Tag: InnoScot Health

Next generation of innovators inspired by support from collaborative health and social care initiative

Formal NHS Scotland partner InnoScot Health is proud to be part of a collaborative programme aiming to develop fresh health and social care innovations that can help solve clinical problems. 

Led by Heriot-Watt and Edinburgh Napier Universities with InnoScot Health support, the initiative – labelled a “first of its kind research collaboration” – has seen engineering and nursing students pooling capabilities and know-how to hone breakthrough ideas. 

It is hoped that the programme could help to progress innovations into products, leading to better patient outcomes while aiding healthcare staff in integrating innovative approaches into their daily activities. 

InnoScot Health signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Heriot-Watt’s Medical Device Manufacturing Centre (MDMC) in 2022, leveraging significant expertise to accelerate medical and healthcare opportunities. 

The organisation has now helped to encourage what it calls “the next generation of health and social care innovators” by providing real world project briefs to teams of Heriot-Watt engineering students while helping them build consulting and client engagement skills.  

The promising ideas from NHS Scotland innovators were first submitted to InnoScot Health, which has since acted as their client and liaison point. 

The learnings of the student engineering project teams – enhanced by clinical insights from Edinburgh Napier University’s nursing students and access to its specialised clinical simulation facilities – are now expected to lead to improved co-designed projects. 

There are currently three ideas being developed, each of which have originated from different health boards across the country – a catheter redesign from NHS Fife; cannula cuff from NHS Forth Valley; and wobble stool from NHS Grampian. 

InnoScot Health Innovation Manager Fiona Schaefer said: “Collaborating on this Heriot-Watt and Edinburgh Napier University link-up offers an excellent and important opportunity for engineering students to learn more about the demands of health and social care, to understand how products are used, and see a simulated NHS environment in action. 

“Likewise, nursing students and healthcare professionals can offer feedback on prototypes with the opportunity to test them more easily and safely than would have been possible by going into hospitals and healthcare settings.  

“At the same time, they have also been encouraged to think about innovation, to realise that they have a lot to offer, and recognise the value of their know-how for future career progression. We hope this inspires them to see opportunities to develop new ideas when they soon start working in health and social care as registered healthcare professionals.” 

She added: “Developing NHS ideas with student teams offers a great way to take forward early ideas to get closer to practical solutions. It’s clear that all three teams are really engaged, and we’re excited by the possibilities.

“I have also recently spoken to Occupational Therapy and Physiotherapy Masters students who have innovation modules as part of their course so hope there may be new avenues of innovation to explore with them too.” 

Maïwenn Kersaudy-Kerhoas a Professor in Microfluidic Engineering at Heriot-Watt University and the lead academic for its new global research institute in Health and Care Technologies, has been described by InnoScot Health as “instrumental” in realising the link-up with Edinburgh Napier University through its Professor of Simulation and Clinical Skills, Cathal Breen. 

Maïwenn said: “This collaboration will ensure an excellent student experience and we are very enthusiastic about the interface between nursing and engineering. 

“Nurses are the closest to patient needs on a daily basis. By championing this first-hand knowledge and expertise, we enable nurses to co-create and help deliver innovation. Alongside this, our engineering students benefit from detailed real-world feedback on their health and care engineering concepts.” 

Cathal Breen, Professor of Simulation and Clinical Skills at Edinburgh Napier, said: “Nurses are an untapped reservoir of innovative solutions for the health and care sector. 

“In this new agreement, our students will identify potentially suitable clinical problems and work with engineering students at Heriot-Watt to design solutions to real-life clinical problems. It is hugely exciting.” 

InnoScot Health and Heriot-Watt University bolster relationship through honorary professorship award

NHS Scotland partner InnoScot Health and Heriot-Watt University have further strengthened their strategic relationship through the award of an honorary professorship. 

Elaine Gemmell, Head of Regulatory Affairs at InnoScot Health, has been conferred the title of Honorary Professor in the Edinburgh-based university’s School of Engineering and Physical Sciences in recognition of her expertise.

The award reflects Elaine’s service and contribution to Heriot-Watt, and the close ties forged, particularly with the university’s Medical Device Manufacturing Centre (MDMC) which helps Scotland’s SMEs translate medical device concepts into commercial products.

A five-year collaborative partnership was signed by InnoScot Health and Heriot-Watt University last year to help fast-track innovation in medical and healthcare technologies. As part of the MDMC Advisory Group, Elaine is pivotal to the development of this strategic relationship, supporting ongoing projects, training, and development.

Commenting on the award, Elaine said: “I am both surprised and delighted to be awarded the title of Honorary Professor in the School of Engineering and Physical Sciences at Heriot-Watt University.

“I enjoy a strong relationship with the university and share its ambition to accelerate medical device innovation across Scotland and beyond.

“I am privileged that my contribution has been recognised in this way and will continue to share my knowledge, experience, and expertise in medical device regulation to support healthcare innovators across Scotland.

“When we come together and pool our expertise, the impact is greater; so, I look forward to continuing my work with the University and building further networks and collaborations across the sector.”

Elaine joined InnoScot Health in 2002 and helped establish the organisation. With more than 20 years’ experience in medical device development, she is a certified ISO 13485 /ISO 9001 Lead Auditor and has experience of regulatory approval and CE marking for medical devices.

Elaine led InnoScot Health spinout company Clear Surgical, helping to launch two innovative devices – The Oplight™ and Cannulated Forceps – onto the market; and previously worked with Motorola Semiconductors for 20 years, gaining experience in manufacturing, design, and technical marketing.

Elaine now provides extensive regulatory expertise to NHS, academia, and industry. She sits on a range of advisory boards and provides training, presentations, and expert comment on a range of medical device related topics.

Executive Chair of InnoScot Health, Graham Watson, said: “This honour is a testament to Elaine’s valuable regulatory expertise, and commitment to sharing that knowledge to drive forward healthcare innovation in Scotland.

“Elaine’s knowledge and experience of medical device regulation is invaluable in the fast-moving world of innovation and is a vital driver of our commercialisation work at InnoScot Health.

“As one of our original staff members, Elaine has been continuously involved in shaping the organisation since 2002 and this award is incredibly well deserved. Congratulations Elaine!’

Heriot-Watt University and InnoScot Health set to strengthen partnership with joint presentation at medical device webinar

InnoScot Health and Heriot-Watt University are set to further solidify their partnership with representatives from both organisations set to perform a joint presentation explaining the classification of medical devices and related regulations to a range of businesses.

The two organisations recently signed a five-year agreement which will see Heriot-Watt University’s Medical Device Manufacturing Centre (MDMC) collaborate with InnoScot Health to help bring new ideas and innovations from healthcare professionals to life.

In a further step in the organisation’s relationship, InnoScot Health’s Head of Regulatory Affairs Elaine Gemmell and Prof. Marc Desmulliez, Manager of the MDMC will help to lead a free online event entitled ‘‘What is a medical device?’ which is taking place on Thursday 22 September at 10am.

The combined technical seminar will feature Elaine, Marc, and also Ms Melissa Siah, Director of Syntacog.

Together, the trio will be presenting on:

  • The legal definition of a medical device
  • The classification of a medical device and its impact on the regulations that need to be satisfied by this device
  • Case studies of devices which lie at the boundaries between classes of devices 
  • The presentation of a software that automatically provides information on the classification of a medical device and lists the regulation documents to be filled in. A live demonstration of the software will also be provided

Elaine said: “We expect this combined technical seminar to be of interest to manufacturers with little prior knowledge and experience of medical devices, as well as established businesses seeking more information on the automation of classification of medical devices.

“Joining the event will allow you to better understand the definition of a medical device, its classification, and the resulting medical device regulations for which the device needs to comply to.

“Before the pandemic, there was already movement towards increased governance around medical device innovation. Now, however, far-reaching new regulations are having a significant impact on everyone involved with medical devices – from their manufacture to their use.

“A strong understanding of regulatory compliance must therefore be intertwined with the development process early on when attempting to harness the true potential of new innovations.

Elaine joined InnoScot Health, formally Scottish Health Innovations, in 2002 and helped establish the organisation. With more than twenty years’ experience in medical device development, she is a certified ISO 13485 /ISO 9001 Lead Auditor and has experience of regulatory approval and CE, UKCA marking for medical devices.

Joining SHIL spinout company, Clear Surgical, as a Director, Head of Regulatory Compliance and laterally Chief Operating Officer, she has helped to establish the company with ISO 13485 accreditation and launch two innovative devices onto the market.

Prof. Marc Desmulliez has been involved in medical devices manufacturing for over 15 years. From his previous research interests in Microelectromechanical Systems (MEMS), and in collaboration with his former PhD student, Dr. Suzanne Costello, he developed some in situ sensors to look at the gas and moisture ingress in encapsulated packages.

The work culminated in a monograph (“Hermeticity Testing of MEMS and Microelectronic Packages, Artech House Pub.). His current research interests include microwave sensing and nature inspired engineering.

Melissa Siah co-founded Syntacog, a regulatory startup in mid-2020. The company subsequently won the regulatory challenge in the 2021 Singapore Airlines AppChallenge and more than £500k in Innovate UK grant funding to develop its regulatory compliance technology.

Melissa’s passion for making regulations easier to understand comes from a decade in regulatory law and policy with the Australian government, and seven years leading the development of legal tech and AI products in the UK and Australia.

The webinar will be hosted on Zoom, with a link provided to attendees following registration here.