'Smart' IV Pump And New Drug Delivery Technology Receive Support From UT System Texas Ignition Fund

Main Category: Medical Devices
Also Included In: Public Health
Article Date: 21 Apr 2008 - 2:00 PDT

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Two inventions created by University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston researchers have won $50,000 awards from the Texas Ignition Fund, a new program designed to spur the commercialization of technologies developed at UT System institutions.

One of the inventions, conceived by UTMB anesthesiology professor George Kramer, is a new "smart" IV pump to deliver precise amounts of fluids to trauma and burn victims. The device is lighter and less expensive than current IV pumps. In combination with newly developed patient-monitoring and computerized autonomous care systems, it has the potential to extend the sort of expert fluid therapy normally found only in hospitals to emergency medical services, combat trauma care and disasters involving large numbers of casualties.

The other UTMB TIF-award winner, a collaboration between technician Edward Kraft, instructor Stephen L. Hoskins and Dr. Perenlei Enkhbaatar (also members of UTMB's anesthesiology department), is a new technology meant to dramatically improve the delivery of inhaled drugs, such as those found in asthma inhalers. This "dry powder pulmonary drug delivery system" is aimed especially at emergency drug treatment of heart attacks and toxic gas exposure.

"UTMB is proud that both of our submissions to the TIF were chosen for funding, and we're grateful that the UT System is going to help us bring them into the commercial arena," said James Arie, UTMB's assistant vice president for technology development.

Overall, the Texas Ignition Fund awarded $465,000 to 14 different proposals from UT System researchers at a variety of different institutions. The grants range from $10,000 to $50,000 each, and are drawn from a $2 million fund approved by the UT System Board of Regents in December 2007.

"We are pleased with the quality of these first proposals for Texas Ignition Fund grants and delighted that the availability of the grants has spurred so much interest on UT campuses," UT System Chancellor Mark G. Yudof said. "It is our hope that the grants will speed the commercialization process and, over time, produce significant contributions to the Texas economy and culture."

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Article adapted by Medical News Today from original press release.
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Source: Jim Kelly
University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston