Member Article

Cramlington firm eyes Uni expertise

Local design talent is playing a part in bringing to market a new device to help experts diagnose glaucoma and other eye diseases. Northumbria University’s Centre for Design & Research has collaborated in the creation of a prototype for an eye tracking and pupil-measuring device called the Pupilmetrix PLR60.

The advanced technological product has been under development by medical device company Applied Neurodiagnostics Ltd (AN) based in Cramlington. The company plans to launch it to independent optometrists and high street stores such as Boots and Vision Express later this year.

The Pupilmetrix will improve the ability and speed of optometrists in determining the presence or absence of damage to the retina as part of a patient’s routine eye test.

Funding for the design work came from One NorthEast and the European Regional Development Fund and managed by Cels as part of its InSTeP programme. The funding has enabled the Centre for Design & Research to take an early stage concept through to a functional prototype using AN’s proprietary core eye tracking and pupil measurement technology as its basis.

Bruce Watson at the Centre for Design & Research said: “We understand the requirements of designing prototypes that meet the needs of industry while offering added value solutions. “This was important in developing the Pupilmetrix prototype. We have created a successful design that AN can take on to the next stage of commercial production and marketing.”

Dr Keith Morris, general manager of AN, said: “We are committed to using local expertise and suppliers in building the business. We were impressed by the quality of the Centre for Design Research’s expertise in the medical field. Its capacity to apply intellect and technical expertise to a tough brief has created a great prototype that we can use for product demonstrations and marketing purposes.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ruth Mitchell .