Designing Life Sciences

We have been applying user centred, production oriented design to emerging Life Sciences technologies for some years. It is often quite a while before any activity can be reported, but here is an outline of just some of the exciting programs we have been pleased to be supporting.

BioXhale Breath Diagnostics

Bioxhale’s team and Renfrew Group International have been working together on the development of device and kit of parts to deliver Intrinsically Valid Sampling, a system which is simple and economic to operate and which aims to be the standard tool for breath sampling used in research or commercial applications in labs worldwide.

The inventors of the BreathTrace device, Dr Dahlia Salman, Prof Paul Thomas and Prof Chris Brightling were also part of the EMBER (East Midlands Breathomics Pathology Node) consortium. EMBER aimed to deliver near-patient and remote sensing technologies to analyse breath and will create opportunities to develop new methods to analyse complex “omics” data. It’s hoped these could give an instant diagnosis and help doctors pick the best treatments for a range of conditions, including cancers, respiratory infections and diseases such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

LifeMap – a translation of 10 years of core scientific research

Collaboration with University of Leicester

LifeMapTM is a novel, highly promising technique for assessing risk of sudden cardiac death, a condition that kills 3 million people annually.

Renfrew Group International are working closely with Professor Andre Ng and team at The University of Leicester on the human centred design and prototyping of equipment to support the program.

Sudden cardiac death is a leading cause of death worldwide. It is responsible for 300,000 deaths annually in America and 100,000 in the UK. This is more than stroke, lung cancer, breast cancer and AIDS combined.

Funded by MRC and NIHR, LifeMap is a translation of 10 years of core scientific research at the University of Leicester into electrical restitution: the mechanism underlying sudden cardiac death.

The University of Leicester has patented the technology behind LifeMap and performed 3 clinical studies that all clearly demonstrate the difference that LifeMap could make to millions of our patients.

The team has recently completed a large multicentre trial MINERVA in collaboration with 14 other Cardiac centres of excellence. A clinical version of LifeMap is in development and Renfrew Group are working closely with Professor Andre Ng and team at The University of Leicester on human centred device development to help bring LifeMap to the bedside.

‘Context Is All’ – The User’s Role In Healthcare Innovation

Interview and article by Ashley Yeo @ashleypyeo  ashley.yeo@informa.com

Executive Summary

Healthcare product innovation and design evolves continually, and COVID-19 times were no exception. But patient-centred design has always been the platform on which medtech businesses build success, says Mike Phillips of outsourcing industrial design company Renfrew Group International.