INNOVATE UK YOUNG INNOVATORS LOOK TO CHANGE THE WORLD

A 28-year-old from Oxford is one of this year’s Innovate UK Young Innovators.

In 2020, when the whole world needed to be able to get people onto ventilators, two Oxford Global Insight Fellows, Mihir Sheth and Dr Myra Malik partnered up to wean patients off them faster.

RespiTrain is being developed to reduce the time spent by patients on a ventilator by 30 per cent, saving the NHS more than £1 billion annually.

Mihir co-invented Inspiritus Health, a simple to use, non-invasive medical device that keeps patients’ muscles engaged when they are on a ventilator to prevent muscle wastage.

Mihir Sheth, said: “During the pandemic, naturally the attention globally was on the need to get seriously ill patients on ventilators.

“But I became increasingly frustrated as I saw patients slowly wasting away, with no one considering how to quickly get patients off the ventilators.

“After six days, a patient can lose up to 32 per cent of their respiratory muscle strength.

“I paired up with a consultant anaesthetist to develop a non-invasive device to keep the patient’s muscles engaged from the first day of ventilation.

“I feel incredibly grateful to be part of this cohort of winners.”

TBAT joins forces on Innovation Challenge for young companies

TBAT Innovation, based at Milton Park in Oxfordshire, along with a team of expert partners, including Freeths, Oxford Product Design, Forresters, British Business Bank and more have launched The Innovation Challenge to provide expert advice to growing companies in key areas. The Innovation Challenge will see partners deliver four free workshops on finance, people and recruitment, product design and protection, and strategy.

The workshops will be held throughout Spring 2022. In May applications will open for businesses to submit a full business plan and be eligible to win a £5,000 cash prize and tailored support packages from partners. Two runners up will also receive a support package from partners.

In June the finalists will have the opportunity to present their business in a 10-minute pitch in front of key investors, and the winner announced.

Matt Symonds, managing director of TBAT Innovation Ltd, said:

“We’re really excited to launch the Innovation Challenge and to be working with a great set of partners to support and stimulate businesses to innovate and develop.”