MedaPhor’s ScanTrainer wins MediWales 2010 Innovation Award

The MediWales Awards celebrate the successes and advances of life science companies and the NHS in Wales and the Innovation Award is awarded to a company that has developed an innovative technology that has produced a major improvement in business performance, end user benefit or patient benefit.

MedaPhor won the award for its unique ultrasound simulator ScanTrainer. The patent pending simulator provides a realistic, touch-enabled training experience, allowing sonography trainees to literally “feel” what they see on the computer screen in order to gain real life scanning experience, in a more cost-effective way.

The curriculum based training modules enable the trainees to develop the complex mix of cognitive skills and eye-hand movement coordination, without the need for an ultrasound machine, a patient, or direct supervision by an expert. Trainees have the freedom to learn by trial and error at their own pace, and gain unlimited opportunities to practice, prior to exposure to patients – ensuring greater competency when training with patients begins and significantly reducing the amount of direct supervision required.

ScanTrainer’s first system went on sale in the UK in June this year. Its gynecological ultrasound training module replicates the experience of examining a female pelvis, and teaches the core ultrasound examination skills, without the need for a patient to ‘learn’ on.

A range of ScanTrainer systems, with associated pathologies and learning modules will be launched next year, including a Transabdominal system for teaching obstetric, general, and Accident &Emergency based medical examinations.

Stuart Gall, CEO of MedaPhor said

“We are delighted to win the MediWales Innovation Award. This has been a tremendous year for MedaPhor and we look forward to continuing the success of ScanTrainer in 2011, as we launch new systems and modules in the UK and around the world.”