Dr Aditi Desai

A business run by two surgeons has thanked Keele University for its support in developing a new medical device that has the potential to save both lives and money for the NHS.

Eureka Inventions Ltd was founded by Dr Kiran Desai, a Consultant Gastroenterologist, and Dr Aditi Desai, a Consultant Obstetrician and Gynaecologist. During their careers as surgeons, they identified a need to develop a product to help mitigate patients suffering from retained swabs during surgeries and childbirth. These incidents are referred to within the NHS as “Never Events” – because they should never happen.

They approached Keele University’s Business Bridge project with their product idea, the iCount Surgical Safety System.

The team at Keele was able to provide product design expertise, as well as support with regulatory advice and preparation of the product’s CE marketing, which was achieved in 2020. Through its industry links, the University was also able to facilitate the production of prototypes.

Dr Aditi Desai said: “Thanks to support from Keele, we’ve been able to take our device from concept to a CE-marked product faster than we ever thought possible. The University’s ecosystem is one where innovation, academia, healthcare and business support delivers genuine solutions to real-world problems.

“Keele University provided us with a launchpad which enabled the development of medical devices which can not only improve treatment for thousands of patients every year, but that can also save the NHS significant sums of money through reduced ligation costs.”

Eureka Inventions won the Collaboration of the Year award at Keele’s Breaking the Mould Awards in 2020, followed by a Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) Sir William Gilliatt award the RCOG World Congress 2021 and winners of the “One to Watch” category at the Medilink Business Awards 2022.

Eureka Inventions are now working with manufacturing partners to bring this product to market, ready to realise the benefits to patients and organisations alike.

The following support programmes at Keele University received funding from the England European Regional Development Fund as part of the European Structural and Investment Funds Growth Programme 2014-2020:

• Keele University Science & Innovation Park Smart Innovation Hub (Ref: 32R17P01691);
• Smart Energy Network Demonstrator (Ref: 32R16P00706);
• Business Bridge (Ref: 32R18P02530);
• Innovation Centre Seven - IC7 (Ref: 32R19P03785).

The Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities (DfLUHC) (and in London the intermediate body Greater London Authority) was the Managing Authority for European Regional Development Fund.