Dundee & Strathclyde Universities won a 2008 Medical Futures Innovation Award.
The Dentistry and Oral Health category is supported by the British Dental Association and is sponsored by GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare (GSK CH).
The Medical Futures Innovation Awards are a UK-based not-for-profit awards process designed to help healthcare professionals and academics turn their ideas into tangible solutions
that can improve patient care.
The Dentistry and Oral Health category winning entry was an infrared imaging medical device designed to provide a safer alternative to dental X-rays.
Developed by Dr Christopher Longbottom, Professor John Girkin, Professor Nigel Pitts and Dr Simon Pollard of Dundee and Strathclyde Universities, this innovation will enable dentists to produce images of teeth, bones and gums using infrared light without the risks associated with X-rays, which is of particular importance when treating children.
Dr Mary Lynn Bosma, Clinical Research Director, GSK CH and member of the judging panel,
commented: ‘We are absolutely delighted to award Dundee & Strathclyde Universities as the
winner in this category.
‘They demonstrated significant initiative in their area of expertise and we are excited and impressed by the potential that their entry showed. They deserve to be the winner and we look forward to offering them additional support to progress their ideas further.’
Professor Pitts commented: ‘I am delighted that our innovation was recognised by Medical Futures.
‘We very much hope that this award will allow us to secure funding to progress this early-stage innovation through to full development, benefiting both dental professionals and the
wider public alike.’
GSK Consumer Healthcare’s support of the Medical Futures Innovation Awards is led by its Open Innovation Team.
Ken James, Senior Vice President, GSK CH R&D said: ‘The Medical Futures Innovation Awards provides GSK Consumer Healthcare with the perfect opportunity to demonstrate our support for innovation amongst oral healthcare professionals.
‘Healthcare professionals are ideally placed to identify the un-met needs of patients, often resulting in innovative ideas and solutions, but they may not always know where to direct these ideas or how to manage them. The GSK/Medical Futures initiative is designed to bridge that gap.’
Winners of all Medical Futures award categories were announced at a charity black tie gala
dinner and award ceremony at The Honourable Artillery Company (HAC) Grounds in London on
Tuesday 2 December 2008.
The awards evening, hosted by Melanie Sykes and David Mitchell, was also attended by His Royal Highness Prince Michael of Kent.
