The scheme is designed to help convert innovative ideas into commercially viable businesses.
The Edinburgh-based company’s robotic glove works by assisting a patient to open and close their hand, an action which can be severely limited following a stroke. Developed in collaboration with physiotherapists, occupational therapists, and clinicians, the glove has built-in sensors that allows it to vary levels of resistance to tailor rehabilitation exercises to the user.
This new Innovate UK funding will go towards developing the machine learning and data collection elements of the product.
Bioliberty is a tenant at the National Robotarium, a facility which works collaboratively with partners around the globe to define, develop and resolve industry challenges through the application of robotics and AI. Bioliberty benefits from the National Robotarium’s incubation facilities, state-of-the-art labs, and engineering expertise.
The National Robotarium is part of the Data-Driven Innovation initiative, supported by £21 million from the UK Government and £1.4 million from the Scottish Government.
Statistics from the UK’s Stroke Association state that someone has a stroke every five minutes in the UK, affecting 100,000 people every year. It’s estimated that 1.3 million people in the UK have had a stroke with many requiring ongoing therapy to recover from the symptoms.
New guidelines from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) published in October states that stroke victims should receive up to three hours of rehabilitation a day, five days a week. However, the Stroke Association has voiced concerns over the NHS’ ability to deliver on this target.
Bioliberty, which has already raised more than £3.5 million in private and public funding, believes the new technology can help deliver on these new guidelines.
Commenting Conan Bradley, the start-up’s co-founder, said, “Bioliberty is on the verge of a revolutionary leap in rehabilitation technology. Our upcoming trials for our soft robotic glove are set to ignite the United States, with top rehab clinics eagerly in discussions. With this newfound funding, we're poised to accelerate trials and expedite our market launch. But we're not stopping at the US; the UK beckons, with a significant demand for innovative rehabilitation solutions amidst the latest NICE guidelines.”
