Medical Technologies - IKC
University of Leeds

OUR VISION
AND MISSION

The Medical Technologies IKC works to reduce the risk and uncertainty associated with new technologies, with a strategic focus on the regenerative device sector. Our mission is to secure investment from the private sector to develop commercial products from world-leading research and deliver economic benefits. We work with incremental as well as with disruptive technologies and continue to support companies and researchers through the commercialisation process.

Our vision is that by 2020, Regenerative Devices will be established as a $1bn per year UK industry.

Technology
Priority Areas

Directly implanted regenerative devices

Directly implanted regenerative devices

Scaffolds, biomaterials and devices which deliver tissue repair and regeneration.

Enabling technologies

Enabling technologies

Enhanced simulation methods will improve design, development and pre-clinical evaluation of new products. The goal is to provide evidence of safety and efficacy at the pre-clinical stage, reducing the risk, cost and time in product development.

Companion technologies

Companion technologies

Advanced imaging and diagnostics can determine the disease state of the patient and their response to treatment. Companion technologies use these tools to deliver stratified and personalised interventions which can enhance precision of surgery.

WHY REGENERATIVE
DEVICES?

Definition: ‘Regenerative devices: Regenerative therapies delivered as Class III medical devices’

Regenerative devices is an emerging technology area with huge market potential. It belongs within the area of regenerative medicine, identified by the Government as one of eight ‘great technologies’ in which the UK has the potential to be a global leader.

The Medical Technologies IKC is focusing on the regenerative devices sector because of the potential to commercialise technologies more quickly and cost effectively.  Our experts are able to take a strategic approach to selecting the right technologies to invest in – identifying cost effective healthcare interventions with shorter translation pathways and lower development costs. It takes, typically, fewer than 10 years to translate regenerative devices into the market place and costs less than £10m – much less than all other forms of regenerative and cell therapies.

Societal need

The life expectancy and average age of the population continues to increase as a result of advances in biomedicine and healthcare.

This creates significant economic and societal challenges in ensuring a high quality of life for our aging population. The Medical Technologies IKC is addressing these needs and expectations, helping to ensure an active lifestyle for “fifty active years after fifty”. We focus on areas of clinical need in musculoskeletal disease, dentistry and cardiovascular disease, which have been strategically prioritised by the University and the Leeds Hos

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Economic value

Regenerative devices have the potential to be a $50bn-per-year global market. The industry which is emerging to take advantage of this huge opportunity includes both start-ups and spinouts as well as the creation of new technology opportunities that can be exploited by existing medical device companies.

Already, the Medical Technologies IKC is making a significant contribution to this industry. Our main target is in securing investment from the private sector to develop these technologies. By helping companies access knowledge, capability and people, and facilitating clinical collaborations, we can help bridge the gap between fundamental research and the development of technology that’s fit for purpose and ready for serious industrial investment. Through our proof of concept projects, we aim to reduce risk and uncertainty for companies, allowing them to invest with greater certainty to progress a technology beyond the validation stage all the way through to launch and subsequent commercial viability.

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A Short Definition of Innovation

A Short Definition of Innovation

The Oxford Dictionary of English defines innovation as “the action or process of innovating”, and less circularly as “a new method, idea, product, etc”.  The root verb to innovate is to “make changes in something established, especially by introducing new methods, ideas, or products”.  The 16th century origin of the word is from the Latin verb innovare that fuses “into” and “make new”.

The website Wikipedia offers a deeper insight into the definition of innovation to be (at the time of writing), the creation of better or more effective products, processes, technologies, or ideas that are accepted by markets, governments and society” .  Now a review of the evolution of this Wikipedia entry on innovation reveals a considerable polemic on what innovation is and what it is not.  Furthermore, the subject ventures to address aspects of innovation that are important for organisations where the following definitions are presented:

  • ”[Innovation] is generally understood as the successful introduction of a better thing or method. [It] is the embodiment, combination, or synthesis of knowledge in original, relevant, valued new products, processes, or services.”
  • “Innovation is the multi-stage process whereby organizations transform ideas into improved products, service or processes, in order to advance, compete and differentiate themselves successfully in their marketplace.”
  • “All innovation begins with creative ideas. […] We define innovation as the successful implementation of creative ideas within an organization. In this view, creativity by individuals and teams is a starting point for innovation; the first is a necessary but not sufficient condition for the second”.
  • “Innovation, like many business functions, is a management process that requires specific tools, rules, and discipline.”

It becomes clear that innovation can take many forms according to its context.  It can apply to products and processes.  It can enhance performance or simplify practice.  It can increase value or reduce cost.  It is borne by teams of investigators co-ordinated within large projects or by individuals who might have a good idea.  Innovation thus presents itself as a multi-faceted catch-all term that embraces all things which can be considered to be progress, at least in an economic sense.

Rather than depend on a heuristic set of specific examples to describe what innovation is and explain how it should be done, there is a need before going further to fix a-priori a definition to provide some firm grip on this thing which we will examine.  Such a definition, as sparse and as general as can be delivered as this time, is as follows:-

INNOVATION:  is Making Information Valuable

One might immediately detect a fix.  The incertitude surrounding innovation is being transferred into the doubly intangible terms of Information and Value.  Nevertheless, we have our starting point and a large part of what follows is a justification of this somewhat cryptic definition.

With this definition we should associate innovation with its two close relations: invention and risk.  Invention, or more broadly discovery, is the creative act that provides an initial idea, which is the information and which may or may not have value.  This is the initial risk of the invention.  Thomas Edison famously defined genius to be 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration.  The creative act of invention is the 1% component.  Innovation then demands 99% of one’s genius to be dedicated to developing the value of that information of discovery.  Value here can take its classical forms of use-value or exchange-value, the former representing the direct utility of the invention, where the latter provides for an exchange of the invention for other goods that actually are of use.

We will go onto develop a more quantitative and phenomenological notion of value as we proceed to discuss innovation on this forum.

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4th International Conference on Oncological Engineering

4th International Conference on Oncological Engineering

Where:Weetwood Hall, Leeds When:15/03/15 @ 3:00 pm

Bringing together engineers, scientists and clinicians to explore novel ideas in the field of oncology

Keynote speakers:
Prof. Nadrian Seeman New York University
Prof. Brian Wilson University of Toronto
Assoc. Prof. Tze Wah University of Leeds

For further information download the event flier (opens a PDF)
For detailed information download the event programme (opens a PDF)

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Understanding Challenges Clinicians Face – Divya Baji

Understanding Challenges Clinicians Face – Divya Baji

This month’s blog has been submitted by Divya Baji, a PhD student at the Centre for Doctoral Training in Medical and Biological Engineering based at the University of Leeds.

‘Clinical Immersion’ – a two week hospital placement – has been offered to students and post-doctoral research assistants with an aptitude and preference to work in medical technology innovation. The IKC believe there is valuable learning to be gained by immersing the participants in a clinical environment to gain an appreciation of the day-to-day activities and challenges clinicians face.

My name is Divya Baji and I’m a final year PhD student in Medical and Biological Engineering. I am developing a dynamic in-vitro knee model capable of simulating the kinematics of the joint to predict the biomechanics and biotribology of bone and cartilage substitutions. I always had an aspiration for medicine and my interest in innovation and design brought me to medical engineering. I want to pursue a career where I can bring this to the medical/healthcare industry. I was interested in the placement as I saw its potential to give me a great learning platform which was completely different from what I was used to in academia. This was certainly an excellent and unique opportunity for me.

This placement was an insight into the unification of medicine and engineering. It gave me the opportunity to see the direct impact medial engineers make in the healthcare system. I observed how surgeons make use of the medical devices and tools; and the impact it has on the patients. Healthcare is highly reliant on high-tech equipments and the medical engineered devices constantly pushed the boundaries of surgery and patient care.

The placement was organised David Russell, a vascular surgeon from Leeds General Infirmary who we observed during surgeries, along with many other surgeons for different operations. They were all very helpful at explaining what they were doing during the surgery, some even drew us diagrams to explain the procedure before starting. This helped us understand the medical issue and the treatment allowing us to focus on the procedure and its technical challenges.

Communication and teamwork are key in diagnosis, treatment, and taking action

The placement began in vascular clinics where I observed how well the physicians communicate with the patients and the staff team to obtain relevant information for diagnosis, take actions for treatments and make patients comfortable. The team work and efficiency was the same when I shadowed them in ward rounds. I also watched the Da Vinci surgical robot being used in paediatric operations. The robot had three mechanical arms to hold instruments and another for the camera. They were controlled by the surgeon from a console with the help of the camera that showed highly magnified 3D images of the patients’ interior. It enabled the surgeons to operate with high precision movements which cannot be achieved through bare hands.

We observed several angioplasty cases in the vascular radiography theatres. Although the procedure was the same, each case was unique in the sense that the complications were different in different patients and the surgeons immediately adapted the treatment to its need. I observed several endovascular repairs of abdominal aortic aneurysms using stent grafts. I developed an appreciation towards the role of radiography in minimally invasive surgery. Teamwork between surgeons, nurses, anaesthetists and radiographers were crucial in the surgery and each of them played an important role in the procedure.  We were also fortunate enough to see the removal of an infected graft. This was a challenging open surgery that required a lot more time and effort than the initial graft implant procedures. Although synthetic grafts are successful in most cases there are cases like this which emphasise the need for biological tissue replacements.

Thinking about the future of applied medical engineering

The placement brought an appreciation to multi-disciplinary work in the NHS, the advances in modern medicine and the patients’ trust that allowed the surgeons and physicians to use these technologies. It has not only showed me the application of some great equipments currently used by the NHS but has also helped me understand some of the limitations engineers might have in such environment. This encouraged me to think out of the box to for innovative designs while developing technologies for the medical industry.

This experience made me think about practical applications of engineering and the importance of translating new technologies for healthcare. This was also a great networking opportunity which gave me a chance to speak to some exceptional people in this field. 3D printing of sterile materials to provide medical aid in a crisis; and developing simulations and models to teach medical students and train surgeons are a few examples of things we discussed that are challenges for the future. This placement was a great inspiration and has certainly influenced my perspective of medical innovations.

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