Wales Takes The Lead In Bespoke Medical Aids For Individual Patients
Wales is taking the lead in enabling medical manufacturers design affordable, one-off tailor-made devices to meet the health needs of individual patients.
They could range from aids for daily living such as utensils and reading aids through to customised grips for walking aids for people with arthritis or specialised seating cushions and support surfaces for long-term wheel chair users.
Although there is an increasing demand for improved and personalised healthcare products, the costs involved using traditional manufacturing processes means it is prohibitively expensive.
But funding from the Welsh Assembly Government’s Academic Expertise for Business (A4B) programme which is supported by European funds, has enabled the University of Wales Institute Cardiff (UWIC) to open a unique centre for patient-specific medical product development.
The new service brings together the clinical specialist expertise of the Medical Applications Group (MAG) and the industrial expertise and rapid prototyping specialism of the National Centre for Product Design and Development Research (PDR), which are both based at UWIC.
The pioneering new centre will work with medical technology manufacturers in Wales providing access to the latest technologies and techniques developed in rapid customised product design.
Technologies include the use of advanced CAD images, medical scans, rapid prototyping and additive manufacturing technology – or tool-less manufacturing - to design and develop affordable bespoke products.
The centre will not only work with companies to create one-off products for specific patients but also to improve the performance of existing medical products by incorporating customised design features to meet individual patient needs.
Lesley Griffiths, Deputy Minister for Science, Innovation and Skills, said the A4B programme was geared to promote collaboration between higher education and industry.
“Our universities have the expertise and highly specialised facilities that can help drive forward innovation, increase levels of research and development and help industry remain ahead of the game.
“This latest centre funded under A4B will help upskill businesses in this sector, giving them a competitive advantage and bring new products to the market. It also has the potential to bring new investment into Wales.
“Of equal importance are the benefits for individuals as bespoke products could have a positive impact on the health and well being of patients, resulting in improved patient care and a reduction in social costs.”
PDR Commercial Director Jarred Evans explained the application of contemporary product design and new technologies means it is possible to produce one off products as cost effectively as a batch of thousands.
“There is plenty of help and support available for companies developing standard medical devices but nowhere offering specialist skills, technology and knowledge in the emerging field of patient specific healthcare devices.
“This centre will be unique in the UK and Europe and has the potential to provide specialist services to a large proportion of the UK’s medical device and rehabilitation industry.
“The majority of bespoke devices are currently fabricated within an NHS department and are expensive and only designed for single patients where there is no suitable mass produced product.”
A technology unit at the centre will house the latest medical software solutions and appropriate hardware to enable low volume, patient-specific product design and production.
A technology translator will engage with NHS specialties and businesses identifying new business opportunities, while research technicians will undertake commissioned research to ensure the centre remains up to date with the latest medical product development techniques, legislation, trends and standards.
- Ends -
19 August 2010
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