Technology Transfer: Delivering Impact
A personal experience
For many people, Technology Transfer might seem like a bit of a lottery. A new invention or technology is provided at the start of the process, and then, very occasionally, and sometimes after a significant amount of time, a commercial deal leading to some sort of benefit to society may pop out of the other side. The inner processes that lead to this point are not always entirely clear. Of course, I know from experience that a lot of effort from people passionate about seeing technologies translated is going on behind the scenes.
When working in this environment it can be easy to forget about the impact that the inventions of Imperial College London staff have on the world around us, as we are always more focused on the “next big thing” rather than closely tracking those technologies that we have already assisted in getting out there.
That’s why, during a recent personal blood test at my local hospital, I was pleasantly surprised when the phlebotomist placed a Tournistrip™ tourniquet around my arm in order to take a blood sample. Tournistrip™ is a single-use tourniquet developed by two medical students at Imperial’s Faculty of Medicine. Traditional tourniquets may be repeatedly used on multiple patients and can therefore transmit harmful microorganisms, contributing to the spread of hospital associated infections. Tournistrip™ tourniquets can only be used once, helping to prevent this spread. As with many great ideas, the approach is simple and easy to use, with the user simply pulling a single strip off of a roll, and tying it around your upper arm, a bit like an airline luggage label.
I had worked on this case with one of my colleagues a few years back during its various development stages, being present at the initial meeting with the inventors and signing off on the filing of the intellectual property. I knew that the device had received a CE Mark; I knew it was on the NHS Supply Chain; I even knew it had been the official tourniquet for the London 2012 Olympics. Despite this, it was still unexpected to see it in ‘real-life’ use, never mind on me. Once the initial surprise of seeing it on my arm had subsided, there followed a particular sense of pride.
The real heroes here are, of course, Dr Ryan Kerstein and Dr Christian Fellowes who had the insight to spot the patient need, creativity to invent a solution, and the drive to make it happen. However, it was also pleasing to know that the technology transfer team at Imperial Innovations, of which I am a part, supported the inventors with the translation of this invention out of the lab, helped fund the initial clinical trials and, by extension, played a small part in improving patient safety. And this is just one of the cases we have worked on.
One of many routes to societal impact
‘Impact’ is a term you will often now hear when working with academia. It has been added to the lexicon of key measures of academic progress and success. It is also hard to define, as it comes in many forms. It can be the deepening of our understanding of the world, or saving thousands of lives with a new treatment. In Tournistrip’s case, the tourniquet has helped make hospitals and clinics safer for both patients and staff.
Universities are being incentivised to demonstrate the societal impact of their research and to create structures to maximise it. Just as there are many forms to impact, there are also many ways to achieve it: At Imperial College London, world-class research and teaching push the scientific envelope globally; Imperial Innovations, Imperial Consultants and Imperial Corporate Partners serve as part of the scientists’ interface with industry; and public outreach programmes and events such as the Imperial Festival communicate to the wider community the importance of the university’s work. Each of these endeavours highlight or enable the benefits that scientific research and invention can bring to the world.
Technology Transfer Offices have been set up to support researchers in translating ideas into innovation and navigating the markets to achieve impact.
Tech Transfer is a complex process; it can involve a large cast of people with expertise in a multitude of areas, from patent law, to pharmaceutical regulation. However it needn’t be an opaque process, ‘shrouded in mystique’. As a TT practitioner, it is incumbent on us to better explain to inventors how we can help them with taking ideas from bench to bedside and to occasionally register the accomplishments our profession helps enable. On a day to day basis, tech transfer staff are often focused on surmounting whichever hurdle needs to be overcome next to push a project forward. And even when their work in a project is done, there are several more projects that require attention. This leaves very little time to stop and smell the roses, so to speak — until one of them is suddenly wrapped around your arm…
