Smart Solutions winner announced

Nine products have been selected as winners in the competition to find new ways to help combat healthcare associated infections (HCAIs).
They have been chosen from around 250 applications submitted to the Smart Solutions for HCAI programme, which aimed to identify innovative technologies from different industry sectors with the potential to fight hospital bugs. The winning products will all be evaluated in a hospital setting beginning soon, with a view to supplying them across the NHS if they prove to be effective.
The successful products, and the companies behind them, are:
• UV lighting equipment range - UV Light Technology Ltd • Medixair - GE Healthcare • The AD (air disinfection unit) - Inov8 Science Ltd • AirManager, driven by Close Coupled Field Technology (CCFT) - Quest International (UK) Ltd • Recombinase Polymerase Amplification - TwistDx • MedMat - Ergomedica • Liquid glass layering technology - Nanopool • Formula 429 and Formula 429 plus - Chemspec Europe • V-link luer-activated device with VitalShield protective coating - Baxter Healthcare Applications were received from across the UK and from Ireland, Holland, Italy, Germany, France, Canada and the US. They were screened by an expert review panel consisting of leading academics, nurses and other infection control specialists. Around 30 hospitals have applied to host evaluations.
Smart Solutions for HCAI is a national programme run by TrusTECH, the North West of England NHS Innovation Hub, on behalf of the NHS Purchasing and Supply Agency (NHS PASA) and supported by the NHS National Innovation Centre.
Bryan Griffiths, Smart Solutions for HCAI project director, said:
“Response to the project has been overwhelming and judges have been extremely impressed by the high standard of entries. They have had to make some difficult decisions in choosing the winners. In our mission to find new solutions to HCAIs, we have looked at a wide array of industry sectors. The final list includes some of the most innovative products in their field and will hopefully provide us with new weapons in the fight against HCAIs in the future.”