Innovation and creativity wins top award for Imperial researchers at awards ceremony

Institute of Biomedical Engineering wins prestigious Times Higher Education award - News

Monday 26 October 2009
By Colin Smith

Implantable chips that regulate insulin in people with Type 1 diabetes and digital ‘plasters’ that help doctors to remotely monitor their patients are some of the innovative technologies that have helped Imperial College London researchers scoop a major award this month.

Scientists from the Institute of Biomedical Engineering (IBE) received the Outstanding Contribution to Innovation and Technology Award at the 2009 Times Higher Education Awards ceremony, held at the Grosvenor House Hotel on Thursday 15 October 2009. The IBE researchers were recognised for pioneering work that has led to new developments in medical diagnosis equipment, personalised healthcare devices, new regenerative medicine techniques and new medical imaging technologies.

The IBE beat more than 600 entries from 137 higher education institutions to win the award. Professor Christofer Toumazou, Winston Wong Chair in Biomedical Circuits and IBE Director at Imperial, accepted the award on behalf of the Institute. He says:

Staff from the IBE celebrate their win at the THE Awards Ceremony

“This is an extremely proud moment for me and all the talented researchers who are carrying out world-leading research at the IBE. The Institute provides a fertile environment for scientists, engineers, physicians and biologists to come together under one roof and create new and innovative healthcare technologies that will improve the lives of the sick, the elderly and those who need constant monitoring after major surgery.”

The researchers are currently trialling a new digital plaster that is worn by patients to monitor their vital signs such as body temperature and respiration. Doctors can use their mobile phone to download information that is wirelessly transmitted from the digital plaster at any time, so that a patient can be monitored at home, instead of in hospital.

The team is also developing a range of other technologies, including silicon chip devices for patients with Type 1 diabetes that will mimic the role of beta cells inside the pancreas to regulate a patients’ insulin. Other devices in development include an implantable artificial retina made from silicon chip technology that will be used to improve the sight of the visually impaired.

Renowned surgeon Professor Sir Magdi Yacoub from the IBE and Imperial’s National Heart and Lung Institute is leading a team creating a new implantable device that will continuously monitor blood-pressure in patients who have undergone heart operations or who have chronic health conditions that could lead to heart failure.

Award judge Chris Cobb, pro-vice chancellor of Roehampton University, said: “The panel was particularly impressed by the range of innovation achieved at Imperial and the transferability of some of the innovations into other fields. Its work transforms the lives of many through the use of technology in medicine.”

In the video above, Professor Toumazou talks about some of the innovative devices that he and his team are working on (this interview was filmed aftter Professor Toumazou won a World Technology Award  in August 2009).