Download - NETWorks Spring 2008
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THE SCIENCEENGINEERING &TECHNOLOGYMAGAZINE FORNORTH EASTENGLAND
ISSUE 5SPRING2008
MEDICAL
DEVICES AND
INSTRUMENTATION
ISSN 1753-6677
HYBRID
INTELLIGENT
SYSTEMS
SPACE
TECHNOLOGY
PROVIDES
COSMIC VISION
CANCER TEST
BREAKTHROUGH
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Medical devices and instrumentation are fields of science that affect all of us Im
sure we all remember sitting in bed ill as a child with a mercury thermometer in
our mouth. Nowadays that thermometer looks very different. What is really
intriguing is how expertise in one area is applied to another: the Durham University
Centre for Advanced Instrumentation develops instruments for telescopes that
compensate for the blurring effects of the Earths atmosphere. Theyre now
applying that expertise to illnesses that cause our vision to become blurred.
Then there is Seaward, an instrumentation company in Peterlee that supplies
every single Air Force base in the US, and is now turning its attention to medical
applications.
Unlike some scientific endeavours, medical devices are right here right now
even the most cutting edge research in the regions universities is pretty close to
market. And in NETWorks some of the most successful companies in the region
tell us whats already here in this sector, which is flourishing at the moment.
The team at Cels has been invaluable in its support for this issue - Im delighted to
announce that Mike Asher, CEO of Cels, will be the guest editor of the next issue
of NETWorks which will feature biotechnology. Mike will be the first guest editor of
NETWorks and we all look forward to welcoming him to the NETWorks team.
CJ
Contributors
Mike ParkerMike spent a decade in national, regional and local journalism culminating in his
appointment as Business Editor of The Northern Echo. He was named North East
Business Writer of the Year before joining the North East Chamber of Commerce
where he was responsible for a threefold increase in publicity and press coverage.
Andrew WoodAndrew has lived all over the world working and writing for the process industries,
including a stint as head of global corporate media relations for Dow Chemicals.
Andrew was editor-in-chief of Chemical Week, the world's leading chemical
industry magazine for 10 years before relocating back to the North East.
Editor Catherine Johns Scientific Advisor Professor John AnsteeDeputy Editor Rob Heslop
NETWorks is published by Distinctive Publishing Ltd24 Lancaster Street, Summerhill, Newcastle Upon Tyne NE4 6EUTelephone 0191 298 3571
Managing Director Barrie Miller Creative Director Martin WilliamsonSales Director John Neilson
For all enquiries including editorial, subscription and advertising please contactDistinctive Publishing.
With thanks to all our contributors.
Front cover image - Northumbria University
NETWorks is supported by NETPark www.uknetpark.net
Letter from the Editor
01
What is reallyintriguing is
how expertisein one area is
applied to
another
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08
03 05
10
14 18
24 27
30 32
3634
NSTARNEW CONCEPTS
IN MEDICALINNOVATION
SPACETECHNOLOGY
PROVIDES COSMICVISION
ROCKET MEDICALCUSTOMER FOCUS
PAYS DIVIDENDS
ABOUT NETPARK
NHS INNOVATIONSNORTH
ASSIST CANCERTEST
BREAKTHROUGH
CELS
AIDING THE AGEING
PATENTS ADVICECENTRE
INTELLECTUALPROPERTY FOR
SMALL BUSINESSES
UNIVERSITY OFSUNDERLAND
HYBRIDINTELLIGENT
SYSTEMS
NORTHUMBRIAUNIVERSITY
A VALUABLE SHOT
IN THE ARM
CELSAWARDS
RECOGNISEHEALTHCARE
TALENT
HART BIOLOGICALSLEADING THE WAY
IN MEDICALDIAGNOSTICS
06
12
20
28
33
38
SEAWARDACHIEVING
SUCCESS INTESTING
CELSBUSINESS FOR LIFE
40 42
UKTILOOK BEFORE
YOU LEAP
CELSREGIONAL
FINALISTS SWEEPNATIONAL AWARDS
43APPLIED
NEURODIAGNOSTICSTHE EYES HAVE IT
FOR VISUALRECOGNITION
SPECIALISTS
HELIOSWHEN ONE SIZE
DOES NOT FIT ALL
TEESSIDEUNIVERSITY
CHANGING THELIVES OF THE
ELDERLY
SRGNE SCIENCE
SALARIES RISING
NEWCASTLEUNIVERSITY
BIOMEDICAL ANDBIOMOLECULAR
SCIENCES
NEW CONCEPTS IN
MEDICAL INNOVATIONNorthStar Equity Investors (NSEI) is helping exciting
new concepts in medical innovation become
commercial success stories. NSEI manages the
10m Proof of Concept Fund, designed to catalyse
new technology, and the 23m Co-Investment Fund
which provides equity of between 100,000 and 1M
to help fast growing companies reach their
potential.
The Proof of Concept Fund was instrumental in UK
Haptics development of prototype software that has
evolved into Virtual Veins, a leading edge 3D virtual
reality training software for the nursing profession.
Virtual Veins provides state of the art training in
venepuncture, enabling nursing students to perfect their
technique without risk to patients. UK Haptics has gone
on to secure substantial private investment and close its
first sale.
The 500,000 contribution from the Co-Investment
Fund towards a 1.4m funding round will help Teesside
based Femeda launch its new female health products
into clinics nationwide. Femeda Ltd has developed a
revolutionary disposable device that will allow thousands
of women to overcome the suffering caused by urinary
incontinence.
Based in Cramlington, Applied Neurodiagnostics Limited
secured 590,000 from NorthStar Equity as part of a
1.2m investment to pioneer medical devices that use
revolutionary eye tracking and pupil measuring devices
as base technology. The company is set to launch the
PLR60, a new device set to improve the way optometrists
determine the presence or absence of damage to the
retina as part of a patients routine eye test.
The number of companies to receive NSEI support is
growing. Over 131 firms have been recipients of Proof of
Concept Fund investments, while the Co-Investment
Fund has backed 23 high growth ventures. NSEI is
always keen to hear from ambitious entrepreneurs with
a keen eye for commercial success.
Gary Todd
of UK Haptics
and Lord
Robert Winston
DURHAMUNIVERSITY
THIGH BONESCONNECTED TO
THE HIP BONE
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This is an opportune time for NETWorks to review the sector of medical
devices and instrumentation: its predicted that companies in this sector are
likely to outperform the broader stock market in 2008 with a 9% growth
forecast for the coming year.
Some of the most interesting venture capital deals signed over the past year inEurope have involved companies in this sector, and annual medical devicesoutput in 2007 has been estimated at 71 billion.
Globally, Europes medical devices manufacturing market is the second largest,and with an ageing population leading to increased spending on healthcare andwith health consciousness moving up the political agenda, it seems reasonableto expect continued expansion.
Last autumn, a list of key technologies named in a Council for Science andTechnology (CST) report as being vital to Britain's economic future included
medical devices for improving health care and the prevention, diagnosis andtreatment of disease. Of course, you cant diagnose, monitor and treat withoutdeveloping analytical technologies and manufacturing the appropriate devicesand instruments.
New technologies, new tools, methodologies and processes can make themanufacture of existing products more efficient and new products possible.Improved processes can lead to bigger production volumes, which in turn canlower unit costs.
Its a global business - one where we compete with companies all over theworld. One interesting example I came across recently was the ChanghuatCorporation Berhad in Malaysia. Previously, the Corporation had focussed oncomponents for the automotive and electronic appliances markets. Now, toremain competitive in the plastic injection moulding industry, it has adopted along-term strategy which will see it introduce a range of disposable medicaldevices products.
I would encourage you to read on and learn more about whats happening in theregions universities and Centres of Excellence, and the pioneering work beingcarried out by innovative North East companies.
Comment
from
Professor
John
Anstee
CUSTOMER
FOCUS PAYS
DIVIDENDS FOR
ROCKET MEDICALBased in Washington, Tyne & Wear, Rocket Medical isan award-winning designer and manufacturer ofmedical devices.
Founded in 1964 it concentrates on a number of core
areas cardiothoracic, infertility, oncology and womens
healthcare.
High grade clean rooms provide for the assembly of an
increasingly wide range of complex products Rocket
Medical currently offers 1900 different product lines
and with a customer focused ethos, the company is
always open to new product ideas from customers.
Rocket Medicals products include operating theatre
consumables, cardiac and thoracic drainage catheters,
chest drainage systems, Oocyte harvesting systems
and embryo transfer catheters for IVF, and a range of
fetal monitoring devices for labour wards.
Since its inception, the company has assembled a
remarkable range of manufacturing skills these include
large scale injection moulding, complex insert moulding,
extrusion, CNC punching and drilling, and RF/Induction
polymer manipulation.
With its own design team utilising the latest in CAD
software and rapid prototyping systems, Rocket
Medical succeeds in manufacturing well designed
products of the highest quality, delivered on time and at
a sensible price.
Using external specialist companies and universities
allows it to expand its capabilities and it retains a flexible
approach that encourages product customisation.
Nominated in seven categories in the 2007 Best Factory
Awards, Rocket Medical carried off, for the second time,
the Innovation Award and now the Most Improved
Factory award to add to a previous Best Small
Company award.
To find out more visit www.rocketmedical.com
05
John is Emeritus Professor of Biological Sciences,
Durham University and the Scientific Director for
NETPark. Until his retirement in July 2004, he held the
position of Pro-Vice-Chancellor and Subwarden at
Durham University.
He is a graduate of the University of Nottingham (B.Sc., Ph.D.), a
Fellow of the Royal Entomological Society, a Fellow of the Zoological
Society of London and a Member of the Society of Experimental
Biology. He holds directorships in a number of companies associated
with scientific research and Technology Transfer including the Centre
for Process Innovation (CPI) Ltd, the Centre of Excellence for Life
Sciences (CELS) Ltd, the Company of Biologists Ltd and is a former
Associate Director of County Durham Development Company. He is a
Deputy Lord-Lieutenant for County Durham.
PROFILE - JOHN ANSTEE
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Mike Asher is CEO of Cels and has over 20 yearsexperience in business, of which 14 have beenspent running international science and healthcare-related businesses.
Mikes experience in the health industry includesworking on a consultancy basis with the NHS todevelop a strategy aimed at delivering greatercommercial focus to its procurement activities.Before that he ran medical diagnostics companyDrew Scientific Group PLC which specialised in
diabetes and haematology testingsystems. As Chief ExecutiveOfficer he achieved sales growthof 400 per cent from 2.5 to 12.5million in just five years. Mike hasalso held positions with healthcarecompany Coulter Electronics Limited, where hesuccessfully developed operations and customerservices internationally.
PROFILE MIKE ASHER
aged over 65 in the UK has grown by a staggering
31%, from 7.4 to 9.7 million, while the over 85s have
grown to a record 1.2 million. In the North East the last
three years alone have seen a 2% increase in the
number of over 60s. In order to address this significant
demographic change, Cels has joined the ActiveAge
programme as a strategic partner. This organisation
aims to draw together international experts, industry
innovators, thought-leaders and frontline practitioners
from the public and private sectors to discuss policies,
strategies and practical solutions to ageing related
problems.
Incubation, stem cells, assistive technologiesCels has
packed a lot into 2007 can they keep up the pace for
2008? Youd better believe it, says Mike, We have a
remarkable team of people in place at Cels and a
healthcare sector that is leaping from strength to
strength.
Find out more in the next issue of NETWorks. To find
out more about the healthcare business opportunities
available in the North East visit www.celsatlife.com
The Business for Life Awards are featured on page 30.
This is an exciting time for the life science and healthcare
markets, both in the North East and nationally, and Cels
continues to demonstrate remarkable achievements in
this field.
Our strategy is to support businesses, work with the five
North East universities, as well as associated outstanding
academic research centres and the NHS in the region
explains Mike, and that remains at the heart of
everything we do, we are here to ensure that the regions
healthcare economy can compete with the best in the
world. If I had to pick out some highlights of last year I
would choose the opening of the GMP facility, our new
incubation facilities, the RegeNer8 programme, the Active
Age Summit and the first ever Business for Life Awards.
The North East science community recently welcomed
Sir David King, the governments Chief Scientific Adviser
to the region, marking the formal opening of a new
facility designed and built to produce stem cells to
current Good Manufacturing Practices (cGMP) standard.
The new facility will allow academics and clinicians to
produce biologics at the standard required for use in the
treatment of patients. Although a number of other
universities and NHS trusts in the UK are building similar
facilities, this is one of the largest. It is unique in that it
allows scientists to produce treatments based on both
embryonic and adult stem cells in separate areas. Sir
David King commented These facilities are not just
critical to the wealth of our economy but also the future
health of ours and other nations.
Whilst in the region Sir David King also officially opened
state-of-the art business incubation facilities, Cels at
Newcastle, at Newcastle University, designed
specifically to help develop scientific ideas and early
stage life science businesses identified as having
significant commercial potential. As well as providing
assistance on aspects of early stage business, such as
funding, marketing, business planning and
commercialisation, Cels has a variety of on the ground
projects to support all healthcare businesses.
At a regional level, Cels continues to work in close
partnership with the North East Stem Cell Institute
(NESCI) to draw together stem cell expertise throughout
the region, with the aim of converting stem cell research
into cost effective and ethically robust solutions to
combat degenerative and other diseases.
Cels continues to advance this area, more recently
helping to launch a virtual centre called RegeNer8, set
to bring together the work of top scientists throughout
the North of England to further their work in regenerative
medicine. Cels, alongside Leeds-based BITECIC
(Biomaterials and Tissue Engineering Centre of Industrial
Collaboration), has played a pivotal role in this project,
funded by the Northern Way, the consortium of the
three Northern development agencies including One
NorthEast.
RegeNer8, The N8 Centre for Translational Regenerative
Medicine is the focus of collaboration between industry,
clinicians and academics at the norths eight most
research-intensive universities, known as the N8. Cels
has provided RegeNer8 with business and marketing
support to translate its world-class expertise into new
regenerative medicine products and therapies.
Another area of healthcare that Cels focuses on is
assistive technology. The first annual ActiveAge Summit
took place in Newcastle in November, and it brought
together internationally renowned experts on ageing,
who joined together to discuss how technology can be
used to help sustain a high quality of life for an
increasingly ageing society. This is an important issue
because over the last 35 years the number of people
Cels has been tasked by One NorthEast to stimulate a year on year increase in the
economic contribution of the life science and healthcare markets to the region of
1.2 billion by 2015. NETWorks spoke to Mike Asher, Cels Chief Executive Officer,
about how Cels is driving growth in this sector.
BUSINESSFOR LIFE INNORTH EASTENGLAND
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AIDING THEAGEING
Over the last 5 decades there has been a 45% increase in the number of people aged over 50. By 2031 this is
projected to rise by another 36% according to the Office of National Statistics. The world is facing the challenge
of a rapidly ageing population, with increasing cost and manpower pressures on healthcare and social care
providers. The UK currently leads the world in the use of technology to support older people, but new
applications of technology are needed if the true benefits are to be realised. The Cels Assistive Technology Lab
(ATL) project seeks to build on the North Easts existing academic and industrial strengths in this area and to
position the region as the leading region in the UK in the emerging field of gerontechnology.
09
Provision of effective care for older people requires
involvement by a large number of stakeholders; older
people themselves, clinicians and health professionals,
care workers and occupational therapists, informal carers
and family members, technology providers and product
designers, health economists and policy makers. Through
the ATL project, Cels is building a powerful network of
stakeholders, both within the North East and beyond, to
develop product and service solutions that are truly
effective.
At the policy/strategy level, Cels is the strategy partner
within ActiveAge, a research network of private and public
organisations interested in the impact of the ageing
population. Key areas of focus for ActiveAge research and
ATL include:
1. Mobility both personal mobility and public and
private transport. Staying mobile and socially active is key
to a healthy old age, but becomes increasingly challenging
with the impact of chronic age-related conditions.
Case Study 1 Keeping In Touch Everyday (KITE)
This is a user-centred design project in collaboration with
Newcastle University involving people with dementia andtheir carers. The aim is to enable them to continue to
undertake normal activities (driving, walking and exercise)
in safety using GPS/GPRS technology. This project
includes social scientists, computer scientists, product
designers, technology SMEs and local user groups. The
involvement of people with dementia and their carers in a
user-centred design project is challenging and is a unique
approach to the support of people with this chronic
condition.
2. Wellness putting the focus onto preventative
healthcare and maintaining wellbeing, rather than treating
chronic conditions.
Case Study 2 Advanced interactive Digital Exercise
Prescription Technologies (AiDEPT)
Cels is supporting a project involving a local SME and
researchers at the University of Teessides Department of
Sports Science. The team has developed a prototype
system combining an exercise bike, heart rate monitor
and immersive computer game to promote safe exercise
for people under exercise referral programmes. The
game is used to engage users and promote programme
adherence. The system is currently being used in a real-
world user trial within a commercial gym environment.
3. Work the combination of longer life expectancies and
declining birth rates in recent decades will fundamentally
change the proportion of people in work compared to
those in retirement.
Case Study 3 Research Report
Business and technology consultants within Cels have
researched and published Technology To Support the
Ageing Global Population 2007 to 2027 - created to
research and understand the issues of wide-scale
adoption of Assistive Technology solutions, considering
barriers such as end-user design, technology challenges,
sustainable business and service models and the issues
of infrastructure.
4. Community social inclusion is widely believed to be
another key factor in ageing successfully. The risk of socialisolation grows as we age, especially with the loss of a
spouse and other friends. Social isolation is as much a risk
in urban environments as it is in sparsely populated rural
areas.
Case Study 4 Circles of personal movement
Cels is working with researchers in the People And
Communications Technology Lab (PACTLab) group
within the School of Psychology at Northumbria University.
The project is using advanced GPS/GPRS movement
tracking to record the movement of a group of older
volunteers over time. The research project seeks to
understand the relationship between wellbeing,
geographic areas of movement, levels of activity and
degrees of social inclusion by mapping movement
between necessary trips (e.g. to the GP surgery) and
leisure trips.
The next phase of the ATL project will continue with this
work and will extend to developing and co-ordinating
larger-scale community-based trials of telehealth and
telecare systems, working with partners at the Institute of
Ageing & Health at Newcastle University, Newcastle City
Council, County Durham PCT and the NHS.
Cels is also widening its network of collaborators, forging
links with major players in the field of ageing and
technology research, including MIT AgeLab, the University
of Florida and the Continual Health Alliance (an
international association of over 100 major technology
companies, led by Intel). Cels has also been instrumental
in the establishment of the Assisted Living Innovation
Platform programme by the UK governments Technology
Strategy Board and aims to be actively involved in
projects funded by that programme.
Through all of these activities Cels ATL has gained a deep
understanding of the challenges posed by an older
population, the difficulties faced by older people, and of
the potential of technology to address these challenges.
This is complementing the development of the Campus
for Ageing and Vitality within the Newcastle Science City
programme, positioning Newcastle and the North East at
the forefront of a major new global industry sector.
For further information on ATL visit www.celsatlife.com
or call 0191 211 2560
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It was exciting to see the activity of the regions
healthcare sector celebrated at the Cels Healthcare
Networks Business for Life Awards in November. Of
note was the fact each of the five category winners was
a manufacturing company, reminding us just how
valuable this traditional sector is to the North East. The
winners on the night suggest there is very little
traditional about modern manufacturing.
These high performing companies are as likely to be
involved with digital networks, product data
management and rapid prototyping as they are with
installed plant and material processing. Increasingly,
companies that count themselves as manufacturers are
actually venturing into the complex terrain of a product-
service mix where the focus for the business is shifting
to improving innovation and customer service.
This places new demands on companies to explore the
opportunities to develop new products and services that
address changes in the external business environment.
New legislation and regular changes in the way the
healthcare markets are structured, means that tracking
and responding to these opportunities needs
commitment to invest in expanding R&D activities.
Two of the five winning companies at the Business for
Life Awards are engaged in significant R&D programmes
and deserve enormous credit for recognising howimportant R&D is to sustainable growth. Both Applied
Neurodiagnostics Ltd and UK Haptics, winners in the Start-
Up and Innovation categories respectively, are actively
engaged with the Cels/Northumbria University InSTeP
program. InSTeP ensures that their innovative products,
although brand new, are tried-and-tested for market.
Funded by One NorthEast and the European Regional
Development Fund, InSTeP is managed by Cels to
provide a unique collaboration of regional healthcare,
engineering, product development and design
professionals. The delivery of InSTeP client projects is
led by Northumbria Universitys Centre for Design
Research and also brings in other regional partners
including C2M (UK) Ltd, INEX, Kinneir Dufort, NHS
Innovations North and Newcastle Universitys Resource
Centre for Innovation & Design.
According to Dr Mark Jarvis, InSTeP Programme
Manager at Cels, InSTeP is having a real impact on
North East companies developing new products in the
healthcare sector, The initiative has enabled innovative
concepts to become truly market-led products that will
make a significant contribution to the growth of the
regional economy. If companies are to maximise the
market potential of medical and healthcare products,
user focused design is of central importance. InSTePs
unique multidisciplinary development model provides a
high level of added-value to companies in the North
East by the application of design combined with end-
user consultation and sector knowledge. This is clearly
borne out by the experiences of the companies
involved.
Case Study - UK Haptics Ltd: Medical Device Adaptor
for Haptic Training Suite
The InSTeP initiative allowed us to make tangible a vital
part of our device, and has really fast-tracked the
development of this product.
Gary Todd, Managing Director, UK Haptics Ltd
The Brief
InSTeP was approached by UK Haptics to develop a
medical instrument adaptor for a new medical training
and evaluation tool. It enables users wearing 3D glasses
to manipulate a Haptic Pen in the real world, whilstseeing this as a medical tool or piece of equipment in
the virtual environment. Users can practice and be
assessed at performing clinical procedures, with the
Haptic Arm providing real physical feedback to give the
sensation of true interaction with the virtual environment.
The Project
UK Haptics was funded through InSTeP to work with
the Centre for Design Research to develop a new
multifunctional adaptor. It would allow the user to hold
and manipulate real medical tools whilst performing the
virtual procedure. Though initially focussed on the
attachment of cannular needles, the design was future-
proofed to enable the attachment of as-yet-unspecified
devices. InSTeP liaised with partners to produce a rapid
prototype of the solution, enabling evaluation in the
context of UK Haptics current system.
A VALUABLE SHOT
IN THE ARM FOR
THE HEALTHCARE
SECTORMatthew Lievesley from Northumbria Universitys Centre for Design Research
looks at the impact of design in an increasingly successful sector.
The Outcome
The speed of development and the provision of a
physical prototype enabled UK Haptics to progress
distribution talks with potential international partnerswhilst attending a leading US-based haptic conference.
The system has now been sold to a number of
commercial and research clients, while the adaptor
prototype is currently undergoing initial user and safety
testing.
To find out more about the InSTeP initiative and
opportunities to fund development projects, contact Mark
Jarvis at Cels on 0191 211 2606 or Bruce Watson at the
Centre for Design Research on 0191 243 7063.
The Centre for Design Research is a fifteen-strong
multidisciplinary design team at Northumbria University
which works with both private and public sectors to
develop better products and services.
For more information about Applied Neurodiagnostics
Ltd, see page 43.
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Its the simplest things that can make a difference to
peoples quality of life a new fixing that can work on
fractures of brittle bones, even an improved carpet
underlay that prevents injuries from falls in the first
place. The practical application of our research into
products that improves peoples well-being and saves
our health service money is one of the most rewarding
things for the team here at the University of Teesside.
This reward has been the result of intensive studies into
hip biomechanics, leading to a great advancement in
the understanding of how bones can fracture but then
repair themselves. A natural progression from this
activity has been the move into other important research
topics such as minimising this type of damage in the
elderly due to falls.
Currently the team is working with Leyland Rubber
Components Ltd in Lancashire to secure a Knowledge
Transfer Partnership programme to test different
materials that could minimise the risk of fractures when
the elderly fall.
The NHS invests large amounts of money treating hip
fractures in elderly people caused by falls. In 1994,60,000 patients were treated in the UK at a cost then of
742 million and this is predicted to rise to 117,000 by
2016. Overall, over 50% of fractures are due to falls
from tripping at home, which rises even further for
patients older than 75 years of age. Slippery flooring
and unsuitable footwear are major factors contributing
to the onset of fractures in the home.
This is backed up by a report by the Royal College
Physicians published in 1989, which stressed that even
a small percentage reduction in the incidence of hip
fractures would save several million pounds in health
care costs. Unfortunately conventional underlays offer
poor energy absorption when the elderly fall, and vinyl
floors are even poorer at reducing the energy that may
fracture a hip in an elderly person falling onto it.
Our job is to help test other materials that provide a
much higher energy absorption and which can be
fabricated as underlays. Usually, the testing of these
materials is done with flat conventional impact test
machines but we developed a computer model from
anatomical data to simulate patients falling onto different
materials of different thickness to ascertain the most
appropriate mechanical properties. We have an existing
test rig to validate the peak force values, energy
absorption, HIC derived from an accelerometer and the
compression set properties, and to design a
flooring/underlay area and measure the traction forces
of pushing wheelchairs and hoists.
Another innovation that will help prevent fractures is the
design of a new hip protector attached to the skin.
The current designs of hip protector pads are
incorporated into garments - compliance with
continuous wearing of these garments is extremely poor.
The new design will encompass the most mechanically
desirable features and entail the production of a
composite layered shaped pad that would be attached
by adhesive on the skin on both hips under clothing.
This type of pad will stay in the correct position for up toa week, it will need no maintenance, will be waterproof
and will reduce the likelihood of a hip fracture.
The SDMA (Surgical Dressings Manufacturers
Association) recommended the University of Teesside
mechanical test rig should be used as the standard
against which all hip protectors manufactured in Europe
are compared, despite stiff competition from various
groups originating from Italy, Switzerland and Germany.
The Test Rig has now been commissioned, and a
commercial service has been provided to manufacturers
who wish to test their hip protectors using the standard
test rig and procedures.
In order to help understand the nature of the
biomechanical problem, a deep understanding of the
fracture process is required, and this has been achieved
via the teams link up with respected medical
practitioners and scientists. One of the key achievements
of the team has been the linking together of this medical
research with the application based materials testing to
produce real world solutions that have a sound theoretical
basis for their development and implementation.
Such innovative thinking has resulted in several other
partnerships to provide workable, scientifically proven
solutions to medical issues. One of the closest
relationships over the years has been with Professor
Julian Minns, inventor of the Minns knee replacement,
former employee of the Newcastle General Hospital
(Regional Medical Physics Unit). Several such solutions
are now routinely used in rehabilitation, surgical
intervention, and injury prevention throughout not only
the UK but the rest of the world. David Muckle, former
England football team doctor, has also helped provide
clinical guidance in projects involving the knee and other
sports related issues, and several links have been
forged with manufacturing companies to provide input
to existing and new products in order that they may
address the biomechanical issues most effectively.
One of the key considerations in medical device design
is the variation of circumstances and individual
requirements that each particular problem presents
we are after all, very different to one another, with very
different issues affecting our personal medical condition.
Finding the optimal treatment to suit each individual
patient is crucial to his/her subsequent quality of life but
there is an urgent need to define more clearly the roleand type of surgical intervention in the management of
proximal humeral fracture. Recent work is underway
with Dr Amar Rangan of James Cook Hospital to
evaluate the current humeral fixation techniques
available to orthopaedic surgeons for their effectiveness
at maintaining the integrity of the humerus and enabling
full functional movement under physiological, cyclical
loading.
The team is also very proud of the latest project
another Knowledge Transfer Partnership, this time with
Stockton Casting Company Ltd which has helped the
flourishing SME enormously. Funding has been secured
from One NorthEast to research new designs and
materials for a compactor tooth and
design function analysis.
I guess in the end it all comes down to healthy
bones for as long as possible, thats what this team
is about.
CHANGING THELIVES OF THEELDERLY
Professor Farhad Nabhani has been at the forefront of biomedical research in the NorthEast for over twelve years and has an international reputation for excellence, includingcollaborative work with institutions in Denmark, Canada and Holland.
His research has focused upon several areas of biomechanical interest with specialemphasis on the role of the patella, the ankle, and the back. Professor Nabhani wasinstrumental in attracting the 19th International Conference on Flexible Automation and IntelligentManufacturing to the University of Teesside: FAIM 2009 will run 6th 8th July 2009. For more details visitwww.faim2009.org
PROFILE - PROF. FARHAD NABHANI
A team at the University of Teesside is improving the lives
of the elderly with its work into biomechanics. Farhad
Nabhani, Professor of Biomechanics and Manufacturing inthe School of Science and Technology, explains how.
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probably involves these neurons. The Hybrid Systems group
builds computational models of these processes and tests them
in robotic models.
The MiCRAM project, funded by EPSRC, is another
collaborative interdisciplinary project performed between the
University of Newcastle, School of Neurology, Neurobiology and
Psychiatry and the University of Sunderland, Centre for Hybrid
Intelligent Systems, School of Computing and Technology. The
overall aim is to study sound processing in the mammalian brain
and to build a biomimetic robot to validate and test the
neuroscience models for focused hearing. We collaboratively
develop a biologically plausible computational model of auditory
processing at the level of the inferior colliculus (IC). This
approach will potentially clarify the roles of the multiple spectral
and temporal representations that are present at the level of the
IC and investigate how representations of sounds interact with
auditory processing at that level to focus attention and select
sound sources for robot models of focused hearing.
Intelligent Systems knowledge transfer projects in the North
East and UK have brought benefit to both large companies and
SMEs, including intelligent software to predict distortion in the
manufacturing processes for printed circuit boards (XAct PCB
Ltd); an intelligent pattern matching algorithm for increased
security for credit and cash cards now being further developed
with a major bank (PinOptic Ltd); and an intelligent pattern
matching algorithm for the selection of personal vehicle
registration numbers (National Numbers Ltd). The OVER Project
aided West Midlands Police with a sophisticated forensic
computing system for crime data analysis. The HAPPI project
applied Natural Language Engineering (including
psycholinguistic databases) to simplify language in timely
material (online news) to make it accessible to individuals with
alexia as a result of stroke. Furthermore, Hybrid Intelligent
Systems contribute extensively to knowledge transfer via project
collaborations with BT, Reuters (natural language
processing/classification), ActiveMedia and BAEsystems
(cognitive robotics), Sage (data mining), and Nonlinear Dynamics
in the North East (statistics knowledge transferred to
biotechnology).
In the Centre for Hybrid Intelligent Systems we always aim at
linking our research to teaching and reachout in order to
enhance the students experience. Todays knowledge-based
society provides students with exciting future-oriented job
opportunities in education, research and industry. Typical are the
interdisciplinary advantages which can be gained by integrating
knowledge from Computing, Cognitive Science, Engineering,
Life Sciences, Business, Human Computer Interaction, and
Robotics. Therefore for October 2008 we have designed a new
MSc programme, MSc Integrated Information Engineering. The
programme is a new synthesis of interdisciplinary areas with a
clear application focus. The programme emphasises the
integration of established computing and engineering concepts
with novel forms of neural learning, artificial intelligence and
human-computer interaction. Topics include understanding
users, internet interaction design, e-technologies for
management, interactive robots, intelligent systems, and
ambient systems. In additional research, professional and legal
issues are an integral part of the curriculum. We welcome
enquiries from interested MSc students.
For further information contact Professor Dr Stefan Wermter or
visit www.his.sunderland.ac.uk
HYBRIDINTELLIGENTSYSTEMS
15
Professor Wermter, Chair in Hybrid Intelligent Systems at the
University of Sunderland, explains the necessity of integrating
many different fields of science to produce more intelligent
systems.
For many future computing applications such as adaptive
software products for business industry, smart more
autonomous automotive vehicles, ambient home environments,
social robots, and interactive data mining for interdisciplinarybusiness applications, we will need Hybrid Integrated Systems
where systems benefit from the hybrid integration of various
components: Software Engineering, Wireless Sensors
Networks, Human Computer Interaction, Engineering, and
Intelligent Learning Systems for automatic adaptation. In the
future a greater need is expected for more selfadapting,
selforganising, selfevaluating organic and hybrid computing
systems based on novel forms of adaptive computation and
integration for larger embedded integrated information and
engineering systems.
The Centre for Hybrid Intelligent Systems in the School of
Computing at the University of Sunderland has an international
reputation for their research and development in these systems.
The Centres objective is to research the foundations,
representations and applications of hybrid systems in order to
support various themes in information systems, engineering and
interactive systems, in order to solve complex real world
problems.
Encompassing the fields of Cognitive Science, Engineering, Life
Sciences, Business, Human Computer Interaction, and
Robotics, the foundation and motivation for our research often
comes from natural systems, e.g. biological systems, neural
systems or cognitive performance. We want to exploit these
foundations in order to build more sophisticated adaptive
interactive systems, learning agents, self organising information
systems and robotic engineering systems. For building such
nature-inspired computing systems we embed neural, statistical
and/or symbolic representations into knowledge-based adaptive
information agents. Applications include intelligent information
systems, interactive systems, adaptive engineering, data/text
mining systems, cognitive and neuroscience-inspired robots,
speech/language systems, intelligent web agents and hybridtechniques for medical diagnosis.
We are coordinating and participating in several EPSRC and
European research projects on neural networks, hybrid
architectures, condition monitoring, neural robotics, vision and
natural language engineering. In 2003/2004 Intelligent Systems
won the British Computer Science Societys Machine
Intelligence Award for their work on neural networks. The team
has coordinated the very successful EU MirrorBot project and
are currently coordinating the EU project NESTCOM.
In the NESTCOM project, coordinated by the Centre for Hybrid
Intelligent Systems, in collaboration with MRC Cambridge and
University Parma, focus on the central question what it means
to communicate. As our main focus we explore the
characteristics of human communication and their relationships
to the role of networks of mirror neurons. These neurons spike
when a primate performs an action leading to a reward and
when it observes another primate taking that action. They have
been found in monkeys in Area F5. Area F5 is important in
humans, because it is Brocas area, playing a role in speech,
and suggesting that mirror neurons are central for action
understanding, imitation and communication development. The
development of speech in human infants seems to involve an
understanding of the reward system of the other mind, and
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Figure 1: Green laser launched to a height of 10km from the
4.2metre diameter William Herschel Telescope on La Palma inthe Canary Islands. The laser forms a guide signal with which to
control the telescope adaptive optics system which was also
built by the Durham University.
Figure 2: High speed low-light level imager. The camera uses a high speed
CMOS imaging chip and a customised field programmable gate array (FPGA) to
enable image capture, pre-processing and data reduction all at real-time rates.
The device is intelligent enough to selectively read out small regions of interest
around objects of interest (e.g. bacteria) and follow their movements dynamically
at extremely high speeds. (photo courtesy Durham Smart Imaging)
Figure 3: Capabilities of the CfAI precision optical engineering laboratory which
can provide individual design, manufacture, metrology and test/qualification
of new products or perform a full end-to-end development of new
technologies and ideas.
19
The Centre for Advanced Instrumentation (CfAI) ofDurham University was one of the first tenants atNETPark and now houses around 20 full-time staffwithin the NETPark Research Institute. NETWorksspoke to Professor Ray Sharples about the world-class research group.
The CfAI has an international reputation for the design
and construction of instrumentation for astronomy at
optical/infrared wavelengths and is supplying facility-class
state-of-the-art instrumentation to many of the worlds
major observatories, including the twin Gemini telescopes
in Hawaii and Chile, the European Very Large Telescope
in Chile and the James Webb Space Telescope due to be
launched into orbit in 2013, as a replacement for the
Hubble Space Telescope. The groups activities are built
around a core programme of instrumentation R&D funded
by the UK Research Councils, which involves the
investigation and development of novel instrumentation
techniques, particularly in the areas of Adaptive Optics
and Spectroscopy.
Many of these techniques also have spin-offs into other
scientific and industrial applications such as low light
level imaging and high resolution imaging. The
technique of adaptive optics was developed to correct
for the blurring effects of the Earths atmosphere on
telescopes observing the heavens from a ground-based
site. Using this technique, in combination with artificial
laser guide stars [Fig. 1] to control the deformable
adaptive mirrors in the system, has enabled
astronomers to obtain pictures from the ground with
even better sharpness and acuity than is available from
much more expensive space-based satellites. This
technique can also be applied to studies within the
human eye where fixed aberrations of the cornea, and
dynamic effects due to muscle contraction or the fluid
within the eyeball, have thus far limited the detail with
which ophthalmologists can study the light sensitive
retina at the back of the eye. Scientists at CfAI are
transferring their knowledge of adaptive optics into
medical physics to allow the design of a new generation
of ophthalmic instruments which will enable early
diagnosis and treatment of both retinal and other
diseases, such as diabetes.
In addition to adaptive optics, CfAI has recently begun a
range of vision science projects including assessing
potential optical aids for age-related macular
degeneration, which affects a large fraction of elderly
patients, and disability glare due to light scattering within
the eye. One of the key technologies which has emerged
from the groups research programme is the development
of a range of intelligent extremely fast (up to 1000 frames
per second) smart cameras [Fig. 2] which can be used
to improve the sensitivity of a variety of diagnostic tools in
medicine and biology. Members of the group have
recently formed a spinout company, Durham Smart
Imaging, to exploit the commercial potential of this
technology. These applications will soon be strengthened
by the establishment of a Biophysical Sciences Institute
at Durham University, which will bring together
researchers from many scientific disciplines to focus onproblems at the frontiers of biophysics and biotechnology.
Manufacturing is another key area where advances
must be made if new technologies are to be transferred
into the mass market. The CfAI has a unique range of
ultra-high precision machining and metrology equipment
at NETPark [Fig. 3] which it uses to manufacture
advanced optical systems for ground and space-based
instruments. The ability to create arbitrarily complex
compound lens elements in metal moulds has opened
up the possibility of replicating much more sophisticated
image correction lenses which can better correct a
wider range of vision defects in the eye. These tools will
enable new concepts in image correction to be brought
to the marketplace and truly bring a clearer cosmic
vision to all of us.
SPACETECHNOLOGYPROVIDESCOSMIC
VISION
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In every US Air Force Base, there is an instrumentation
product that comes from County Durham. Andrew
Wood talks to Rod Taylor, managing director of
Seaward about how his company has achieved this.
Rod Taylor, managing director of County Durham-based
Seaward Group, has grown his company from humble
beginnings in the early 1980s into a leading supplier of
electrical testing equipment, employing more than 150.But Rod has not only achieved professional successhis
personal efforts in supporting local business, particularly
his role in encouraging firms to work more closely with
young people, was recognized with an MBE in the 2008
New Year Honours List.
The company was originally formed by Jimmy Seaward,
a retired ICI engineer, who was making voltage testers in
his garage in Stockton. Rod, who was then working as
an electronic engineer, bought the business from
Seaward in 1982 for just 5,000 and moved it to equally
humble surroundingshis own coal shed. Sales
expanded rapidly, and the company eventually moved to
its current location at the South West Industrial Estate in
Peterlee.
The secret of Seawards success has been to focus on
higher-value, niche markets, and avoiding those where it
can only compete on price. We do not operate in a
particularly high-growth market, Rod says. In fact many
parts of the market are relatively mature. So we focus on
markets where we can demonstrate differentiation, such
as testing for medical equipment, and where customers
value innovation that gives them efficiency and
productivity benefits, he says.
Despite its relatively small size, with sales of about 12million, Seaward has been able to succeed in a market
that pits it against major international rivals that are many
times its size. Products from Seaward are used to ensure
that products ranging from household electrical devices
to hospital incubators are safe to use. It also provides
equipment to test the skin of the Airbus A380, and it
supplies every US Air Force base with reference
temperature measuring equipment.
Rod is a big fan of the North East, and particularly
County Durham, as a place to do business. Theres a
good supportive network here, and local agencies such
as CDDC and One NorthEast are really on the ball when
it comes to helping business, he says. Seaward was
recently awarded 200,000 grant from One NorthEast as
part of a program to develop the next generation of
medical testing equipment.
ACHIEVING SUCCESSIN TESTING(WITH HONOURS)
Whats really interesting about Seaward is that it has
resisted the trend by companies to shift manufacturing
to areas of lower-cost labour, such as China. About
90% of what we supply is made in Peterlee, Rod says.
Our business is a mix of lots of products, each
produced in a low-to-medium volume. The labour
content is only about 10%-15% of the finished product.
It is much more important to have the flexibility than to
focus only on labour costs, he says.
And the workforce of the future is where Rods attention
is now focused. He took on this issue through the
development of Aspire, a campaign launched in 2004
that encourages employers to work closely with young
people to help raise educational attainment targets in the
region. Through Aspire, students are offered real work
experience. It helps make them more upbeat about
their prospects, he says. His work with Aspire was key
in receiving the MBE.
Rod is himself upbeat on Seawards prospects, and aims
to double its sales in the next 3-4 years through a
combination of developing new business areas and
making acquisitions. The company is especially keen to
supply the market for green energy, such as testing
equipment for wind turbines. It has set its own green
targets for reducing carbon dioxide emissions and
making sure its products are carbon neutral.
There are some great opportunities out there, and we
feel we are in front in the key areas, Rod says. The
Seaward Group comprises four companies. In addition
to Seaward, Cropico and Clare Industrial produce testing
instruments for the manufacturing industry and Rigel
Medical supplies the biomedical testing market.Dedicated to reducing test time, Rigel Medical is a
market leader in providing electrical safety solutions and
has built on one of the longest established brand names
in the industry. Back in the 1970s, Rigel launched the
worlds first IEC 601 electrical safety analyser and Rigel
Medical continues the commitment to providing
Innovative and Portable Biomedical Test Equipment.
Within the next two years, the IEC 62353, a dedicated
International Standard for Routine Electrical Safety
Testing, is expected to provide guide lines in making
dedicated Safety Testing routines for BioMedical Test
Equipment designed to IEC 60601, and to meet the new
test requirements, Rigel Medical has launched the Rigel
288 Portable Electrical Medical Safety Analyser.
For further information visit www.seaward.co.uk
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From green fields to dynamic
science park in next to no time
The first building, the NETPark Research
Institute was opened in 2004. 2200 sq m
specifically designed for R&D and low
volume complex equipment prototyping
and manufacture. Leased to Durham
University for two world-class research
groups: the Centre for Advanced
Instrumentation and the Semiconductor
Crystal Growth and Ceramics Group.
The Innovation Village will also be completed
this year. 5 bespoke R&D pods for growing
and/or investing companies, developed by
Helios City. The total size will be 2500 sq m -
units in multiples of 250 sq m
Swiftly followed by Phase 2 of
the NETPark Incubator. Total
projected size 2252 sq m, funded
by Durham County Council, One
NorthEast and ERDF.
Phase 1 of the NETPark
Incubator followed a year later.
1600 sq m of office, work and
laboratory space and meeting
rooms. Already 100% committed
with 11 companies including 2
regional centres of excellence.
This year NETPark will be the fastest-growing science park in the UK.
Construction of the Plastic Electronic Technology Centre (PETeC) will be complete this year.
A 3,000 sq m national flagship facility for the development and exploitation of direct write
technologies and flexible functional materials (FFM); revolutionary technology that
independent forecasts predict will be a 16 billion industry by 2015. Managed by Cenamps
and CPI, the centre is 1 of only 4 currently being built in the world.
NETPark is North East Englands science, engineeringand technology park for the commercialisation ofcutting edge R&D. Companies thrive at NETParkbecause of:I State of the art facilities and room to grow on a
prestige siteI Low operating costs
I Excellent transport links
I A skilled workforce
Companies at NETPark have access to cutting edgeresearch from 5 universities within 30 minutes drive andtailored business support that enables them to achievetheir potential. They are part of a like-mindedcommunity that enables each company to flourish,grow and compete with the best in the world.
NETParks focus is on the physical sciences,particularly plastic electronics, microelectronics,photonics, nanotechnology, and their application in thefields of energy, defence, and medical-related
technologies.
13 hectares (Phase 1) are already fully serviced andanother 3 hectare area is in the process of being madeavailable.
NETPark is developed by a partnership led by DurhamCounty Council including Sedgefield Borough Council,One NorthEast and all 5 regional universities.Management and promotion of NETPark is in the handsof County Durham Development Company, DurhamCounty Councils inward investment arm. Helios Cityis the preferred developer for Phase 1.
For more information, visit www.uknetpark.netoremail [email protected]
ABOUT NETPARK...
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INTELLECTUALPROPERTY FORSMALL BUSINESSES
Your idea is your property!Get patent protection for your business.
The need to obtain protection for product designs and
intellectual property is greater now than it has ever been.
A growing awareness of the benefits of patent protection
and information can mean thousands saved in product
marketing and research costs. Patent information is of
value to major companies, researchers, individual
inventors, R & D departments, students, SMEsyou.
Patent documents hold a wealth of technical and
commercial information. 80% of the information they
provide does not appear in any other published form.
They can keep you up to date with the latestdevelopments in technology, product production and
competitors activities.
If you have a new invention it could be to your advantage
to apply for a patent. This will allow you to manage how
it is used and who uses it. The type of protection you
need will depend on what you are protecting and how
you will use it. Often more than one type of Intellectual
Property may apply to the same creation. Properly
protected and exploited it gives businesses a competitive
edge in the market and adds real capital value to the
business.
The Patent Advice Centre is a unique service temporarily
relocated at the University of Northumbria on the first
floor of the library. As part of the Patent Library Network
it is ideally placed to help anyone within the North East
decide which Intellectual property protection they might
need for their idea Patent, Design registration,
Copyright or Trade Mark and to check that nobody else
has thought of it before them.
Our services include:
I Information and Advice on all aspects of Intellectual
PropertyI Document Supply
I Commercial Patent & Trade Mark searching
I Current Awareness a patent monitoring service
enabling clients to follow patent applications in the
required field as they are published
I Assistance in searching we will show you how to
carry out a patent search
I Intellectual Property Office literature and application
forms
If you have a query please call us on 0191 260 3250
or e-mail [email protected]
www.newcastle.gov.uk/pac
COMMERCIAL SERVICES:I Patent search
I Trade mark search
I Current awareness a patent
monitoring service enabling clients
to follow patent applications in the
required field as they are published
I Document Supply
FREE SERVICES:I Access to patent databases
I Assistance in searching
I Basic advice
I Application forms
I Intellectual Property Office Literature
PATENTSadvice centre
PATENTSadvice centre
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ENVELOPEROOFSSingle ply light grey membraneWALLSWhite acrylic render on blockwork, Blue Staffordshire brickworkplinth.
CURTAIN WALLINGDouble glazed dark grey curtain walling systemSOLAR SHADING (2 storey units)Dark grey powder coated aluminium solar shading
M&E SPECIFICATIONMECHANICAL SERVICESAssisted natural ventilation to office area, mechanical extract toWC areas, LPHW Heating, hot and cold water
ELECTRICAL SERVICESMains, fire alarms, small power, intruder alarm, disabled refuge,general lighting, emergency lighting and data containment
INTERNALSTRUCTURALSteel frame, load bearing ground floor slab, raised access first floorPre-cast concrete stairs and metal balustradesPARTITIONSMetal stud walls to core areas with insulation
INTERNAL DOORSTimber veneered flush doors with softwood frames and stainlesssteel ironmongeryLIFTSKone Lexia 420, stainless steel/ powder coated metal wall finishes
FLOOR FINISHESGeneral Areas Grey carpet tilesWC Areas Ceramic floor tilesWALL FINISHESGeneral Areas white paint finish
WC Areas white ceramic tilesCEILING FINISHESGeneral Areas - Armstrong suspended ceilingWC Areas moisture resistant tilesWC FIXTURESIntegrated plumbing system, white vitreous Armitage Shanks ware
INNOVATION VILLAGE POD SPECIFICATIONWHEN ONESIZE DOESNOT FIT ALL
Helios City is the preferred developer for phase 1 ofNETPark. Mike Parker spoke to Trevor Cartner, directorof Helios City about his innovative developments.
The team at Helios City knows that a one size fits all
approach does not work, especially when building premises
for the most cutting edge science and technology firms.More than any other companies, these firms have very
specialised requirements and their premises must be made
to match. Helios City has designed the NETPods at the
Innovation Village, part of NETPark, to be as individual as
the companies that occupy them. Each pod is a bespoke
unit fitted out to the companys requirements. As Trevor
Cartner, director of Helios City explains, Every science or
high-tech firm is completely different so we have to work
extremely closely with each company to ensure their pod
is built to their exact specifications. It is this individually
tailored approach that sets the Innovation Village apart from
other science parks and makes the pods equally suitable
for young companies outgrowing their original premises as
well as for multinationals looking to invest in a site at the
most exciting science park in the country.
The NETPods are built to the specifications of the
company but they must also meet a range of
environmental requirements and standards set by
NETPark. Thus the Village is carefully landscaped, and
the building materials used are intended to have
minimum impact on the environment. This demanding setof design criteria proved challenging but Helios is well
equipped to meet these demands. Having been selected
ahead of 60 other companies to take on the original
development of the site at NETPark, the team is well
versed in the aims and the overall ethos of NETPark. As
Trevor Cartner explains, NETPark is going from strength
to strength and now that the Innovation Village is on the
way we feel extremely confident that the NETPods will be
well received by prospective tenants. The NETPods have
been designed to accommodate the individual
businesses and with their vast range of facilities, and the
wealth of networking opportunities available, I know that
companies will flourish here.
For further information visit www.uknetpark.net or
email [email protected]
29
Photo by NAPPER
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AWARDSRECOGNISEHEALTHCARETALENT IN NORTHEAST ENGLAND
31
The winners of the first ever Business for Life awards,recognising the most revolutionary healthcare companiesin North East England, were announced at a high-profileceremony in Newcastle upon Tyne. Celebrating thesuccess and strengths of the North Easts healthcare andlife sciences industries, the Business for Life Awards arefast becoming a key factor in cultivating future businessachievement in these sectors throughout the region.
Mike Asher, CEO, Cels said Cels strives to support and
grow the regions healthcare companies. These awards
have been introduced not only to recognise and reward the
North Easts top companies in the industry, but also to act
as a benchmark for the regions rapidly developing
healthcare sector.
The award categories included:
I Export Achievement, for maximising opportunities to
exploit and develop new markets or other areas of
international trade
I Innovation, for the development of an innovative
technology, design or process
I Outstanding Growth, awarded for consistent, sustainable
and profitable growth
I Partnership with the NHS, for the development of
collaboration with the UK National Health Service
I Business Start-up award, for promising newly established
companies in the healthcare sector
I The Honorary Chief Executives Award was presented
for outstanding achievement and contribution to the sector.
And the winners wereExport Achievement
- Hart Biologicals
Hart is a manufacturer and supplier of specialised biological
reagents for the monitoring of blood coagulation disorders,
oral anticoagulants and anti-platelet drugs in surgery,
laboratory and clinic environments. Hart have increased
their export sales by 47% in the past year and have
identified 4 new markets for their products, marking them
out as the clear winners of this category.
Innovation
- UK Haptics
UK Haptics develop virtual reality training solutions for
practice based learning and skills rehearsal in medical and
clinical situations using 3D virtual environments to create life
like simulations. After receiving the award, Gary Todd, MD
of UK Haptics commented We are delighted to have won
the award for innovation, it is a great achievement for UK
Haptics in the face of stiff competition and the awards really
put the North East in the spotlight with regard to its
excellent healthcare sector.
Outstanding Growth
- ImmunoDiagnostic Systems (IDS)
IDS is a specialist manufacturer of manual healthcare
diagnostic kits focusing on bone metabolism. IDSs flagship
products identify the presence of Vitamin D in human
serum. As vitamin D relates to the regulation of calcium it is
being increasingly linked to the prevention of various
cancers as well as being a factor in diabetes and heart
disease. By creating closer relationships with distribution
partners IDS have seen turnover increase by a massive
22% in the past year, and 49% the year before which
marked them out as the leader in this category.
Partnership with the NHS
- Peacocks Medical Group
Peacocks Medical Group measures, manufactures, and
supplies complex bespoke orthotic devices to patients and
hospital trusts throughout the UK. One area of particular
concern is the provision of pressure relieving diabetic
footwear and insoles to patients who are at risk of
ulceration. Peacocks have been working on a pathfinder
project with the Diabetic Clinic at Newcastle Hospitals NHS
Trust. Chris Peacock, Group MD commented: Peacocks
were delighted to win the award for partnership with the
NHS at Cels award ceremony. Peacocks was founded in
1903 and has been working with the NHS since its
inception in 1948. We are thrilled to have our hard work
recognised. In this modern globalised world you have to
always be one step ahead of your competitors. We hope
that this award will highlight to people that we have a world
class service right here on the doorstep.
Business Start Up
- Applied Neurodiagnostics
Applied Neurodiagnostics is a young dynamic company
whose main aim is to develop and manufacture medical
devices using as a base revolutionary eye tracking and pupil
measuring devices. They are developing the Pupilmetrix
PLR60, a visual field test device used to determine the
presence or absence of damage to the retinal nerve fibre
layer as part of a patients routine eye test. Keith Morris,
General Manager said: Winning the award was a surprise
given the other finalists and is a tremendous boost for us as
a very young company. It is recognition of the teamwork
between all our employees and our partners in developing
our PLR60 product.
Chief Executives Award
- Harlow HealthcareA major manufacturer and supplier of specialist products to
both the public and private sectors including manufacturing
and exclusively supplying the new Personal Child Health
Record, a product used by every mother and new born
child in the UK. The company also designs, manufactures
and distributes the UK national standard growth charts for
height, weight, head circumference and bmi. With an
expanding business they are about to bring on line 35,000
sq ft of new build warehousing, production and offices in
South Tyneside, a reflection of their commitment to the
provision of a print management service to the health
sector. John Short of Harlow stated: We are pleased and
delighted to receive this great accolade which is a true
reflection of the hard work put in by all the people who have
worked for us and with us over the past 60 years.
The winners of the awards were entered into the National
Medilink Awards. Mike Asher said: All of us at Cels are
delighted to celebrate the successes and achievements of
our companies in the north east healthcare and life
sciences sector at the awards ceremony.
He continued The event surpassed all expectations, and
our congratulations go to the winners and finalists in what
was a very closely fought competition. We look forward to
supporting the companies and wish them every success at
the national finals.
The awards were organised by the Healthcare Network, a
support service for the regions healthcare companies run
by Cels, the organisation driving the growth of the
healthcare economy in North East England. They reflect
the regions growing healthcare and life science economy.
Thriving in recent years, this sector currently includes world
leaders in biologics manufacturing and successful
companies in the fields of medical devices, assistive
technology and health informatics.
The competition attracted key support from UK Trade &
Investment, sponsors of The Export Achievement Award,NHS Innovations North, sponsors of the Innovation Award,
Sintons Solicitors, sponsors of the Outstanding Growth
Award, the North East Strategic Health Authority, sponsors
of the Partnership with the NHS Award and Marketwise
Strategies who were sponsors of the Start-up Award.
To find out more about health, healthcare and life sciences
and the support available in North East England visit
www.celsatlife.com.
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LEADING THEWAY IN MEDICALDIAGNOSTICS
Located in Hartlepool, Hart Biologicals Ltd was foundedin August 2002. Although still a young company, themanagement has extensive experience in the fields ofclinical sciences and diagnostic reagent manufacture.
That wealth of experience has produced early success
and in the first ever Business for Life awards organised
by Cels last November, Hart carried off the Export
Achievement award.
The awards celebrated the successes and achievements
of companies in the North East healthcare and life
sciences sector, and the Export award, sponsored by UK
Trade & Investment, recognised Harts work in developing
new markets. The company manufactures a range of
clinical laboratory diagnostic products suitable for the
worldwide healthcare market.
Indeed as Managing Director Albert Pattison, whose
background is in biochemistry and haematology, explains:
Exporting has always been part of the company's
business plan and lies at the heart of our long term future.
In Europe the countries we export to include Germany,
France, Italy, Austria and, further afield, we also export to
India, Hong Kong and Australia.
The company is rapidly expanding its global presence
through a policy of enlarging and strengthening its
international distribution network, and developing
strategic alliances and partnerships with people and
organisations where there are common business
interests.
Providers of key pathology laboratory services to NHS,
Independent and Private Hospitals and Primary Care
Trusts, the company operates at the leading edge of
medical diagnostics and is an integral part of the North
Easts successful and thriving healthcare sector.
The sector contributes 8 billion to the regions economy
and is responsible for employing 172,000 people. .
As Mr Pattison outlines the companys operations: We
specialise in the manufacture of clinical diagnostic
reagents for use by hospitals, GPs and pharmacies which
are used to help test and monitor people who suffer from
blood coagulation disorders or are due to undergo major
operations such as heart bypass surgery.
We also supply equipment and reagents for testing
patients who are taking the anticoagulant drug warfarin
after having suffered from thrombosis, heart valvereplacement or other cardiovascular problems.
Our company strategy is to develop diagnostic assays
within particular, well-defined sectors where the
experience of our management team can be maximised
to bring added value to orders and contracts by offering
more than simply a manufacture and supply facility.
The Hart Biologicals range of products focuses on key
areas of the haemostasis field:
I Anticoagulant drug therapy monitoring through the
Manchester Capillary PT Reagent kit and associated
products.
I Platelet function testing through the platelet
aggregation and Ristocetin Co-Factor range of
reagents.
I Assessment of congenital or acquired clotting factor
disorders through the provision of high quality factor
deficient plasmas.
I Quality Control and Reference plasmas for routine and
specialised assay types.
For further information concerning Hart Biologicals Ltd, its
products and services, please contact:
Hart Biologicals Ltd.
Units 13-15, Newburn Bridge Industrial Estate,
Mainsforth Terrace, Hartlepool TS25 1TZ
T 01429 271100 F 01429 277085
www.hartbio.com
BIOMEDICAL ANDBIOMOLECULARSCIENCES ATNEWCASTLEUNIVERSITY
Newcastle Medical School is one of the mostprestigious in the country. At Newcastle we offer arange of undergraduate programmes leading to a BSchonours degree.
Courses include:
I Biochemistry, Biochemistry with Immunology
I Biotechnology (with or without industrial placement year)
I Biomedical Sciences (4 year MSci also available)
I Genetics, Human Genetics
I Medical Microbiology and Immunology
I Pharmacology
I Physiology
The courses reflect our research strengths in the
biosciences and are informed by the latest
developments. Our focus on excellence and skills
development ensures our graduates are well-equipped
for employment in a range of careers.
Why Newcastle for the Biomedical and Biomolecular
Sciences?
I Outstanding score in the national Quality Assurance
Agency subject reviews in the Biological and Medical
Sciences, reflecting excellent teaching and student
support and first class facilities
I Top scores (5/5*) in the latest national Research
Assessment Exercise for Medical and Biological
Sciences
I Research-led teaching and a final year project in a
University Research Institute ensures exposure to
state of the art knowledge and technologies
I Postgraduate opportunities available for PhD or
Masters study in Biomedical and Biomolecular
Sciences
I Flexible programme; sharing of first year modules with
a range of bioscience degrees allows students to
transfer between courses at the end of the first year
I Students may apply for transfer to Medicine or
Dentistry (limited number of places available on acompetitive basis)
I Strong links between basic science and medicine
ensuring relevance of degree programmes
I One of the UKs top Universities for technology
transfer (see www.ncl.ac.uk/business/success)
I Newcastle has been designated one of six Science
Cities
The City
Newcastle is a great city and has been described as
one of the most exciting, friendly and cosmopolitan
cities in the UK. It is set against the backdrop of the
beautiful Northumbrian countryside, in easy reach of
beaches, hills and moorland. Newcastle has excellent
links with the rest of the UK and Europe and a relatively
low cost of living.
Our students
We welcome applications from well-qualified and
enthusiastic students from the UK and overseas. Our
normal A level offer is ABB (AAB for the MSci) and we
are happy to consider applicants with other
qualifications. Bursaries are available for international
students.
www.ncl.ac.uk/biomed/undergrad
For more information please contact Dr Christopher
Baldwin, [email protected], telephone
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NHS INNOVATIONSNORTH ASSISTCANCER TESTBREAKTHROUGH
High definition ultrasound technology for early detectionof cancers is close to becoming a reality thanks toexperts at Newcastle General Hospital and technologytransfer organisation NHS Innovations North.
The new techniques will allow doctors to be able to
probe deeper into the body and produce clearer images
of potentially diseased organs.
Retired consultant clinical scientist, Tony Whittingham
developed the imaging technique with the assistance of
technologists George Mitchell and Michael Feeney at the
Regional Medical Physics Department based at the
hospital. The team, however, is remaining tight-lipped
about how the scans work until the final patent
application is filed.
The technique won recognition at NHS Innovations
Norths Bright Ideas in Health Awards, the annual
innovation competition for the regions 70,000 NHS staff.
Now the method, along with equipment adapted to carry
out the procedure, is due to be patented in the coming
months. This will safeguard the intellectual property on
behalf of the Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS
Foundation Trust as well as encouraging suitable
organisations to become involved in commercialising the
technology for worldwide use.
Traditional diagnostic ultrasound has been around since
the 1960s and is used worldwide as a matter of routine
to help clinicians assess the health of internal organs. It
involves running a probe adapted to transmit ultrasound
waves over the skin, in order to create images of bodily
tissue that are interpreted by those skilled in the field. It
is used in a variety of fields of medicine, including theimaging of unborn babies and the diagnosis of tumours.
Tony explained: "With ultrasound at the moment, the
deeper you go into the organ the poorer the images. Our
new techniques will make it possible to see areas of the
body we have previously never been able to scan
successfully in terms of obtaining a clear enough image.
Having worked in medical ultrasound for 35 years, I
have come to know the limitations of current techniques
and I am optimistic that what has been developed will
make a real difference.
We hope this is going to make a significant contribution
to patient health worldwide, by making the detection of
deeper tumours easier, in liver or eye cancer for
example.
With the expert help and financial support of the team
at NHS Innovations North, a patent filing is imminent.
Their involvement has been crucial in taking our ideas
this far, and we are delighted that NHS Innovations North
is now seeking commercial partners to take the idea
forward.
NHS Innovations North is the intellectual property
management service available to all NHS Trusts in the
North East of England, and helps NHS employees bring
their ideas to life. By protecting the intellectual property
associated with an idea - for example by patenting - and
then licensing the idea for manufacture to an industrial
partner, NHS Innovations North seeks to further develop
the knowledge economy of the North East. Their remit is
to improve healthcare and generate revenue for both the
NHS and the licensee.
As one of a network of nine regional innovations hubs
across England, funded by the Department of Health,
the Department of Innovation, Universities and Skills and
One NorthEast, NHS Innovations North was set up in
2001. The service is delivered on behalf of the NHS by
RTC North, one of the most successful technology
transfer companies in Europe with many years
experience of this field.
Since its inception NHS Innovations North has built up
an enviable reputation as one of the leading innovation
hubs in the country, with many technologies being
transferred from the regional NHS into the commercial
arena.
Director of NHS Innovation North, Dr Richard Hoare, said
of the unique opportunities available to industrialpartners:
We welcome contact from any regional company that
seeks new product ideas in the medical related field or
would like help accessing the healthcare market. Our
service and team will actively support these companies
in taking on new technology, providing the likes of
market research and the negotiation of licensing
agreements
This years Bright Ideas in Health Awards will take place
at the Hilton Newcastle Gateshead on the 8th May 2008.
The 10,000 prize fund will be used to recognise a
winner and two runners-up in each of the two categories
- innovative technologies & devices and innovative
service delivery.
Backed by the regions NHS Trusts, this years Bright
Ideas in Health Awards are sponsored by the Cels
Healthcare Network North East, Urquhart-Dykes & Lord
LLP Patent Attorneys, Watson Burton LLP Law Firm, One
NorthEast, Hargreaves Elsworth Patent Attorneys and The
Centre for Design Research at Northumbria University.
For more information on how NHS Innovations North can
assist your organisation, please contact the team on
0191 516 4400, email:
[email protected] or visit:
www.nhsinnovationsnorth.org.uk
Dr Tony Whittingham, front, and senior technologists
Mike Feeney, right, and George Mitchell
Picture: Leanne Holcroft Traditional ultrasound machine in use
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THIGH BONECONNECTED TOTHE HIP BONE...
Professor Unsworth has been studying human joints for
most of his academic life. His specialism is biotribology,or understanding the lubrication, friction and wear in
human joints. He is still enthused by the possibilities of
new types of artificial joints and is particularly keen onlearning from biology in order to make artificial joints
last longer.
When I first started researching in this field, Professor
Unsworth said, surgeons were reluctant to put artificialjoints in to people under 55 years old because of how long
these joints would last. Nowadays much younger sufferers
demand these joints and over the last 50 years, when life
expectancy has increased by a further 10 years, the
demands put on these joints are much greater.
Artificial joints have come a long way since ivory was used
back in 1891 to replace the worn out femoral head. Total
joint replacements are now common and joint resurfacing is
becoming popular because of the minimal bone removal
and excellent early results. In the early 1960s ultra high