The product developed by Etexsense overcomes ‘foot drop’, a stroke side-effect, which makes walking difficult as people lose the ability to move the front of their foot. Kai Yang, the founder and CEO of Etexsense, explains this means people can ‘manage their own health conditions at home’.
This is an issue of growing importance as there are 1.2 million stroke survivors in the UK and two thirds leave hospital with a disability, with a current annual cost to health and social care of £26 billion. According to a NICE report, by 2035, it is estimated stroke survivors leaving hospital with a disability will increase by a third and the projected costs could rise to between £61 billion and £91 billion.
Like many start-ups, Etexsense faced challenges surrounding a lack of funding and wider expertise and this is where Kai Yang saw value in the Advanced Wellbeing Research Centre (AWRC) Accelerator Programme. The AWRC provided funding for Etexsense to continue and develop their product and access to a range of expert mentors from across industrial design, product evaluation and medical device regulatory expertise. As Kai Yang reflected:
“One of the biggest barriers we faced was the lack of expertise and funding for the industrial design of our product. AWRC Accelerator not only funded the design but also found us a great design team to work with. This has advanced the status of our product and enabled us to gain significant knowledge through the collaboration”
Etexsense received support from experts at Sheffield Hallam University such as Engineer Ben Heller, Matt Willox and Mark Phillips who aided the design of the product by using new types of electrodes which provide increased longevity of the product and improve its useability. The project was also supported by Ian Swain, Professor at Bournemouth University, with extensive clinical experience on stroke rehabilitation. Paul Taylor, Clinical Director of Odstock Medical, found working with Etexsense as part of the AWRC Accelerator programme a great experience as Paul explained:
“Engineers and designers in Sheffield came with fresh ideas which was useful and gave us a new perspective on what we were trying to do which I think really helped pushed the project forward”
The Accelerator programme also provided Etexsense with industry support through their mentor Mark Holmshaw, former president and CEO of Canon Medical Systems, who provided Kai Yang and her team with a wealth of experience. Mark provided insight into commercialisation such as how the Etexsense product could be developed for new uses for example within elite sport rehabilitation, further extending the potential impact of the technology into the future.
Kai Yang found a range of benefits in engaging with the Accelerator programme including the dedicated and supportive AWRC community, the workshops, and mentors. As well as the peer-to-peer support which led her to building new connections and gaining advice from peers in similar industries.
