An Addenbrooke's Hospital doctor has won two top prizes at the Medical Futures Innovation Awards after inventing a new device to monitor patients' breathing. The PneumaScan came first in the respiratory section and was also named as the best overall business proposition out of all the winners. The system was developed by Dr Richard Iles, a consultant respiratory paediatrician at Addenbrooke's, in conjunction with Cambridge University's Department of Engineering and PneumaCare. Dr Iles said: "Carrying out lung function tests on some patients is very challenging. If the patient doesn't understand what they need to do, or if they don't want to do it, then we don't get a useful result." The PneumaScan achieves the same results as traditional measurements from a spirometer, but does it using light instead of physical contact. The technology behind it is based on 3D motion capture technology originally developed in the computer game and film industries. Dr Iles said: "This non-invasive technology has great potential for a range of specialties, including anaesthetics and the emergency department. But it will be particularly valuable in the clinic for patients under the age of six with problems like cystic fibrosis and asthma."
