The idea had been lingering for years. When Armand Girbes decided to finally pursue it, he almost instantly got a publication in the New England Journal of Medicine. The electrolarynx, which is known for its use after laryngectomy, produces vibrations that allow the intubated user to speak. As professor of intensive care medicine, Girbes understands the increasing relevance of this: “Where in earlier days we would sedate most IC patients, we now prefer to keep them awake. For intubated patients this often leads to stress since they cannot speak and thus have limited capabilities to express themselves.”
Over the last few years Girbes and coworkers have performed more research showing that the electrolarynx really improves this. He now wants to make the voice generator part of the standard equipment surrounding an IC-unit. This does however require some adjustments, in particular making it more user-friendly for IC-nurses. IXA teamed him up with the Dutch medical technology firm Relitech and now a prototype is being developed and the market explored. Girbes appreciates these efforts: “Not only do I lack experience in this field, I simply do not have the time needed to make this innovation a success. It’s good to have experienced people assisting me here.”
To make innovations in health care quickly accessible for patients, it is vital to assign value and significance to inventions (=valorization). One way to valorize is to protect the novel intellectual property by a patent. The patent underlines the importance of the finding and grants value, which is necessary for clinical development and implementation. Have […]
The academic incubator facility Amsterdam Venture Studios has found its place in the heart of five campus locations in Amsterdam (Startup Village on Amsterdam Science Park, LawHub on Roeterseiland, AVS VU Campus, AVS Humanities Lab on City Centre Campus, HvA Venture Centre at the campus in Zuidoost and AVS ahti near AMC also in Zuidoost). […]
By request of the dermatologists at VUmc, Ruud Verdaasdonk has developed a ‘UV-mirror’. It enables people to see whether UV-light has damaged their skin and helps them to assess their sunscreen application skills. “The mirror is a very effective instrument for education and prevention purposes”, says Verdaasdonk, who is not only professor of Biophotonics and […]