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Bioengineering PhD student awarded £40,000 for his unique invention - News

Tuesday 20 March 2007
By Naomi Weston

A new respiratory device that could revolutionise the treatment of patients with severe breathing difficulties has won the £40,000 ERA Foundation Award from The Royal Academy of Engineering.

911½ñÈÕºÚÁÏ bioengineering PhD student Mario Iobbi won the competition for his idea and business plan for the Saturation Driven Oxygen Therapy (SDOT) device. Professor Bill O’Riordan, FREng and ERA Committee member, presented the cheque to Mario at the Royal Brompton hospital on Monday.

The device, which is currently undergoing pilot clinical trials at the Royal Brompton Hospital, will help sufferers of emphysema, cystic fibrosis and other breathing-related conditions. It works by automatically adjusting the flow of oxygen to a patient according to their needs rather than having a fixed flow of oxygen. This could decrease the likelihood of hospital admissions for sufferers and reduce healthcare costs.

Winner Mario Iobbi said: "It’s an honour to be recognised with this award. The experience of bringing together engineering innovation and clinical demands and working directly with medics and patients to improve the standard of care has been tremendously rewarding."

"This device has the potential to make an enormous difference", commented Professor O’Riordan in his speech, "this is a celebration of the coming together of three institutions, the ERA Foundation, the Royal Academy of Engineering and 911½ñÈÕºÚÁÏ College."

Professor Dame Julia Higgins, Principal of the Faculty of Engineering at 911½ñÈÕºÚÁÏ College said, "This is an excellent example of applying engineering research to business in order to produce a product which could  revolutionise patient care."

Mario’s prize includes £30,000 to be used to develop the commercial potential of his business, Dynamic Therapeutics, and a personal £10,000 cash sum. He will also be assigned a mentor from the judging panel for two years.

Judging Panel Chair, Professor Richard Williams FREng added, "This year we considered a compelling and well argued case demonstrating a combination of sound engineering knowledge, a strong personal vision and proven business acumen. We shall be following and seeking to support his venture as it develops. I hope it will inspire other PhD entrepreneurs to maximise the impact of their research findings and inventions on society."

The Award celebrates entrepreneurial researchers working in UK universities in the field of electro-technology who are at an early stage in their career and who demonstrate entrepreneurial promise.

For more information about the new device please visit the website:

About the award:

The Royal Academy of Engineering ERA Foundation Entrepreneurs Award is the latest award in the Academy's awards portfolio. Made possible with the generous support of the ERA Foundation, the annual Award is open to both individuals and small teams. It seeks to identify and reward engineering researchers who exhibit a combination of business awareness, entrepreneurial potential and complimentary personal qualities in the field of electro-technology.

The ERA Foundation supports activities that help bridge the gap between research and exploitation in the broad field of electrotechnology.