Insider Media Limited

Perfect Prints Prove It

Who? Warwick Warp.
Where? University of Warwick.
Developed what? A way of identifying partial, distorted, scratched, smudged and warped fingerprints in just seconds.

What’s the background? Previous techniques have tried to identify a few key features on a fingerprint and laboriously match them against a database. The researchers consider the entire detailed pattern of each print and “unwarp” it to create a digital representation that can be mapped on other prints on a database. It’s so effective that individual sweat pores can be compared, and it speeds up the process so results come back in seconds.

Will we see it? The researchers have set up the spin-out company to take the technology to market.

Dancing To A Quieter Beat

Who? Chi Shing Lo, a product design student.
Where? De Montfort University, Leicester.
Developed what? Designing earplugs to protect the hearing of people at nightclubs.

What’s the background? Shing, a second-year student, has developed a credit card-style device called Earcard, which is easy to manufacture and cheap to produce.

Will we see it? RNID, the charity for deaf and hard of hearing people, is planning to make and sell Earcard.

Gunning For Extreme Metal

Who? Metallisation.
Where? Dudley.
Developed what? Met Jet 4, an anti-corrosion spray gun for extreme conditions.

What’s the background? Metallisation makes flame spray equipment for anti-corrosion applications. Working with Aston University, it has developed Met Jet 4 – a gun that sprays materials through a combustion of oxygen and paraffin, producing a high- speed stream of hot gas into which coating powder is introduced.

Will we see it? You can already. Metallisation managing director Dr Terry Lester says: “More than two thirds of our products are shipped overseas and markets with extreme weather conditions are key. For example, turbines in the Himalayas last for one season before metal corrodes and needs replacing – with the spray treatment, this is more like ten seasons.”

Switching To Safer Surgery

Who? Safe Surgery Systems.
Where? Birmingham.
Developed what? A system that uses radio frequency identification tags embedded in a patient’s wristband to carry data such as name and date of birth.

What’s the background? The business is a spin-out from Birmingham Heartland Hospital.
When the wristband is scanned a photograph of the patient, together with essential data, appears on the clinician’s computer. It means anaesthetists, surgeons and ward staff know the precise details of the operation to be carried out and whether the patient is fully prepared and ready for surgery.

Will we see it? It’s already exporting to Australia following a trade mission.

Work Wonders With Water

Who? Syspal.
Where? Broseley, Shropshire.
Developed what? Hydrophysio, a water treadmill.

What does it do? Hydrophysio has an underwater treadmill and resistance jets in a curved glass enclosure, allowing training staff to detect and treat injuries. It’s intended to treat problems such as arthritis, obesity and limited mobility, where the patient is helped by being supported by warm water, and in sports training. Ironically the first versions were created to treat injured dogs and horses.

Will we see it? The canine version is being used by veterinary practices all over the UK and by the Guide Dogs for the Blind Association. The human trainers, which cost up to £55,000, were launched at the Medica medical show in Düsseldorf, Germany. It has been exported to Greece, Italy and the US.

Finding A New Dimension

Who? Clinical scientist Fiona Berryman.
Where? University of Wolverhampton.
Developed what? A non-invasive system to diagnose and monitor spinal deformity.

How? Using signal analysis techniques developed in the industrial sector, Berryman’s research has led to an automated system that radiographers can use to measure three-dimensional back shape in scoliosis patients

What’s the background? Berryman is working with the Royal Orthopaedic Hospital in Birmingham. She says: “The equipment I’ve developed is low cost, user-friendly and enables assessment and monitoring of the degree of deformity in a scoliosis patient.”

Will we see it? Berryman is in talks about the assessment of cosmetic deformities with the Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre in Oxford, where her system is in use.

Clearing Up In Retail

Who? 4little1.
Where? Edwinstowe, Nottinghamshire.
Developed what? Baby Nose-Clear nasal aspirator.

What does it do? Invented by a mother of premature triplets, Baby Nose-Clear is a suction device that relieves nasal congestion in very young babies.

What’s the background? Husband and wife team John Soulsby and Sarah Giles put their house on the line to launch this. After an impromptu presentation to Mothercare the chain agreed to take it into 40 stores.

Will we see it? Mothercare sells it worldwide and it’s available in grocery chains. Voted one of the best children’s healthcare gadgets by the Daily Mail, 4little1 is looking to export Baby Nose-Clear to Australasia.

Catching Corrosion Early

Who? Scisite.
Where? A Keele University spin-out.
Developed what? A way of identifying corrosion in reinforced concrete structures.

What does it do? It’s a non-invasive way of looking for steel corrosion inside concrete.

What’s the background? Scisite says its hybrid technology could transform surveying. It provides an early warning system for detecting corrosion and deficiencies in structures such as pipelines and road bridges.

Will we see it? The Michelin Development Fund has backed the project to bring it to a market estimated to be worth £100m a year. The concrete survey and repair industries are already showing interest and Scisite is surveying sites in the UK and abroad.

New Cure For Old Ailment

Who? Medical Devices Technology International.
Where? Wolverhampton.
Developed what? Rhinopinch, a lightweight adjustable plastic nasal clip to staunch nosebleeds.

What’s the background? The traditional way to staunch a nose bleed is to apply pressure across the bridge, which often means a carer has to hold the patient’s nose.

Nose bleeds – epistaxis – traditionally affects children between 9 to 11 and older people. In older people it can signify a problem with blood pressure. Rhinopinch is a cushioned adjustable clip designed to fit the nose and apply pressure to the area just below the bridge. It is simple enough to be used by paramedics at an accident scene, nursery teachers caring for groups of children and nurses at a busy A&E department.

Will we see it? Rhinopinch is available on NHS contract and to clinicians, paramedics and first-aiders. Chief executive Martin Levermore says: “It’s a simple but effective solution to a common problem. Rhinopinch should be standard equipment for every paramedic, in every accident and emergency department.”

Getting Better Connected

Who? Data Driven Logistics.
Where? Stoke-on-Trent.
Developed what? Canditv.

What does it do? Enables any TV screen displayed in public or outdoor places that is connected to the internet to become interactive, allowing advertisers, retailers, games manufacturers, service providers and so on, to reach their target markets. Dialling the number on a screen enables mobile phone users to navigate and interact with the content. It helps businesses know who their customers are, contact information, what they are interested in, where they have expressed an interest and when. when

Will we see it? Starting in July 2008, around Stratford-upon-Avon, Leamington Spa and Warwick to provide interactive tourist information services. Also, at Waterworld in Stoke-on-Trent.

The Power Of Hydrogen

Who? Air Products.
Where? University of Birmingham.
Developed what? The country’s only hydrogen gas fuelling station.

What’s the background? The station is at the Department of Chemical Engineering where research is being carried out into the viability of hydrogen in transport. Engineers are comparing five hydrogen-powered vehicles with the university’s fleet of petrol, diesel and electric vehicles. The researchers will see how these vehicles need to be adapted to make hydrogen a cost-effective fuel.

Will we see it? It is hoped the public sector will buy into these technologies, providing support to companies in the supply chain.

Info At Your Fingertips

Who? University of Warwick.
Where? Coventry.
Developed what? Ambulance Crew Electronic Pocket Guide.

What does it do? Provides ambulance crews with quick access to everything from information on the correct drug doses to resuscitate someone to how to cope with chemical incidents.

What’s the background? The University of Warwick has been working with the Joint Royal Colleges Ambulance Liaison Committee (JRCALC) for six years, developing clinical practice guidelines for the Ambulance Service. Until now those guidelines have been in an A4 loose leave folder, paper pocket guides or on websites.

The Warwick Medical School research team and JRCALC believed they could make the information easier to access. They have devised a guide for PDAs, with the School of Engineering that contains more information than the pocket version and allows easier search and retrieval of the information.

Get Yourself Protected

Who? Teardrop Technologies.
Where? Wolverhampton.
Developed what? Used air injection to increase the protection in the gloves and pads that cricketers wear when batting.

What’s the background? Teardrop was set up by three sports technology graduates from the University of Wolverhampton. They worked with the West Midlands Technology Network and used testing facilities at RAPRA.

John Wood, co-founder of Teardrop, said: “Cricket balls weigh five-and-a-half ounces, and when they’re bowled at more than 90 mph they can do some damage. There’s not been much advance in cricket protective equipment for years. The system we developed distributes the force more evenly in the glove and pads meaning they are lighter and safer.”

Will we see it? Teardrop has already signed a deal with cricket equipment giants Canterbury of New Zealand, while its gloves and pads are already being worn by players at county level.

Eco-Friendly Engines

Who? Cougar Red.
Where? Kettering.
Developed what? A clean two-stroke engine.

What’s the background? Cougar Red specialises in designing and making parts for road and racing motorcycles. Engineers Mark Taylor and Paul Copperwheat are looking to make to produce a clean two-stroke ‘bio max quick switch engine’ which can run on petrol and biofuels. Cougar Red was awarded a grant of more than £46,000 by Emda to develop the engine and protect the intellectual property.

“A two stroke has fewer moving parts compared with a four-stroke engine,” says Copperwheat, “so it’s not as costly to design and manufacture; using fewer resources is an important consideration in reducing the environmental impact.”

Will we see it? It is anticipated the first prototype engine will be available in 2009.

Stopping The Spillage

Who? Dr Anant Ghelani.
Where? De Montfort University, Leicester.
Developed what? A safe way of opening vials.

What’s the background? Glass vials, used to store vaccines and medicines, are opened by holding the body of the vial in one hand and breaking off the tip with the other: they can shatter causing injury, spillage and contamination. Ghelani saw too many accidents while working as a pharmacologist for 30 years. His device holds the vial in a resealable container, which breaks off the top and keeps it in a snap-cap until it can be safely disposed of. A guard in the cap prevents slivers of glass dispersing, while a moveable base and lid allows the device to hold different vials.

Will we see it? Ghelani worked on the invention for years before getting a £30,000 support help from ProspectIP at the university. The device could be available later in 2008.