Major Natalie Taylor, a member of the British Army’s six-strong female team to cross Antarctica unassisted, will share insights into the 61-day expedition with visitors at Medical Innovation 2018. The Ice Maiden showcase will unveil the state-of-the-start physiological monitoring sensor technology used to measure the team’s heart rate, respiration and skin turgor, along with glucose, salt and sodium levels remotely.

The session will explore how wireless sensor technology, developed by the Hamlyn Centre, Imperial College London, can monitor and aid the care of individuals in remote and extreme locations. Research Associates, Dr Bruno Gil-Rosa and Dr Salzitsa Anastasova-Ivanova of Imperial College London will further the discussion and highlight the clinical relevance of data generated by small-form wearable sensors to aid the delivery of medical attention to military and civilian patients.

The Ice Maiden team will return to the spotlight to explore the endocrine effects of arduous military training on women, led by Squadron Leader Rob Gifford, Research Fellow Centre for Cardiovascular Science – DMS. The session will explore the data collected from the Ice Maiden expedition, in a bid to understand the nuances of female hormone physiology in arduous training.

Major Taylor and Squadron Leader Gifford join a programme of high-profile, international speakers who will deliver thought-provoking presentations as part of this year’s two-day conference, led by Defence Medical Services (DMS). Attendees will hear the latest research on the patient and career journey and the innovation that seeks to improve the outcome for both. A wide range of topics under the theme of prolonged care – starting with preparedness and finishing with rehabilitation will see expert speakers from DMS’ national and international collaborators illustrate the challenge and innovative solutions with real-life vignettes.

The history of medical innovation

Exploring the history of medical innovation, Dr Emily Mayhew, Resident Historian with the Institute of Blast Studies, Imperial College London will provide a fascinating account of the history of medical innovation and how the healthcare system has evolved, in light of the First World War Centenary.

Speaking about the session, Dr Emily Mayhew, said: “We need to remember that there is a history of medicine. Quite often we stop ourselves looking further back than a decade, and certainly fail to appreciate the relevance of research and knowledge from the previous century. I believe this talk is important to everyone in the medical community and I hope to encourage those from the technical innovation community to listen closely to hear the wider needs of medical professionals.”

Emerging Technologies

Civilian and military healthcare professionals are invited to join Air Commodore Rich Withnall, Medical Director and Colonel Mike Smith, Defence Professor of General Practice, DMS to discuss the emerging technologies making an impact on the delivery of healthcare services. They will be joined by Professor Guang-Zhong Yang, Director, The Hamlyn Centre, Imperial College London who will provide a fascinating glimpse into the future of emerging biosensor and monitoring technologies.

International experts will go on to explore how the implementation of robots, artificial intelligence (AI) and physiological sensors and imaging can meet the requirements of operational challenges. Simon Toh, Consultant Surgeon and Director of Victory Institute for Minimal Access and Robotic Surgery will demonstrate how robotics can revolutionise surgical procedures.

Developments in Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear (CBRN) medicine; the role of virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) for pre-deployment Medical Emergency Response Team (MERT) training; and the importance of holistic casualty care for the effective delivery of prolonged field care will also be explored. As requirements change there is a pressing demand for new technology within the industry. A new initiative, led by jHub – the recently launched innovation centre for Joint Forces Command –  provides a unique opportunity for businesses with game-changing medical technology, processes or clinical innovation to submit solutions that could be used by the UK Armed Forces in the future via an open call. jHub, which has a £20m fund for solutions new to MOD, aims to fast-track successful proposals through procurement within 1 year or less. Businesses can submit their ideas at the Medical Innovation website.

Reflecting its position as the leading event for civilian and military healthcare professionals, attendees will also be able to join representatives from NHS Forth Valley, North Ambulance Resilience Unit and the West Midlands Ambulance Service for insights into humanitarian challenges and emergency preparedness. Further sessions will provide insights into pre-hospital care and resilience, with speakers from the Ministry of Defence, DMS and NHS England (South West).

Civilian collaborative partnerships will also illustrate the innovations in damage control and resuscitation surgery, offering learnings on how to mitigate and treat injuries ranging from hearing loss to sepsis, while other sessions will include the use of novel patient testing and advances in medical management, as well as research from defence institutions.

Colonel Mike Smith, Defence Professor of General Practice & Primary Care, Defence Medical Services, said: “The Defence Medical Services has chosen the prolonged care theme for Medical Innovation 18 as it reflects the reality that medical care is not always delivered in an optimal location. The event is an opportunity to bring together both civilian and military expertise from across the specialities to witness and discuss recent advances and innovations in this field.”

For more information on this year’s conference programme and to register for the event visit www.medical-innovation.eu