Ulster University
Keywords: Innovation, Healthcare technology, algorithm development, machine learning, defibrillator, predictive analysis, edge-AI; IoT.
Sector: digital and technologies, life sciences
Project lead: Professor James McLaughlin, Professor of Biomedical Engineering. Principal Investigator.
Project collaborators: Professor James McLaughlin; Professor John Anderson (d.2012); Professor Dewar Finlay; Professor Omar Escalona; Dr Daniel Guldenring; Dr Patrick Lemoine; Dr Raymond Bond; Randox Laboratories; CIGA Healthcare; Intelesens
Issues addressed by the project
The development of globally relevant digital healthcare technologies for the benefit of patients (via self-use) and the economy is a core theme in this project, and several other projects within Ulster University’s Engineering research portfolio. The development of healthcare sensor systems is unique in its ability to deliver on the entire technology stack required in the development of end-to-end, ‘sensor-to-diagnosis’, healthcare technology devices. These R&D activities range from the design, development, and fabrication of physical sensing electrodes to the development of software algorithms for highly accurate automated therapies, diagnosis and decision support.
Having a patient-centric approach to this project addresses a range of issues within the healthcare system and global healthcare challenges that are widely recognised such as aging populations, increased chronic conditions such as heart disease and a mental health crisis. Having a healthcare system that is under-resourced and over-demanded is increasing the amount of pressure on healthcare service delivery.
By shifting early intervention and personalised medical information to people, this project is providing the digital tools to give individuals more data, control and decision-making allows people to make lifestyle choices to improve their health and wellbeing.
Intelligent use of sensor to diagnosis processes provides healthcare staff access to digital tools improves clinical efficiencies, improves accurate diagnosis and the allocation of appropriate healthcare treatment. Research in sensors technologies is addressing the issue of patient waiting lists, reduces pressure on staff as testing and decisions are quicker and patient care is improved with more accurate treatments being decided on.
Creating and integrating technology research to create monitoring equipment has led to economic outputs such as spin-out company generation, increased levels of local GPD, improved levels of innovation activity, job and wealth creation due to new products sales.
Future impact of the project
Globally recognised healthcare challenges are a current issue and will remain as such, if not worsen, without interventions and creating change. Research now is needed to invest in solutions that will create change and healthcare improvements through new ways of treating people and new behaviours to limit and reduce chronic illnesses.
The project adopted Artificial Intelligence, data analytics and data science techniques early on, to help address challenges in improving the signal quality in mobile cardiac monitoring systems. This work included the analysis of large datasets to identify patterns that helped to identify the best recording site/electrode positions for recording ECGs in the context of various cardiac abnormalities.
The commercialisation of this cardiovascular monitoring technology has had beneficial impact on health costs and patients’ lives on a global scale over the past seven years, and for the future years building on this technology and making it more efficient and effective.
Transformational changes were made to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) protocols and standards based on ECG data analytics work preformed in Ulster University. Development of an algorithm to transform data from one ECG recording format to another to determine the potential cardiac risk of newly developed drugs was explored between Ulster and the FDA. The results of the research provided an algorithm to be more accurate than the existing state of the art methods. As a result of this activity, Ulster’s algorithm has now been fully adopted by the FDA and used for computing ECG biomarkers in drug trials, which provides more accurate predictions for patients and future patients, improving interventions and saving lives.
Across the activity within the technology stack, to a fully commercialised product there is a continued understanding of materials, processes and biological sciences. This knowledge is shared and integrated into emerging research areas to continually evolve to be able to respond to current, future and predicted healthcare needs.
Place-based local and regional benefits
Healthcare Sensor Systems and Health Technology Solutions within Ulster University uses the local and regional knowledge, expertise and equipment to conduct its work. Whilst carried out locally, the project seeks to respond to regional and international challenges.
This project has resulted in the growth of the £9.3M industry-focused Connected Health Innovation Centre (CHIC) established at Ulster, the EUR8.4M Eastern Corridor Medical Engineering Centre (ECME), the £7M industry-focused Biodevices Rapid Prototyping Laboratory and the showcasing of the research on the global stage through the team’s 3rd place success in the XPRIZE Tricoder competition.
The research has importantly resulted in the sale of the successful Ulster spin-out company Intelesens to Ultralinq. This occurred not long after the sale of HeartSine to Stryker which started via spin out based defibrillator capability
Working in collaboration with CIGA Healthcare, a local healthcare company, on the development of a platform for biomarker analysis using a mobile phone app that connects to an automated handheld lateral flow reader. This work has led to CIGA Healthcare developing its own in-house testing capabilities, increasing the innovative capacity of the firm and making them more competitive. Having a stronger business locally provides a more productive company that increases local gross value added rates, increases local employment, and improves economical and societal outcomes due to better standards of living being achieved within the region.
The research partnerships within Ulster University and businesses such as CIGA Healthcare has brought involved in regional and nationally significant working groups and consortia, such as the UK Rapid Test Consortium (UK-RTC) in July 2020. This consortium has overseen the development and introduction of the Government’s COVID-19 rapid testing strategy. Ulster input, in the form of expertise in development of point-of-care sensors, validation of tests and lateral flow technology has been integral to these developments.
Continuous development and creating a world-class reputation, has created an ecosystem in digital healthcare that has regionally attracted further investment into a new £42M Centre for Digital Healthcare Technologies (CDHT). This encompasses innovation space, living labs and proto-typing capability to accelerate ABC relationships.
Driving MedTech innovation in Northern Ireland’s growing Life and Health Sciences sector, contributes £1.2 billion GVA and supports 19,500 jobs. In partnership with the Belfast Health and Social Care Trust, CDHT has created an innovation ecosystem of community and clinical living labs to co-design, develop, and commercialise digital health solutions; whilst improving patient outcomes, addressing health inequalities, and generating £32.3 million in annualised GVA. Operating across Northern Ireland and internationally, CDHT works with academic and industry partners including Randox, Almac, Stryker, BT, and PWC on R&D in AI, data analytics, and digital transformation, contributing to over 1,200 new jobs through FDI and indirect growth.
National and global benefits
World leading research in Connected Health has allowed for impactful outcomes through establishment of the NI Connected Health Innovation Centre (CHIC) to support business-led collaborative projects. The funding model is competence centre based and CHIC was the first approved NI centre of its type and is the only centre focused on healthcare. During the reporting period CHIC has now grown to include a team of over 12 researchers who provide support to approximately 40 partner companies both local and international.
Engagement with Ulster through CHIC has led to benefits to companies across a range of healthcare technology sub-disciplines. Examples include collaboration with Randox Laboratories on a project that has demonstrated a framework to reduce hospital admissions due to Acute Myocardial Infarction (AMI) by 36%. This was achieved by combining in-depth knowledge of point-of-care sensing systems with novel data science techniques to eliminate false positives in the diagnosis of AMI. This has informed the approach to risk stratification of patients resulting in more efficient use of resources within the healthcare system.
The development of healthcare sensor systems and digital healthcare technologies within a university setting, and the knowledge gained through research activities are shared amongst the academic community through openly published material, presentations and events to share, when appropriate, new and exciting discoveries. Research is required to be impactful, accessible, and to serve the community in which the research is conducted, this is achieved through public engagement activities such as NI Science Festivals, schools programmes, newsletters, websites and so on.
In addition to published scientific outputs, Ulster’s researchers have made a significant contribution to the International Health Technology Knowledge Base using strategic and international Scientific Committees and Boards, these include MATRIX NI and Innovate UK; KTN Healthcare Technology Board; Cardiology Board of Directors Appointment and International Society for Computerised Electrocardiology, and involvement in the UK Rapid Test Consortium (UK-RTC).
Further investment has allowed for leveraging of more research activity that builds regional capacity, upskilling talent, and improves the outputs of digital health technology-based innovation. Ultimately the outcomes of the project in the form of commercialised products and services are offered across the world to improve patient care and improve patient outcomes.
Level of investment and timescale
The time to market within the Health Technology sector is acknowledged to be slow due to regulations, clinical trials, scaling production and so on. Investments are recognising this and research facilities are being designed and built in a way to mitigate some of these commercialisation hurdles. One example of how this research has directly informed this is the Centre for Digital Healthcare Technologies (CDHT), offering a research and development incubation approach to address timescale concerns.
Healthcare Sensor Systems and Health Technology Solutions to address global challenges such as access to healthcare, workforce shortages, increased cases of chronic disease and a mental health crisis depend on breakthrough discoveries. These are only possible through research to create advancements in therapies, medical devices and how healthcare systems operate to shift the needle on the level of the impact of these healthcare issues.
Healthcare expenditure is significant, projected to be $10trillion by 2025. Expenditure by nations on solutions can be more efficient if research is carried out on safe, viable technological solutions that would reduce the increasing costs of healthcare. Investing in public health challenges extends beyond making profits and creates value that is not possible from elsewhere, such as the responses to global pandemics.
Investment is essential to help identify solutions for diseases that have no current treatments available for patients, such as rare cancers, or Alzheimer’s. Technologies can create digital twin environments for testing, reduce the speed of deterioration through new solutions, that would be otherwise not be possible.
Certain areas within Health Technology Solutions are advancing quickly such as AI and precision medicine, the speed of medical discoveries is unpredictable. Investment in new discoveries is essential so there are not missed opportunities for new solutions, or missed commercialisation opportunities too.
From a global perspective, investment into telemedicine and digital health systems is essential to provide healthcare solutions to underserved populations, this not only provides equality to the right to healthcare, but from an economic perspective allows new markets for deployment of existing digital products and services.
Risk vs reward
Investment in research is always carefully considered that projects are aligned with local, regional and internationally relative policy and strategic direction. Most applications for projects need to articulate this, as well as clearly demonstrate the impact of the work. The risks involved are considered in terms of risk analysis and mitigating actions introduced.
The rewards for research within the Health Technologies are comparatively higher than other sectors, including high commercial return for new products, given the size of the market explained earlier. The sector is less impacted by economic and demand cycles with a steady state of need and clear direction of global issues to address. Healthcare is a global concern with innovation applicable to large markets across the world.
Lastly, healthcare brings collaboration opportunities across public and private organisations, where the government brings partnerships and funding opportunities. Government back programmes and strategic direction strengthens the work carried out in the research and development projects as they become integrated into regional action plans, mitigating risk of projects and improving reward outcomes.
Further aspects
Our work has strong fundamental and discovery-based science and engineering labs that take on a multidisciplinary foundation thus allowing us to meet the clinical unment need with quality and timely concepts.
A strong Academic-Business-Company collaborative environment via place-based clustering has also created a can do, co-creation culture that has led to high quality sustainable innovation and commercial success.
HeartSine now employ 350 staff; Intelesens 40 staff and SiSaf around 20 staff. With new pipelines being developed and new companies developing such as PulseAI, BDIC etc. The original vision of NIBEC is being well realised.
