Tag: #clinical

Global tech innovators selected for Isle of Man Innovation Challenge

Health and social care systems around the world are evolving rapidly, facing increasing demand, workforce pressures and more complex patient needs. The Isle of Man is no different, and like many places, it is looking for practical, adoptable solutions that can make a genuine difference to the people and communities it serves.

The Isle of Man is taking a proactive approach, creating a unique environment where new ideas can be tested, refined and delivered in real-world settings.

What sets the Island apart is its ability to move quickly. Its scale, integrated systems, and close collaboration between government, clinicians, regulators and industry create a genuinely distinctive environment for developing and applying innovation.

This is the foundation of the Innovation Challenge, now in its fourth year, and this year’s programme has attracted its strongest response to date.

Sixteen global innovators have been selected from 125 entries submitted across 25 countries, following a record 467 registrations. Each finalist was assessed by frontline health and care professionals for their potential to address genuine system needs.

The Challenge is led by Digital Isle of Man and the Department for Enterprise, and delivered in partnership with the Department of Health and Social Care, Manx Care and Public Health Isle of Man.

The finalists are developing solutions spanning AI-powered clinical tools, digital platforms, preventative health technologies and community-based care models, reflecting both the scale of the challenge and the opportunity to deliver meaningful impact.

The high calibre and diversity of this year’s cohort reflects the strength of innovation emerging globally to support the future of health and care.

Over the next ten weeks, finalists will take part in an intensive contextualisation programme, working in collaboration with healthcare stakeholders to refine and adapt their solutions through workshops, expert input and real-world Island insight.

They will receive tailored one-to-one mentoring from clinicians and care providers, alongside support from the Island’s tech and business community, with opportunities to connect with local organisations as they develop their solutions ahead of the Finale Day in June.

The programme will culminate in a live Finale Day on 25 June 2026, where finalists will present their solutions to a panel of expert judges, industry leaders and healthcare professionals.

Awards will be presented across three core themes: Working Smarter, Wellness and Home First, alongside a dedicated Biosphere Award.

The Biosphere Award recognises the solution that best reflects the Isle of Man’s status as the world’s first whole-nation UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, celebrating innovation that supports a sustainable balance between environment, community and economic development. It reflects an approach to innovation which is grounded in the Island’s values, and distinctively ‘Manx’.

The Isle of Man’s unique position, combining an integrated healthcare system, agile regulation and close collaboration across the public and private sectors, continues to make it an attractive destination for innovators looking to test and scale solutions in a real-world environment.

Claire Christian MHK, Minister for Health and Social Care, said:

‘The calibre of this year’s finalists is exceptionally high and underlines the Isle of Man’s growing position as a centre for health innovation.

‘Through the Innovation Challenge, we are taking a proactive and practical leadership role in bringing together government, clinicians and global innovators to address some of the most pressing challenges facing our health and social care system.

‘By testing these solutions in a real-world environment, we are ensuring that innovation is translated into meaningful impact, both for our Island and beyond.

‘I look forward to seeing the breadth of ideas and talent showcased by this year’s cohort at the Finale Day and the impact they will go on to deliver.’

Lyle Wraxall, Chief Executive of Digital Isle of Man, said:

‘This year’s response has been exceptional, not just in volume, but in the quality and ambition of ideas coming forward.

‘We’re seeing a global recognition that health and social care systems need to evolve rapidly, and that innovation must be grounded in real-world application.

‘The Innovation Challenge provides a unique platform to do exactly that, bringing together innovators and system leaders to co-create solutions that can genuinely improve lives.’

More information: http://www.innovationiom.com

VR Headsets May Make Dry Eye Less Likely

Virtual reality (VR) use is often linked to reduced blinking, raising concerns about dry eye. This study examined the ocular surface during a 30-minute VR gaming session using a compact imaging system to observe the tear film in real time. Over the session, the tear film’s lipid-layer interference grade increased, indicating thickening of the lipid layer. Under these experimental conditions, this change may be associated with a lower likelihood of dry eye during VR use.

Virtual reality (VR) gaming has gained significant attention in recent years, with an increasing number of users integrating VR and immersive headsets into their daily lives. These devices provide highly immersive visuals, creating a strong sense of presence and disconnection from the real world even playing games like 2up.io crypto casino, However, concerns have been raised about the effects of prolonged VR use—especially at short viewing distances—on eye health and its potential link to dry eye disease, an ocular condition characterized by tear film instability.

The tear film is a dynamic, multilayered system composed of lipid and aqueous layers that work together to protect and lubricate the eye. Excessive exposure to visual display systems can disrupt this balance, causing tear film instability, leading to discomfort in the eye. While previous studies have examined tear film stability before and after VR headset use, real-time changes in tear film behavior during VR headset use have remained unexplored.

To address this issue, Associate Professor Yoshiro Okazaki from Waseda University, Japan, and Visiting Professor Dr. Norihiko Yokoi from the Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Japan, designed a novel method using VR headsets with an ultra-compact camera for real-time observation of tear film dynamics. Their article, published in Volume 15 of Scientific Reports on September 26, 2025, offers the first real-time data on how tear film dynamics change over the duration of a VR session. “In a digital world where many people worry about eye comfort, we were motivated by the lack of real-time data on what happens to the tear film during VR use,” says Okazaki.

The researchers designed a VR headset with an integrated ultra-compact camera system that allowed noninvasive observation of the tear film during a VR session. 14 healthy participants played a VR game for 30 minutes while the built-in camera monitored changes in their tear film lipid layer interference pattern at baseline and every five minutes during brief pauses.

As the gameplay progressed, researchers noted a significant increase in the interference grade of the tear film lipid layer, consistent with its thickening. Additionally, the corneal and upper eyelid temperatures increased significantly after the VR session. These findings suggest that the periocular warming inside the headset may have led to the thickening of the tear film lipid layer. A previous study has demonstrated that an increase in lipid-layer thickness, induced by elevated temperature, is associated with enhanced tear film stability. Therefore, it is essential that the present study elucidates whether similar stabilization of the tear film occurs under the experimental conditions employed.

According to Okazaki, “While not intended as a health claim, our findings provide insights into how the thermal environment inside VR headsets may influence tear film behavior.” He further notes, “This is useful not just for the users but also for the headset designers who are involved in developing future VR systems.”

However, the study’s observations were limited to healthy participants, leaving open questions about whether similar results would be seen in individuals with dry eye disease or meibomian gland dysfunction. The study also did not include a non-headset control group. Okazaki notes that they plan to expand the research to include clinical populations and appropriate controls.

For now, these findings provide valuable early insights for both VR users and developers. While the study does not address treatment or preventive strategies, the results may inform future headset design and usage considerations related to eye comfort and health.

OxygenCare expands Digital Healthcare offering with Medanets

OxygenCare is delighted to announce the introduction of the Medanets integrated Point of Care Nursing app to its ever-expanding Digital Healthcare solutions portfolio. The collaboration brings together two companies with a shared vision for improving patient care through innovative digital healthcare solutions.

Stephen Nicholson, Digital Health Manager, OxygenCare, explains: “Medanets simplifies nursing routines, supports decision making, complements and integrates with EHR systems, and releases time to care for patients.’ The CE and MDR certified app was developed in collaboration with healthcare professionals.

OxygenCare is a multi-award-winning, family-owned business with over 50 years supporting healthcare throughout the island of Ireland.

“Their dedicated digital health team and prior experience in delivering complex ICU and anaesthesia systems make them an deal partner for us,” says Medanets CEO Juha-Matti Ranta. “On top of that, their deep market knowledge and the impression made by their team further solidified our confidence in this partnership. It seems we are a natural fit in both values and working style.”

For over 30 years, OxygenCare has been transforming digital healthcare through clinical systems and working with innovative products and solutions throughout Ireland. The Medanets integrated nursing app supports point-of-care documentation and immediate access to key patient data, making it a natural fit with OxygenCare’s digital portfolio.

Combining OxygenCare’s connectivity solutions with Medanets’ mobile solutions can provide significant added value both to organisations already using an electronic health record (EHR) and to hospitals beginning their digital journey.

“We can offer healthcare providers a fast-track way to modernise operations, even in settings where an EHR is not yet in place. For instance, Medanets supports “lightweight IT” approaches such as sending PDFs directly to a document archive—a direct impactful step forward in digital empowerment,” Ranta explains.

Maurice Moran, Managing Director of OxygenCare, adds: “This Medanets offering complements our portfolio, and we see strong market potential. Together, we are currently conducting exploratory efforts in the market to identify opportunities and tailor our approach to local needs. Through this new partnership, all care phases can be managed digitally through a single provider. This partnership marks a promising step toward improving healthcare outcomes in Ireland and underscores the strength of collaboration in driving innovation forward.”

Clinical Trials in Rare Diseases: Overcoming the Barriers to Recruitment and Data Collection

Conducting clinical trials for rare diseases presents unique challenges that differ significantly from those for more common conditions. With limited patient populations, geographical dispersion, and unique clinical presentations, the path to gathering meaningful data and securing enough participants can be difficult. However, advancements in digital technology, innovative recruitment methods, and collaborations with patient advocacy groups are helping to overcome these barriers. For patients with rare diseases, these innovations represent hope for new treatments and therapies, often where none previously existed.

Barriers to Recruitment in Rare Disease Trials

One of the most significant barriers to conducting clinical trials for rare diseases is the small patient population. By definition, rare diseases affect fewer than 200,000 people in the United States, and many affect even fewer individuals. This limited pool makes it difficult to recruit enough participants to conduct statistically meaningful studies.

Geographical barriers also complicate recruitment efforts. Patients with rare diseases may be scattered across large regions or even different countries, making it challenging to bring participants to a central research site. Traveling long distances to participate in trials can be burdensome, especially for those who are already dealing with complex, debilitating conditions. Moreover, many rare disease patients may not be aware of the existence of clinical trials due to the limited public awareness and resources surrounding these conditions.

Additionally, the diversity of symptoms and disease progression patterns in rare diseases can make it harder to design standardized protocols that fit every patient’s experience. Researchers often need to adapt trial designs to accommodate these variabilities, but doing so can add complexity and time to the process. As a result, finding the right balance between inclusivity and specificity in participant criteria becomes a critical challenge. Utilizing clinical trial recruitment services can help address these challenges by connecting researchers with eligible patients more efficiently. These services also play a key role in minimizing geographic and logistical barriers to participation.

Innovations in Patient Recruitment

To address these challenges, technology-driven solutions are emerging to help improve patient recruitment in clinical trials. One such solution is Evidation, a digital health platform that uses real-world data to identify and engage potential trial participants. Evidation leverages data to find patients who may qualify for specific trials, allowing researchers to more effectively target recruitment efforts.

By using real-time health data and personalized insights, platforms help streamline the recruitment process, especially in rare disease trials where patients are often geographically dispersed and difficult to identify. This approach reduces the reliance on traditional recruitment methods, such as clinic-based outreach, which may not reach the full range of eligible participants. In turn, it increases the likelihood of recruiting a diverse, engaged, and representative patient pool.

Additionally, digital platforms help minimize the burden on patients by allowing them to participate in decentralized trials. Instead of requiring patients to visit a central research site, remote monitoring tools enable them to participate from their homes. This not only expands the geographic reach of trials but also makes participation more feasible for patients who might otherwise be unable to join due to travel or health limitations.

Addressing Data Collection Challenges

Data collection in rare disease trials can also be challenging due to the variability in disease symptoms and progression. However, innovations in wearable devices and mobile health apps are helping to collect real-time, continuous data, providing a more comprehensive picture of how treatments impact patients over time. These tools capture valuable information that might be missed during intermittent clinic visits, allowing researchers to track subtle changes in patients’ conditions that are critical to understanding treatment efficacy.

Patient registries and natural history studies are another valuable resource for rare disease trials. These databases collect information on patients with specific rare diseases, offering insights into disease progression and natural variability. By incorporating registry data into clinical trials, researchers can establish more accurate baseline measures and identify trends that may influence trial outcomes.

Collaborating with patient advocacy groups is another strategy that can significantly enhance data collection. These organizations are often deeply connected to their communities and can provide critical insights into patient experiences, challenges, and unmet needs. By involving advocacy groups in trial design and recruitment efforts, researchers can ensure that the trial reflects the real-world experiences of rare disease patients, leading to more meaningful and relevant data collection.

Conclusion

Overcoming the barriers to recruitment and data collection in rare disease clinical trials requires innovation, collaboration, and a patient-centric approach. The use of real-time monitoring technologies are transforming the way researchers identify and engage participants, making clinical trials more accessible to those with rare conditions. By embracing these technologies and working closely with patient advocacy groups, researchers can continue to push the boundaries of what’s possible in rare disease research, bringing new treatments and hope to those who need them most.

 

Canadian Biotechnology Company Zymeworks to establish a Clinical and Regulatory Operations European Headquarters in Dublin

Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science Simon Harris today announced that Zymeworks Inc. (NASDAQ: ZYME), a global biotechnology company committed to the discovery, development and commercialization of novel, multifunctional biotherapeutics, is to establish a Clinical and Regulatory European Headquarters in Dublin with the creation of up to 20 new roles across activities such as regulatory affairs, clinical operations, clinical data management and support functions.

Zymeworks, which develops therapeutics to address difficult-to-treat cancers and other serious diseases has established an office in Dublin Airport Business Park, Swords and has recruited Jeffrey Smith, MD to serve as Senior Vice President of Early-Stage Development based in Dublin.  The new Clinical and Regulatory European Headquarters will enable Zymeworks to coordinate clinical trials in the EU and progress early-stage clinical programs through its drug development process.

Speaking about the announcement, Minister Harris said “I am delighted to see the launch of this new headquarters in Dublin.

“I recently met with Zymeworks in Vancouver where I was delighted to hear about the company’s plans for its new entity in Ireland.  We have an established ecosystem for pharmaceutical and biopharma activity in Ireland offering regulatory stability, a talented workforce and easy access to the EU market.

“This announcement is another vote of confidence in Ireland, in our life sciences sector and in the talent of the Irish people.”

Commenting on the new entity Kenneth Galbraith, Chair and CEO, Zymeworks said “Zymeworks is at an exciting stage of global expansion with a portfolio of antibody-drug conjugates and multispecific antibody therapeutics in clinical trials and preclinical development. We are excited to announce our establishment in Dublin, which will provide us with the opportunity to engage with European cancer researchers and investigators, and recruit a larger proportion of patients in clinical studies planned in the European Union during the global drug development process.”

Welcoming the announcement, Michael Lohan, CEO, IDA Ireland said “Ireland’s life sciences sector has a global reputation for operational and innovational excellence.  Zymeworks joins a growing cluster of biopharmaceutical companies establishing corporate and technical management operations in Ireland.  Zymeworks is the first Canadian biopharmaceutical company to establish an international headquarters in Ireland and IDA Ireland is committed to winning more investment from the region. We welcome the company’s plans to create high value career opportunities and we look forward to continuing to work closely with Zymeworks.”

Electrical safety in clinical laboratories

While electrical safety should be a key priority in every workplace, it’s simply essential in clinical laboratories, where high-stakes research is carried out using often volatile chemicals and valuable equipment. Although checking how electrically sound your equipment is may seem like a chore when you’re faced with a busy work schedule, it’s easy to keep on top of electrical safety – incorporate these simple but necessary checks into your everyday processes and you’ll reduce the risk of loss, wastage or accidents in the lab: 

Plug sockets – Because the vast majority of lab equipment (including chemical storage refrigerators) is powered by electricity, even a brief electrical failure can be financially catastrophic and unsafe for lab workers. A simple way to avoid this is regularly checking all connections, outlets and plug sockets in the environment – make sure you test outlets and plug sockets regularly and replace any cracked or damaged casing immediately. Keep a special eye on outlets positioned near sinks or other sources of moisture and ensure that these have ground-circuit protection

Circuits – Regularly check that all fuses and circuit breakers in the lab are present and in good working order to maintain electrical safety and avoid power outages. The nichrome wire found in many pieces of laboratory equipment is vulnerable to electrical surges, so ensure that you regularly use a handheld current tester to check on circuits in the lab – failing to do this could lead to expensive equipment replacement and maintenance fees. Where possible, make sure that electrical equipment is switched off and unplugged when not in use.

Equipment quality checks –  Conducting regular risk assessments of your operations and workplace (every 6 months to a year at minimum) can go a long way in reducing the risk of electrical emergencies in the lab. This includes removing and replacing any damaged equipment and ensuring that any maintenance work is carried out by a qualified electrician. When it comes to disposing of electrical waste and buying new lab equipment, try to be as eco-friendly as you can.

Emergency procedures – To avoid potential injury and ensure that things go according to plan in the case of an emergency, make sure that your staff have been trained in the proper emergency procedures. This could include how to shut off power or break circuits in the case of fire or an electrical accident, where to locate the main switchboard and where fire safety equipment and relevant PPE is located in the lab.