ICWES15 - Medical Devices - Partnering for Success. Presented by Prof Karen Reynolds, Flinders University, Australia
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ICWES15 - Medical Devices - Partnering for Success. Presented by Prof Karen Reynolds, Flinders University, Australia
- 1. Medical devices – partnering for success Karen Reynolds Professor of Biomedical Engineering Director, Medical Device Partnering Program
Editor's Notes
- The Medical Device Partnering Program (MDPP), based at Flinders University, has brought together groups of researchers to help the local company by independently validating the effectiveness of their powered bed mover. The MDPP project brought researchers from the University of South Australia’s Ergonomics Laboratory (Ergolab) to the Flinders Medical Centre, the major hospital serving Adelaide’s southern region. Over three weeks, the project team put the South Australian built StaminaLift bed mover through its paces on the wards to measure how much easier it is to move beds using this product than it is to push a bed manually. "The Medical Device Partnering Program project compared the physical workload of unassisted manual bed pushing with the StaminaLift,” said UniSA Senior Research Fellow and Ergolab Director, Dr Gunther Paul. “ Amongst other factors, muscle strain for each case was measured by staff from the University of South Australia’s ErgoLab. This information will be used by StaminaLift to validate their product’s efficacy.” The StaminaLift was devised and developed as a means of preventing workplace injury in healthcare settings. Its ability to lift, move and steer an occupied hospital bed prevents the risk of musculo-skeletal injuries incurred through handling. Local company StaminaLift, and inventor of ‘Remo Belt’, Mr Remo Di Sotto, are both working with MDPP Partner UniSA’s ErgoLab on separate MDPP research projects. When StaminaLift, found out that Mr Di Sotto needed access to a hospital bed for a small study, they made arrangements with a bed manufacturer to make a high-end hospital bed available. Not only did the ‘Remo Belt’ study benefit from gaining access to the bed, the inventor also obtained feedback from the bed manufacturer. “Access to the bed has been very beneficial for our study, and we are thankful to StaminaLift for this introduction”, said Mr Di Sotto. ‘ Remo Belt’ provides protection to areas of the hips and coccyx that are susceptible to serious pressure sores and ulceration. Mr. Di Sotto came up with the idea while working as an aged-care nurse. UniSA Senior Research Fellow and Ergolab Director, Dr Gunther Paul said that having access to the bed for both studies meant less logistical administration and it gave the Ergolab an opportunity to introduce their services to the bed manufacturer. StaminaLift gained access to the bed for their ongoing research work with UniSA and recognition for making the introduction between the bed manufacturer and UniSA – so in the end, all parties benefited from the introductions.
- Moving from prototype to production can be a long and expensive exercise, particularly in the medical device industry. But with the right expertise on side, this process can be made easier. Managing Director of Flinders Partners, Mr Anthony Francis, said the high costs of tooling for manufacture can be a real barrier for small companies, such as Re-Time Pty Ltd. The Medical Device Partnering Program (MDPP), based at Flinders University, has helped Re-Time Pty Ltd overcome this barrier, with a low cost market entry product that utilises existing safety glasses and incorporates new electronics. Bringing together the electronics expertise of Flinders University researchers and staff with the capability of a local mechanical engineer, the MDPP has provided a low volume production option. “ Rather than having to invest significant money into tooling, the low volume production model will allow Re-Time Pty Ltd to introduce their glasses into the professional market and allow us to test consumer feedback and gain acceptance from sleep professionals”, said Mr Francis. “ It’s a strategy that would be hard to achieve without the MDPP, and will give Re-Time an ability to grow market acceptance ahead of a full release.” With help from the MDPP, Re-Time Pty Ltd intend to release a limited run of glasses in coming months. A full consumer version, currently in the design process by the University of South Australia, will be available next year. The glasses, with their inbuilt light emitting diodes (LEDs), use bright light therapy to assist in the treatment of insomnia, jet lag and Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) by helping to reset the body’s natural clock. Flinders University sleep experts Professor Leon Lack and Dr Helen Wright have invested over ten years of research and development into the glasses, with a number of clinical trials. Cost barriers have made the development a journey of stops and starts, but now the research team can see some real progress. MDPP Director Professor Karen Reynolds said that “while the MDPP can assist companies through any stage of the product development lifecycle, it is great to be involved in getting products to market”. Re-Time Pty Ltd is a spin-off company of Flinders Partners and Flinders University that aims to address the world market for the glasses. It has current deals pending with distributors in both Japan and Australia.