Lightpoint Medical is developing imaging technology to improve health outcomes for cancer patients.The company’s molecular imaging technology, based on Cerenkov luminescence imaging, has the potential to detect cancer in real-time during surgery, providing more accurate cancer treatment while sparing healthy tissue.
Surgery remains the primary treatment option for cancer, yet it is often unsuccessful as surgeons can't accurately tell the difference between diseased and healthy tissue during an operation. Consequently, patients frequently recover from surgery with cancer left behind, affecting for example, one in four breast cancer patients. By ensuring the removal of cancer in a single operation, the LightPath Imaging System promises a reduction in repeat operations, improved patient outcomes, quicker progression on to other therapies and reduced healthcare costs.
Lightpoint Medical was also named as the winner of the Electronic Product of the Year award for the LightPath Imaging System.
Commenting, Eric Wilkinson, Chairman of the judges and COO of Cambridge Consultants, said: “Choosing the Grand Prix winner is always tough and generates much debate.The judges felt that an organisation that can develop potentially life-changing technology, by ensuring the removal of cancerous tissue in a single operation, promising a reduction in repeat operations, and reduced healthcare costs deserves special recognition as a shining example of British Engineering Excellence.”
Other winners included:
Start Up of the Year
Ultrahaptics has developed what it believes to be a disruptive technology in which a small array of ultrasound speakers creates the feeling of virtual objects, switches and dials which float in mid-air.
Ultrahaptics has already received orders from carmakers, companies manufacturing gaming consoles and consumer electronics and computer manufacturers.
Design Team of the Year
Home security product developer Cocoon enlisted ByteSnap Design to provide electronics and software design expertise for its latest product. ByteSnap helped Cocoon to make hardware choices, develop prototypes, write software and obtain certifications.
Cocoon scheduled a closed user trial in August 2015 with early backers and ByteSnap completed software and electronic design in good time.
Young Design Engineer of the Year
Throughout the graduate scheme during and his two years as a lead engineer at Jaguar Land Rover, Chris Bellamy has invented, designed and developed creative and novel solutions to customer problems, as well as being involved in advanced vehicle development and vehicle sustainability.
Design Engineer of the Year
Since joining cryogenic valve manufacturer Parker Bestobell two years ago, Alex McDiarmid has designed innovative products. In particular, a range of valves suitable for high pressure marine fuel applications is said by Parker Bestobell to beyond anything it has previously manufactured.
He has taken part in engineering projects with schools and mentored a team from Bradfield School on a recent technology challenge.
Judges Special Award
According to start up MQA, the MP3 format has seen sound quality sacrificed for convenience. MQA founder and technology inventor Bob Stuart has developed an audio format that not only delivers rich sound quality, but does so in a convenient file size.
Hardware partnerships have been reached with a number of companies, along with a long term licensing deal with Warner Music.
Other non-electronics winners included:
Consultancy of the Year
Williams Advanced Engineering
Materials Innovation of the Year
BAE Systems’ Highly Robust Ground Platform
Mechanical Product of the Year
JCB’s Hydradig urban construction machine
Small Company of the Year
Forth Engineering
