Developing an Assistive Switch for an Unmet Need
Emego has been designed with the end user in mind, to help those with severe disabilities such as spinal muscular atrophy, spinal cord injury and brain stem injury retain independence.
Electronic assistive technology (eAT) allows individuals with severe disabilities to control everyday equipment that they would otherwise not be able to access. Emego is the perfect accompaniment for this interface equipment, replacing or enhancing existing control methods and in some cases enabling control where currently no method or technology exists.
The idea for Emego was concieved with an unmet need being identified in the assistive technology sector. North Yorkshire based GSPK Design Ltd working in collaboration with the Senior Clinical Lead of the Barnsley Assistive Technology Team identified the requirement for a fit for purpose EMG switch which currently was not available on the market. After succesful initial proof of concept work GSPK Design collabarated with Barnsley Hospital, Sheffield Teaching Hospital and the NIHR Devices for Dignity Healthcare Technology Co-operative (D4D) to secure SBRI funding from there Emego was born.
From left to right, Senior Clinical Scientist and Service Lead of the Assistive Technology Team at Barnsley Hospital, Simon Judge, Managing Director of GSPK Design Ltd, Paul Marsh and Commercial Director of D4D Ltd, Oliver Wells
An initial development contract was awarded to GSPK Design after being shortlist out of two hundred applicants through the Small Business Research Initiative for Healthcare (SBRI Healthcare) with funding given by NHS England and Papworth hospital NHS Foundation Trust.
A prototype was built and immediately put to work with testing on normal users across the experienced Barnsley Assistive Technology Team this then provided confident results for further clinical studies with patients and proffesionals. Phase Two funding has now been secured ensuring Emego is well and truly on its way to real-patient testing and entry to market.
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