A paediatric technology innovation network and pipeline

There is currently a lack of innovation in healthcare technologies for children, many of which are simply repurposed from adult technologies, with sub-optimal results. The focus over the past decades has been on tackling the biggest immediate health care costs related to long term conditions and the ageing population. Investing in technology and innovation to address unmet needs in healthcare for children will support health and wealth in the next generation. TITCH (Technology and Innovation Transforming Child Health) is a direct response to this lack of innovation in the paediatric space. It is a network of paediatric clinical specialists, technologists, designers, innovators and paediatric patient/parent representation groups focused on identification of both unmet need and best clinical practice. This network will lead to new product development collaborations, clinical evaluations and adoption through the AHSN community. Working alongside the NIHR Devices for Dignity Healthcare Technology Co-operative (D4D) and by using the established model, this network will stimulate innovation by working cross-sector to address the unmet needs, drawing on appropriate resources across the network from industry, academia, clinicians and patients. TITCH is aligned with the Innovation, Health and Wealth agenda and will stimulate economic growth in the Medical Devices sector. Our partners are from clinical, academia and industry. Our clinical partners are Sheffield Children’s Hospital, Royal Manchester Children’s Hospitals, Alder Hey Children’s Hospital, Birmingham Children's Hospital and Great Ormond Street Children’s Hospitals. TITCH will work with Medilink Y&H and TRUSTECH to develop our business interface and with D4D and Sheffield Hallam University to develop the innovation model. This core set of partners will work to develop a proposal intended to leverage long-term support for a dedicated paediatric infrastructure whilst delivering in the short term on specific adoption activities. A case study from TITCH focuses on NIV masks: Non-invasive ventilation (NIV) is the delivery of breathing support via a facemask. Evidence shows that, when used long-term, it improves both quality of life and life expectancy. Ventilation is delivered in the home through a mask covering the nose or the nose and mouth. A good fit with a seal between the mask and the patient’s face is essential to deliver the treatment effectively. Mass-produced masks are available for the adult market but in children it is often difficult to find a mask that provides an adequate seal. NIV masks are available commercially for standard-size adults and children but not for small infants and a good fit is difficult to obtain in children with facial dysmorphic syndromes At this workshop we will discuss an innovative use of 3D assessment and manufacturing technologies to deliver novel mask-face interfaces to optimise mask fit to the needs of individual patients. NIV interfaces for children can be designed to fit better and perform more effectively using a bespoke fabrication approach. This is achieved by designing and developing a custom made mask/interface prototype using 3D scanning and printing technology and to model an innovative service delivery plan. This is less 'invasive' than the French and US model in terms of applying materials and processes directly to the patients face (we are using non-contact scanning), less technically demanding on staff to fabricate and fit, and shows potential for roll out at a national level.