Two health tech spin-offs from Auckland University have been recognised at the NZ Hi-Tech Awards.
Kitea Health won the Most Innovative Deep Tech Award for its groundbreaking brain pressure monitoring technology, while Toku Eyes won the Most Innovative Hi-Tech Software Solution for its AI-powered product BioAge.
Kitea Health's implantable device allows neurosurgeons and patients to directly monitor brain pressure, providing critical data to help them make treatment decisions.
Simon Malpas, Kitea Health's chief executive, says it was fantastic to see the team's hard work recognised.
"We have developed the first tool that enables brain pressure monitoring at home for patients with hydrocephalus," Malpas explains.
The device is implanted during shunt placement surgery, adding just five minutes to the procedure. Patients can then measure their brain pressure at home using a wand and smartphone app and share this data with their healthcare team.
Kitea Health is conducting its first human trial, focusing on safety and patient experience, and the company is also working on improvements to the app and clinical portal.
Malpas says one of the trial patients is in Kaitaia, far from the nearest neurosurgical hospital in Auckland. The technology helps doctors assess the urgency of symptoms and decide whether emergency transport is necessary.
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