Kit to detect sleep apnoea wins second Wolfson Innovate competition

The winners of the 2015 competition were SmartCare Sleep, who have developed an inexpensive, effective and easy to use home testing kit for Obstructive Sleep Apnoea. Their method aims to save clinicians' time and is less expensive than alternatives, and is the first iterative of a SmartCare system which can easily be extended to other conditions. The judges described the idea as a ‘very exciting venture'.

Runner up prizes of £1,000 were awarded to H20x, who have created a revolutionary water purification system, and PoDDIP, who have invented a device that captures and analyses clinical data to support the diagnosis of pneumonia. The other finalists were MaMaBy Care, Spare Change: An app for giving help to the homeless, and WhyVaccinate.

The entrants were judged by a panel of distinguished Wolfson alumni and friends. Professor James Crabbe, Supernumerary Fellow and Chair of Judges, was joined by Professor Helen Lawton Smith, Juan Guerra, Sam Salisbury, Juliet Simpson, and Tanya Heare. The evening concluded with a drinks reception where teams received informal feedback from the judges, and networked with their fellow competitors.