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A timely remedy

A new invention to alert medical staff that treatments are nearing their expiry date is being developed by the University of Wolverhampton.
 
University spin-out company Unibyte Ltd. Has won a grant of £25,000 from the Technology Transfer Fund to investigate medical applications for its unique ‘tag and time’ technology.
 
The grant will be used to finance research into the suitability of the innovative device for monitoring medical products, such as eye-drop solution, which becomes unsafe to use a relatively short period of time after opening.
 
The company has also completed a collaboration agreement with a consumer products company, leading to a licence for its technology.

Important potential for medical market

Andrew Pollard, from the Caparo Innovation Centre at the University, explains: “The system includes a digital display identifying medications that are close to expiry based on simple tags that are attached to each package. There are international patent applications pending.
 
“This is a potentially significant product for the medical market and the University is delighted to be working alongside the inventors on developing such an important device.”
 
The device could be used by a variety of medical practitioners who store and administer treatments and health products.
 
Unibyte Ltd. was created out of the efforts of the Caparo Innovation Centre, who developed the technology in conjunction with inventors Iain Todd and Geoff Archer, who remain Directors of Unibyte Ltd. The University of Wolverhampton has a shareholding in Unibyte Ltd.
 
The Caparo Innovation Centre (CIC), a joint venture between the University and steel multinational Caparo Plc, was established in 2003 with the aim of helping inventors to transform new product ideas into commercial products.
 
Based at Wolverhampton Science Park, the CIC team comprises engineering, product development and marketing professionals, who work with the inventor to strengthen the business for exciting new product ideas. For more information, email: cic@wlv.ac.uk  or visit: www.help4inventors.co.uk