Sheikh Zayed Institute and A. James Clark School award US$250,000 to six innovators

ABU DHABI, 23rd March, 2016 (WAM) -- The National Capital Consortium for Paediatric Device Innovation, NCC-PDI, Competition, led by the Sheikh Zayed Institute for Paediatric Surgical Innovation at the Children’s National Medical Centre in Washington, DC, and the A. James Clark School of Engineering at the University of Maryland, have awarded a total of US$250,000 (AED918,000+) in grant money to six paediatric medical device innovations that addressed a significant, yet unmet paediatric need. The FDA-funded consortium’s third annual NCC-PDI competition awarded US$50,000 to four companies and US$25,000 to two companies. The winning innovations to receive US$50,000 awards were the Children’s National Medical Centre, for a single incision delivery tool for epicardial pacing and defibrillation that eliminates the need for a highly invasive open chest procedure; the Baylor College of Medicine/Texas Children’s Hospital, Houston, Texas, for a customisable 3D printed paediatric vaginal stent and vaginal dilator for use in girls born with congenital abnormalities; the Benevolent Technologies for Health, Woburn, Mass. for a prosthetic socket liner for paediatric patients to achieve a comfortable fit in less time; and to Sensory Innovations Solutions, Riverside, Calif. for a non-invasive vibratory paediatric breathing stimulator for patients with apnea and periodic breathing issues. The two winning innovations to each receive US$25,000 awards were: a minimally invasive correction system for patients with a spinal deformity known as Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis (AIS), and a non-invasive handheld device using retinal bi-refringence scanning (RBS) to rapidly assess vision abnormalities associated with concussive head injuries in children. "It’s an honour to award these incredible innovations with this funding," said Kolaleh Eskandanian, PhD., Executive Director of NCC-PDI and the Sheikh Zayed Institute for Paediatric Surgical Innovation. "In addition to funding, we will make the Sheikh Zayed Institute’s expertise available for paediatric product development and help bring these devices to children faster." She added that the federal funds awarded can also be leveraged to raise the additional capital needed for full commercialisation. Kurt Newman, MD, President and CEO of Children's National Medical Centre, echoed Dr. Eskandanian sentiments, saying, "Because the nature of the paediatric medical device market is more niche and specialised than that of medical devices designed for adults, these types of initiatives are essential for fast-tracking the development of ground-breaking innovations that could change the way we approach paediatric care. Leading this competition is just one of the many ways the Sheikh Zayed Institute continues to demonstrate the importance of paediatric medical innovation, and reflects the shared vision we have with the UAE on improving the health of children worldwide." A total of 37 submissions were received for the competition. Winners were chosen from 12 finalists who each made a five-minute presentation and then responded to judges' questions. NCC-PDI was formed in September 2013 through the FDA’s Paediatric Device Consortia Grant Programme to provide infrastructure support and expert consultation on paediatric medical device development throughout the development lifecycle, concept formation, prototyping, preclinical, clinical, manufacturing, marketing, and commercialisation. To date, NCC-PDI has assisted 51 paediatric device projects. The establishment of the Sheikh Zayed Institute was made possible through a generous gift of US$150 million to the Children’s National Medical Centre from the Government of Abu Dhabi. Since then, the Sheikh Zayed Institute has launched more than 40 different projects to transform paediatric surgery. Those projects are grouped into three major initiatives: bioengineering, immunology and molecular biology, and pain medicine. – Emirates News Agency, WAM - http://www.wam.ae/en/news/emirates/1395293216849.html