Smarter Epidural wins Innovation Award

A smarter epidural has won the 2nd annual Clinical Innovation Award, sponsored by Enterprise Ireland in association with Cleveland Clinic.

The winner, Dr Peter Lee, a consultant anaesthetist with Cork University Hospital, collaborated with University College Cork under their Biomedical Design module to identify a solution for improved epidural delivery. This has resulted in a simple, cost effective and globally applicable solution to the problems associated with epidural administration.

Dr Lee will receive a grant of €15,000 and the opportunity to work with Cleveland Clinic and Enterprise Ireland to develop the commercial feasibility of his innovative idea.

Announcing the winner, Chris Coburn, Executive Director, Innovations at Cleveland Clinic, said: 'We look forward to working with Dr Lee and his collaborators to develop the commercial potential for his idea. We are excited about this simple but elegant solution to the problems associated with epidural delivery. As one of the top four hospitals in the US, we can offer Dr Lee access to a broad range of users to get feedback on adoption factors around this innovation and accelerate its progress to the market'.

Congratulating Dr Lee, Richard Bruton TD, Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, said: 'Healthcare, medical technologies and life sciences are key sectors which we are targeting for jobs growth as part of the Government's Action Plan for Jobs. We are in the process of implementing a number of policy changes to support growth, in particular the establishment of a Healthcare Innovation Hub to bring the health service and industry together to target opportunities.

The award also recognised two runner-up clinicians, Dr Sean Dinneen, Consultant Endocrinologist with the Galway Roscommon University Hospital Group, and Seamus Morris, Consultant Othopaedic surgeon in the Adelaide & Meath and UPMC Beacon Hospitals. These will both receive Feasibility Funding from Enterprise Ireland to investigate the commercial potential of their ideas.

Full details of the awards are available on the Enterprise Ireland web site: www.enterprise-ireland.com/clinical