The National College of Art and Design (NCAD) is part of a project that has been awarded a Government grant to develop an innovative new medical device.
NCAD is working with a consortium led by Galway-based medtech start-up Tympany Medical. Also working on the project are UCD’s Centre for Micro and Nano Manufacturing Technology (UCD-MNMT) and Shannon-based Gentian Services.
A total of €3.2m in funding has been awarded to the consortium from the Department of Business, Enterprise and Innovation, through the Disruptive Technologies Innovation Fund (DTIF).
The consortium
The consortium is working on the development of EyeVu, a miniaturised ‘eyeball’ endoscope camera, which aims to allow clinicians to see around corners with “unparalleled precision”.
NCAD’s role in the project will see the college’s product design department working in three areas of the development, including the contextual inquiry, human factors validation and the sustainable design of the device for the circular economy.
UCD-MNMT will lead the development of the optoelectronics and miniaturisation of the device, while Gentian Services will be responsible for designing the device for manufacture.
Commenting on the grant, NCAD’s course coordinator for the MSc in medical device design, Enda O’Dowd, said: “We are delighted to have been granted funding by the Government under this important initiative, which brings the higher education sector together with enterprises to deliver new technologies that benefit society.
“EyeVu builds on the experience of NCAD medical device design in leading human-centred research and innovation in the medical device sector and we look forward to working with our partners on this exciting project.”
DTIF
EyeVu is one of 16 projects that will share total funding of €65m in this round of the DTIF. The eligible projects selected by the Department of Business, Enterprise and Innovation and Enterprise Ireland went through a competitive evaluation process, involving screening and interviews by panels of international experts.
The 16 selected projects cover life sciences, medical devices, ICT, AI, blockchain, manufacturing and environmental sustainability. Other successful projects include a zero-emission heat pump, an AI-enabled medical device for kidney dialysis and a waste-water-to-energy project for the food and drink sector.
Kelly Earley
This article first appeared on www.siliconrepublic.com and can be found at:
https://www.siliconrepublic.com/innovation/ncad-tympany-medical-eyevu-medical-device
07/01/2020
Ireland
