NEWS

SHIL have been successful in CE marking the Illuminated Retractor, a revolutionary device that allows excellent illumination on surgical cavities. The retractor is a disposable surgical instrument that eliminates the problem of 'shadowing' caused by over head light sources. .Protected by patent, the retractor is about to go trials in the hands of surgeons, providing them with a solution to an age old problem. To request further information please click This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

SHIL are delighted to announce that Mr Alex Neil MSP, Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing, has been confirmed as the keynote speaker at the 8th Technology Showcase.

The event takes place on the 23rd May 2013 at the Stirling Innovation Park and promises to be an extremely interesting day.

The Scottish Government Publication “Health and Wealth in Scotland: a Statement of Intent for Innovation and Health” has a vision of Scotland as a “world leading centre for innovation in health through partnership, working between Government, NHS SCOTLAND, industry and the research community”. This recognises that exciting new patient care technology can begin in many places: with front line healthcare staff, academic researchers or industry. The current healthcare market is undergoing a paradigm change. This event will focus on the changes in patient care, and also provide practical assistance in developing and commercialising innovative technologies, including access to finance.

To register please follow the link http://tinyurl.com/d36rkld

Or email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or call 01786 448333 for more information.

 2013 Convergent Technology Showcase (635.6 kB)

A group of researchers from NHS Tayside, the University of Dundee, and several other research institutions, has been awarded £5M in grant funding from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), to investigate and develop ultrasound-in-a-pill.

The pill, dubbed 'Sonopill' has the potential to allow minimally-invasive diagnosis and even treatment of a range of gastrointestinal disorders. Patients simply swallow the device, which transmits ultrasound images as it passess through the gastrointestinal tract. Professor Sandy Cochran, leader of the collaborative research group, explains further:

"The principal current method of examining problems within the gastrointestinal tract is endoscopy, which is very uncomfortable and requires a high-level of clinical skill. So-called 'pillcams' are a developing area of medical technology which have already benefitted more than one million patients. What we want to do is develop that technology further to include ultrasound, for the first time seeing beyond the surface of the gastrointestinal tract into the tissue itself. This will bring significant diagnostic benefits for patients. We also want to explore treatment with such pills."

SHIL provided support for the successful grant application, and we are looking forward to working with the research group to help commercialise the technology once it is ready.

Managing Healthcare through Innovation - The Patient Journey

Thursday 23rd May 2013, Stirling Management Centre, Stirling University Campus

The Scottish Government Publication “Health and Wealth in Scotland: a Statement of Intent for Innovation and Health” has a vision of Scotland as a “world leading centre for innovation in health through partnership, working between Government, NHS SCOTLAND, industry and the research community”. This recognises that exciting new patient care technology can begin in many places: with front line healthcare staff, academic researchers or industry. The current healthcare market is undergoing a paradigm change. This event will focus on the changes in patient care, and also provide practical assistance in developing and commercialising innovative technologies, including access to finance. Come and join us in the Patient Journey.

Keynote Speaker

· Scottish Government Representative (TBC)

Speakers

· Professor Terry Gourlay - University of Strathclyde

· Janette Hughes - Programme Manager for Living it up (Dallas Scotland) NHS 24

· Michael Cockerham

· Dr Mark Bustard - Technical Director, Medical Biotechnology HealthTech and Medicines KTN

Interactive Question Time Panel chaired by Professor Terry Gourlay.

Conference Cost

· Delegate Cost: £35 +VAT (Free to NHS Scotland)

· Showcase Cost: £120 +VAT per company (includes 2 free delegate passes)

To register visit and for further information including full conference programme please click here.

Please email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or call 01786 448333 for more information.

 2013 Convergent Technology Showcase (635.6 kB)

The annual Scottish Life Sciences Dinner took place on the 7th February at the Edinburgh International Conference Centre. Over 700 people from the global life sciences community attended and the night was a great success.

Photograph - Heleen Kist (Chair of SHIL), Jim Mguire (SHIL), Gavin Venters (NSS) and Thomas Hartung (NHS Fife)

The awards honoured companies and individuals for their contributions to the Life Sciences sector.

Awards;

• Best New Life Science Company - i2eye Diagnostics
• Innovation Award - DySIS Medical Limited
• Life Sciences Business Leadership - Brian Bathgate, Charles River
• Investment of the Year - Joint winners, NuCana BioMed Limited based Edinburgh and GlaxoSmithKline based in Irvine and Montrose
• Commercial Collaboration Award - Advanced Pest Solutions/ Branston Abernathy
• Community Engagement Award- LifeScan Scotland Limited

SHIL award

This year SHIL had nominated three projects for consideration for the SHIL award. The SHIL award recognises the most innovative ideas coming out of the NHS in Scotland. The nominations were; Asthma Monitoring Software (Thomas Hartung NHS Fife, Gavin Venters NSS and Suzane Brannan), Aurum GOLD (Dr Celestine Santosh and Dr David Brennan NHS GGHB) and No Delays (Andrew Fowlie and Jamie Hogg NHS Grampian).

After careful consideration the judging panel had selected Aurum GOLD as the winner. 

Photograph- Alex Neil MSP, Dr David Brennan, Dr Celestine Santosh and Rhona Allison

GOLD is a novel oxygen carrier and proprietary software for use with MRI, initially for Acute Ischaemic Stroke known as AIS. 

The technology has both diagnostic and theraputic capabilites and can deliver oxygen to parts of the brain following a stroke to help protect patients from further tissue damage.

It also allows for improved imaging of damaged brain tissue to enable a more accurate diagnosis. The software, to be used with MRI scanners, can allow physicians to more accurately select the best steps for treatment.

Photograph - Jim McGuire (SHIL) and winners Dr Celestine Santosh and Dr David Brennan

SHIL’s relocation to the West House on the Gartnavel Campus has seen the team curious to find out more about their new surroundings. The Victorian building that now houses SHIL was originally constructed in order to relocate The Glasgow Lunatic Asylum from their premises in Parliamentary Road in 1843.

A view of Glasgow Royal Lunatic Asylum at Gartnavel, photographed from Great Western Road c 1890.

The buildings were designed by Charles Wilson to allow segregation both by gender and social class: the West House was for private patients and the separate East House was for paupers.

It has an imposing, castellated, Tudor-style façade. Considered a model asylum, it provided a standard for subsequent asylums and, after the 1857 Lunacy (Scotland) Act was passed, its design was chosen by the Board of Lunacy for early District Asylums.

Towards the end of the 19th century the proportion of pauper lunatics at Gartnavel began to decline as parochial asylums were opened. The two buildings were finally connected in 1877 and further substantial extensions were added in 1937 and 1959.

In 1931 the Glasgow Royal Lunatic Asylum was renamed the Glasgow Royal Mental Hospital. It was renamed Gartnavel Royal Hospital in 1963. Gartnavel General Hospital was built in the grounds, 1968-1973.

The East House then fell into disrepair and is currently condemned

The modernisation of Gartnavel Royal was completed in 2007 and today a new 117-bed hospital building serves a significant population of Glaswegian inpatients, along with mental health facilities at Stobhill Hospital and Parkhead Hospital

Notable alumni of the former hospital include Donald Ewen Cameron who worked at the hospital during the 1920s and R. D. Laing worked at the hospital for a number of years during the 1950s.

It was also the subject of one of the earliest, and most famous psychiatric patient memoirs: "The philosophy of insanity : by a late inmate of the Glasgow Royal asylum for lunatics at Gartnavel", published in 1860.