Leeds’ medical spin-out triumphs at IET Innovation Awards
Medical technologies company Creavo, set up by Professor Ben Varcoe, won two awards at the Institution of Engineering and Technology Innovation Awards for its cutting-edge cardiac imaging device.
Creavo Medical Technologies is an innovative British company developing diagnostics technology for acute medical settings. It was set up to commercialise technology developed at the University of Leeds by Professor Ben Varcoe, School of Physics and Astronomy.
Professor Varcoe’s cardiac imaging device was designed to revolutionise front-line patient triage for chest pain, offering better patient management as well as saving time and NHS resources.
Chest pain is one of the most common reasons for people to attend A&E – but as many as 75% of patients are not actually suffering from ischemic heart disease. However, many will still go through a lengthy, costly and resource-intensive process of diagnostic testing. Crucially, Professor Varcoe’s device could also help physicians accurately rule-out ischemic heart conditions in a matter of minutes.
Professor Varcoe explains: “For the first time, we have harnessed the technology into a battery-powered portable device that can be deployed directly to the patient’s bedside, meaning the potential rule out of certain cardiac conditions can become a much quicker process.”
We have harnessed technology... meaning the potential rule out of certain cardiac conditions can become a much quicker process.”
Creavo took home the awards in the Healthcare and Emerging Technology Design categories at the IET Innovation Awards, which took place on 15 November 2017 in London. This marks the technology’s potential to revolutionise emergency department triage of chest pain patients. The awards celebrate the very best in new innovations in science, engineering and technology, showcasing entries from around the world.
Creavo has celebrated much success this year, having also initiated rigorous multi-centre clinical trials in the UK, and raising an impressive totoal of £13.4m.
About Creavo’s cardiac imaging device
Creavo’s device uses magnetocardiography (MCG) to perform a non-invasive three to five-minute scan to detect abnormal patterns in the magnetic fields of the heart which reflect loss of oxygen to the heart muscle. This can help physicians accurately rule-out ischemic heart disease meaning that patients can go on to the most appropriate care pathway for their needs.
About Creavo Medical Technologies Ltd
Creavo Medical Technologies Ltd is a UK-based, privately held medical device company that is developing innovative diagnostic techniques. The company was formed in 2014 to bring to market ground-breaking technology developed by Professor Ben Varcoe, Chair of Quantum Information Science at Leeds University. It has facilities in Leeds and Coventry, UK.
Further information
For more information about Creavo Medical Technologies Ltd, visit their website.
For further details about the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) Innovation Awards, view their website.
