35 innovations aiming to tackle acquired brain injury have been awarded a share of £3 million from the National Institute of Health and Care Research (NIHR) through the Invention for Innovation FAST 4 Awards. Funded projects include a new point-of-care device for the stratification and management of brain injuries, smart interactive reminders, a concussion management app, and an AI algorithm to personalise rehabilitation for stroke patients.
Funded projects will last between six and 12 months, supporting the prevention, diagnosis and management of acquired brain injury, along with recovery in instances of traumatic brain injury, stroke, tumours, and infections.
Projects include FIT4Labour, a tool to support midwives and doctors in identifying babies at risk of brain damage and death during labour. According to the NIHR, this funding will allow for testing of the tool with mothers when they arrive at hospital in labour, “to see how it can help prevent the worst outcomes by supporting informed choices about care in labour”.
A virtual reality project named Virtue, created to improve cognitive abilities in stroke survivors, will be tested over a 12-month period with 80 stroke survivors at the Countess of Chester Hospital.
Other projects being funded include an AI therapeutic platform for speech and language therapy in traumatic brain injury rehabilitation, the integration of movement assessments into an app for mild traumatic brain injury, a digital care coordination platform for adults with acquired brain injury, and a digital platform for smart maternity triage to help prevent foetal brain injury during childbirth.
The feasibility of a robotic glove for hand rehabilitation in stroke patients, a remotely supervised rehabilitation platform for specialist concussion care, and a digital vocational rehabilitation programme for working-aged adults with acquired brain injury, are also to be explored using the funding.
NIHR’s scientific director for innovation, Professor Mike Lewis, said: “Tackling acquired brain injury requires innovative thinking, and we’re delighted to be supporting so many exciting new projects via NIHR’s FAST funding scheme. We look forward to supporting these projects to unlock more effective treatments and improve patients’ outcomes at critical times in their lives.”
Wider trend: Innovation across health and care
A recent HTN panel discussion on the move from reactive to proactive care considered the future of proactive care and the role of emerging technologies. We were joined by experts from across the sector, including Dan Bunstone, clinical director at Warrington ICB; Patrick Denston, PCN digital transformation and change manager at Frimley ICB; Pete Thomas, CCIO and executive director of digital development at Moorfields Eye Hospital; and Joseph Waller, director at Aire Logic.
The EuroHeartPath project has been launched, with a €27 million budget spanning five years for 18 pioneering pathfinder studies focusing on AI and machine learning, digital health integration, point-of-care diagnostics, and advanced robotic technologies. Setting out to transform cardiovascular care by looking to map and optimise care pathways in 15 EU countries, the project reportedly brings together 35 partners from academia, industry and health, to advance cross-border learning and collaboration.
Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust is trialling a frailty virtual care programme, utilising tech to remotely monitor patients with long-term conditions in their own homes with the hopes of identifying early warning signs to prevent the need for more intensive support. Using the Graphnet Docobo platform to monitor patients remotely, the programme is a partnership initiative between Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust, FedBucks, and BOB ICB.
Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust has launched the Centre for Emergency Care and Global Health (CENT-EC Global), designed to foster international collaboration and innovation as a “direct and necessary response” to urgent challenges facing emergency departments across the country. Described by the trust as a “centre of academic excellence”, CENT-EC Global will focus on practical and scalable solutions, promoting digital innovation alongside frontline education and international partnerships to make emergency care safer and more equitable around the world.
