Award for Innovation in Anaesthesia, Critical Care and Pain 2020 – winner announced
Friday 10 January 2020
The Association of Anaesthetists has announced the winner for its annual 2020 Award for Innovation in Anaesthesia, Critical Care and Pain:
- SageTech Automated Extraction Machine - A unique process to capture, extract and purify inhalational anaesthetics such that they can be placed back on the market under licence. This will create the first ever circular economy for a pharmaceutical product in the UK. SageTech’s technology will reduce both the cost and the environmental pollution of anaesthesia.
Praising SageTech for their win Dr Ravishankar Rao Baikady, Consultant anaesthetist and Association of Anaesthetists board lead on innovation, said: “SageTech’s ground breaking technology will reduce the cost of anaesthesia and more importantly reduce environmental pollution. Recent studies suggest anaesthetic gases represent 5% of the carbon footprint for all acute NHS organisations and this new innovation will facilitate recycling of exhaled anaesthetic gases and contribute towards significant reduction in environmental impact of anaesthesia.”
Dr Sebastian Brown, Co-Founder and Research Director of SageTech said “We are delighted to win the Association Innovation Prize 2020. SageTech are very excited to bring the possibility of recycling inhalational anaesthetics to life, to reduce our carbon footprint and enable flexibility in the way we deliver anaesthesia. We are pleased to be able to recognise the invaluable contribution from our industrial partners, funders and anaesthetists who have supported us and made this possible. Industry and healthcare professionals are coming together to address climate change and we are privileged to be a part of this transformation.”
Association of Anaesthetists President and consultant anaesthetist at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary, Dr Kathleen Ferguson, presented the award to Dr Sebastian Brown from SageTech at the Association of Anaesthetists 2020 Winter Scientific Meeting in London on 10 January, and said: I’d like to congratulate SageTech for delivering new innovation which has huge benefits to our environment and will reduce the cost of anaesthesia delivery across the world. I have been inspired by all the award nominees who have shown courage and determination in their innovative ideas and I look forward to many more in the years to come.”
As the award winner, Dr Brown received a certificate and prize money of £2,000. SageTech was shortlisted for the award alongside two other nominees:
- The AURA MKI - A low cost portable ventilator. The AURA MKI is a pocket size electronic ventilator with an innovative control architecture that eliminates the need for the complex digital sensors or software seen in current devices. Presented by Dr Alastair Darwood.
- Portable CPAP Device for Low-resource Settings - Diamedica’s transport CPAP device is designed to save the lives of the tiniest babies in resource limited countries. Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) helps premature and low birth weight babies with underdeveloped lungs to breathe. CPAP is widely used in neonatal units in high-income countries but is much less common in low-income countries where hospitals lack reliable mains electricity and medical oxygen required by most CPAP machines. Presented by Mr Robert Neighbour.
The Award for Innovation in Anaesthesia, Critical Care and Pain recognises the importance of innovation in healthcare for the benefit of patient safety, patient care and improvements in the hospital workplace. Now in its eighth year, the 2020 award received 12 applications and is supported by Fannin, Intersurgical and Fisher & Paykel Healthcare.