SBRI: Home glaucoma monitoring Phase 1

This is a Small Business Research Initiative (SBRI) competition funded by the Scottish Health Industry Partnership (SHIP).

The aim of the competition is to develop innovative solutions focused on home (or near-patient) glaucoma monitoring to better identify patients at risk of losing vision, and to reduce the individual and societal costs of sight loss. This will include home tonometry, home assessment of visual function and potentially optic disc imaging. It can also include developing methods of securely storing, transferring, and analysing the large number of home measurements obtained.

SHIP is investing up to £210,000 inclusive of VAT across both phases of this competition. Successful applicants will have access to advice from the NHS Scotland innovation test beds. Phase 1 is allocated £60,000 for projects with total costs of up to £15,000, inclusive of VAT.

This is phase 1 of a potential 2 phase competition. The decision to proceed with phase 2 will depend on the outcomes from phase 1 and assessment of a separate application into a subsequent phase 2 competition. Only the successful applicants from phase 1 will be invited to apply to take part in phase 2.

Phase 1 projects:

• can start by 5 December 2022
• must end by 5 April 2023
• can last up to 4 months
• will work with one of the three NHS Scotland Regional Test Beds to develop their solution
• must provide details of certification and compliance with relevant standards for well-developed prototypes

Successful applicants from Phase 1 will be invited to apply to take part in a potential Phase 2.

As part of your application, you must engage with a test bed to determine the extent of resource required for the test bed to support the development of your proposed solution. This should be considered for both Phase 1 and a potential Phase 2.

In phase 1, you must:

• demonstrate the technical feasibility of your proposed innovation
• establish ongoing collaboration between technical and clinical members of the project team
• formalise any required ethical approvals, data sharing agreements and contracts
• begin working with clinical data

We would welcome applications that bring together sector specialists.

Phase 2 involves up to 2 contracts being awarded to organisations chosen from the successful phase 1 applicants. Up to £75,000 inclusive of VAT will be allocated for each contract, to develop a prototype and undertake field testing for up to 12 months.

Scope

The aim of this competition is to develop disruptive innovative solutions that focus on home (or near-patient) glaucoma monitoring, including home tonometry and home assessment of visual function, and optic disc imaging.

The new technologies can either replace or supplement components of eye examinations in hospital outpatients or primary care optometry. This can include developing methods of securely storing, transferring, and analysing the likely large number home measurements obtained.

Home (or near-patient) monitoring of glaucoma offers the potential to increase the frequency of testing, potentially allowing more accurate detection of progression or response to treatment, while reducing the number of visits required with an ophthalmologist or optometrist.

Your project must be well developed and nearly ready to be deployed in a real-world situation. Your project will be expected to undertake the necessary evaluations demonstrating the prototypes in real-world situations.

For projects already at an advanced prototype stage, evidence of certification of the appropriate EN or ISO standard or plans to achieve this must be provided.

Projects showing high potential but at an earlier stage of development may also be considered.

If you want help to find an organisation to work with, contact the Health team at Innovate UK KTN.

A briefing event was held on 24th August: click here to download the Q&A from the briefing event.