Engineers are among the winners of the MedTech competition in the United Kingdom

Seven innovative designs were selected as winners in the first Kidney MedTech Competition in partnership with IN-PART. The winners received £ 25,000 in research funding after showing that their new proposals had the potential to improve outcomes in patients with kidney disease or help prevent kidney disease.

“Medical technology is a growing sector that offers exciting opportunities to improve outcomes in patients with kidney disease. We were very impressed by the number of innovations, ideas and technologies offered. The academy program itself is an innovative approach that combines scientific potential with a business- and business-oriented structure, ”said Mark Stowell, executive director of development at Kidney Research UK.

“Unlike traditional grant models, the course leads participants through an introduction to innovation and start-ups until the presentation of their MedTech project to future investors. It was a pleasure for me to work in partnership with IN-PART’s Discover platform to find and fund new academic partners. We can’t wait to see how far these projects will go and the difference they will make. We look forward to holding similar competitions in the future to discover and nurture new innovative ideas. ”

Charity-funded projects vary in their areas and impact, combining scientific experience and engineering skills. A team at the University of Leeds will analyze routine blood tests using artificial intelligence to predict acute kidney damage in hopes of increasing early diagnosis.

Another team from University College London will develop two micro-sampling devices for blood and urine that allow patients to provide samples remotely, making it easier and more effective to monitor their kidney disease. A team of engineers from the University of Edinburgh will develop new technology to recycle water used during dialysis, improving efficiency, sustainability and treatment costs, the success of which could lead to the development of lightweight artificial kidneys that can be worn in the future.

Other projects include non-invasive eye scanning techniques, a rapid current monitoring test, bioengineered dialysis lines for pediatric patients, and new ultrasound technology to create a liquid biopsy to monitor kidney health.

The competition, which received more than 25 individual entries, saw a diverse range of sectors, including artificial intelligence, engineering and wearable technology, all of which seek to help fight kidney disease.

The MedTech Kidney Competition was launched in November last year to accelerate the development and availability of transformational technologies to address the crucial challenges of kidney disease. Applicants showed a variety of ideas, the highest quality of innovation and clearly outlined the positive effects that their research could have on kidney patients.

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