Some CiC Success Stories:
| MI-SCS: Minimally invasive Spinal Cord Stimulator |
Proof of concept funding by a CiC Award in 2019, led to the further development of tiny, flexible devices that wrap around the spinal cord and could offer new ways to treat disability and paralysis-causing spinal injuries. Co-led by Dr Damiano Barone from the Department of Clinical Neurosciences and Professor George Malliaras from the Department of Engineering, a team of engineers, neuroscientists and surgeons from the University of Cambridge reported for the first time safe 360-degree recording of the spinal cord by wrapping very thin, high-resolution implants around the spinal cord’s circumference. The Cambridge-developed biocompatible devices – just a few millionths of a metre thick and made using advanced photolithography and thin film deposition techniques - intercept the signals travelling on the axons, or nerve fibres, of the spinal cord, allowing the signals to be recorded. The thinness of the devices means they can record the signals without causing any damage to the nerves, as they do not penetrate the spinal cord itself. Read more of the story on the University website! Coverage of the research findings also included: : Daily Mail, Independent, Evening Standard, ITV Anglia, US News & World Report and Irish Examiner. |
| NeWTS: Neonatal Wireless Transmission System |
Following an initial CiC Award and through an NIHR i4i Product Development Award, a team from the Departments of Paediatrics and Engineering, as well as Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Trust, developed a novel "Neonatal Wireless Transmission System (NeWTS)" that includes all four key elements of intensive care monitoring: skin temperature, heart activity (ECG, electrocardiogram), respiratory rate, and blood oxygen levels (pulse oximetry). The wireless system enables easier physical contact with the babies, reducing practical barriers for parents providing care, and saving nursing time. For more information: https://www.enterprise.cam.ac.uk/opportunities/neonatal-wireless-transmission-system/. |