to further develop our concept and potentially realise our innovation which aims to make a significant difference to patient safety during thoracentesis and paracentesis procedures.”

Andrew Hindmarsh commented: “We feel very fortunate to be awarded the Innovation Voucher and have the opportunity to benefit from the expertise and experience of the eg technology team. The requirement for a solution for aerosolisation during procedures is more relevant now than ever and with the support of HEE and eg technology, we are moving a step closer to achieving our goal.”