(Frankfurt a. M., 11.12.2024) Hospital germs, especially multi-resistant pathogens, are a major burden for patients and the healthcare system. One of the most common causes of infection is invasive medical devices such as catheters. In cooperation with three other scientists at Munich University of Applied Sciences, Christina Scherzer has developed a concept that uses photodisinfection - i.e. light of a specific wavelength - to effectively keep catheters germ-free. For this innovation, the bioengineer will receive the 2024 Award for Patient Safety in Medical Technology (German), which is endowed with EUR 5,000 and donated by Dr. med. Hans Haindl.
"It all started with the question of what can be improved in the hospital"
The development began in 2018 at the Technical University of Munich in an interdisciplinary course in which teams were tasked with identifying potential improvements and developing technical solutions during an observation phase in the hospital. Christina Scherzer explains: "In our team, we quickly reached the point of tackling the issue of nosocomial infections in hospitals. What fascinated me most was the dynamic that resulted from the transfer of knowledge from disciplines such as computer science, industrial design and biomedical computing to medical technology."
Various publications had already confirmed the antimicrobial properties that light of certain wavelengths has. On this basis, Christina Scherzer and her colleagues developed the concept of a new type of catheter that actively and continuously disinfects itself during use in the body. "The successful validation of the idea and the positive reactions of the medical staff gave rise to the enthusiasm to put the concept into practice."
Prototype in development: clinical trial for urinary tract catheters planned for the end of 2025
In-depth research followed at Munich University of Applied Sciences from September 2022. The challenge: to determine a wavelength that achieves the desired effect, is technically durable with the available material properties and does not harm humans. The start-up Puray, which was jointly founded at the beginning of 2024, is now working on developing a urinary tract catheter that is due to enter clinical trials at the end of 2025. Further products such as ventilation tubes and ventricular drains are in the pipeline. "We are delighted with the award and are doing everything we can to make our solutions available to people in hospitals soon," says Scherzer.
2nd and 3rd place: Radiation-free diagnostics for infants and augmented reality in the intensive care unit
Matthias Schaufelberger (Karlsruhe Institute of Technology), who has developed an approach for the radiation-free diagnosis of craniosynostosis, was awarded second place. This can occur in infants and small children and lead to head deformities. Schaufelberger uses radiation-free 3D surface scans and computer models with new classification algorithms to evaluate them in order to avoid radiation exposure from computer tomography imaging.
Third place goes to Romy Alm (Münster University of Applied Sciences), who simplifies support for the use of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) to support heart and lung function in various diseases. An incorrectly attached sensor, a pump failure and other errors have so far been rectified by cardio technicians who are not always directly available on site. Alm has developed an AR (augmented reality) application that connects intensive care nurses with perfusionists and helps them to solve problems immediately and improve patient care via AR remote assistance.
