A student nurse is seeking volunteers to help with what will literally be a test bed for her new invention.
Roma Gibb, from Evanton, came up with the idea of the Bed Band after seeing patients becoming anxious at not being able to get a good night’s sleep.
The former care worker believed there was a better solution than using pillows to try to help people with limited mobility struggle to maintain a comfortable position in bed.
The concept has been three years in development and a prototype is now ready to test.
Volunteers needed to test the Bed Band
Roma and her team are now advertising for 30-40 people to trial the Bed Band which she aims to have available commercially by the end of next year.
Adverts are appearing in the Press and Journal today.
Feedback to the invention has been positive and it is hoped it can eventually be used in the NHS and health organisations abroad.
The pilot study, called BEACON, is funded by innovation agency Innovate UK which recently awarded the project £41,000.
Roma, 39, has devoted time to the invention while working, being a mother of five and also studying for a BSc degree in nursing at the University of the Highlands and Islands (UHI).
She said: “I recognised there was a problem that was affecting people with a range of conditions.
“For such a prevalent issue, there was a poor solution which was just piling up pillows.
“Over time, more and more pillows were being used. Patients were getting anxious and we were feeling we weren’t doing a good enough job as we weren’t getting them comfortable.
“I just felt it could be done much better.
“I’m so proud of how far we’ve come in three years. But the amount of support I’ve received has been outstanding.”
Patent applied for
After receiving support from the UHI Business Competition and Highlands and Islands Enterprise’s IMPACT 30 and Pathfinder Accelerator programmes, Roma applied for a patent on her device and set up a company, Person Centred Solutions ltd.
She then gained additional funding of over £30,000 through the Inverness and Highland City-Region Deal health and life sciences innovation fund.
This is helping to run a project to further co-design the Bed Band in collaboration with UHI and potential users, led by Dr Michelle Beattie at UHI.
Roma was also recently named as a runner-up in the Converge KickStart Challenge, receiving a further £7,500 to help develop her product.
Volunteers for the 4-6 weeks trial need to be over 18 and struggle with staying comfortable in a hospital or adjustable bed, so would benefit from using the Bed Band.
The Bed Band, which is expected to cost about £100, is fixed to a bed by a base unit.
The patient lies on the base which has two foam triangular-shaped wedges fixed by Velcro on either side of the torso.
This allows the torso to be supported while the patient’s arms are free.
“It’s to stop people with mobility limitations moving into an uncomfortable position during the night”, she said.
“They may be helped into bed by a carer who then may be gone for 12 hours. By the time they come back the person could have been in an uncomfortable position for several hours.
“It can cause anxiety, stress, pain and sleeplessness which can affect both physical and mental health.”
‘This is my life now’
She added: “It’s so badly needed. I’ve a lot of connection on health care and the main question I get is ‘when can we have it?’
“Many people also say someone they know could have used it.”
Roma hopes to make a full-time living from the Bed Band once it becomes commercially available.
“This is my life now. If the grand plan goes well we will register the Bed Band as a medical device so that we can get into the NHS and take it abroad as well.
“I’ll complete my studies and will still take shifts as a nurse. It will allow me to understand more about what the issues are and to come up with solutions.
“This is not my last invention. I’ve one in my head at the moment, but that’s where it’s staying for now.”
Dr Adam Giangreco, director of health and life sciences innovation at UHI, said: “UHI is so privileged to have such an enthusiastic and entrepreneurial student in Roma.
“Her tenacity in developing this technology is an inspiration for all our staff and students and I feel really proud that UHI is continuing to support to her in developing this innovative product.”
UHI secured £9 million from the UK Government through the Inverness and Highland City-Region Deal, managed by Highland Council.
The deal is a £315 million initiative supported by the UK and Scottish governments, the council, Highlands and Islands Enterprise and UHI.
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