Tim Blackburn wins MIMIT Award

MIMIT celebrated two years of operation with a showcase of its projects nearing completion. These included presentations illustrating how an unmet clinical need was identified and the MIMIT solutions that have been developed. The projects covered a broad range of clinical areas including development of aortic stents, needles visible by ultrasound, real time pain assessment and EEG monitoring of preterm babies. The showcase was attended by Board members representing all the MIMIT partners, Department of Health, Northwest Development Agency, Medilink Northwest and MIMIT was especially delighted that Colleen Kigin, CIMIT Chief of Staff, flew in from Boston.

Awards were made  for the two best unmet clinical needs disclosures to MIMIT in 2009. The first of these was made to Tim Blackburn, Consultant Maxillo- Facial Plastic Surgeon at Central Manchester University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust (CMFT), for his disclosure ‘Facial Paralysis’ the solution of which should introduce a step change to management of paralysis due to Stroke, Bells palsy and other conditions. The other award was made to Paul Abeles, Consultant Clinical Psychologist also from CMFT for the disclosure ‘Advanced Sleep, Activity and Rest Monitoring’. The solutions for this are in development and MIMIT is held a brainstorming forum for MIMIT partners on February 2010.

This will lead on to a pilot study evaluating the neurophysiology / electrophysiology parameters of the blink neuromuscular impulse in the first instance.

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