Our entrepreneurs: Manoj Kumar

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In our latest #OurEntrepreneurs profile we meet cohort 7 Clinical Entrepreneur Manoj Kumar, Medical Registrar.

Tell us a bit about yourself 

I am the Founder and Director of Rathin Med Ltd, a company committed to bring inventive prototypes in digital health and diagnostic to the UK. I am also a medical registrar working in North Manchester Hospital. With several years of experience in Medicine, I have always been intrigued in bringing innovative technology into practice in the UK, which led me to secure a place the NHS Clinical Entrepreneur Programme.

Name: Manoj Kumar, Cohort 7.

Occupation: Medical Registrar.

Location: North Manchester General Hospital

Why did you apply to the programme and what are you looking forward to?

My working life has been a part of two of the oldest professions mankind has known, medicine and commerce. Being a senior doctor, I had comprehensive training in my communication, leadership and team working skills which I have effectively implemented into my start-up company. In a digital world, running businesses has become both easier and more challenging. Traditional business practices require modifications viable for the modern global economy. As a part of my Innovate UK project- SMASH I will work closely with CROs, Regulatory specialists assisting in arranging pilots for MHRA and UKCA/CE approvals. So, I strongly believe a programme like NHS Clinical Entrepreneur is a requisite to streamline my experiences and expand my horizons.

Tell us about your innovation  

As a Project Lead, I won Eureka Eurostar 3 Call 2 competition in July 2022 in collaboration with a Swedish company Innovosens securing a funding of €200,000 together from Innovate UK and Vinnova Sweden to develop SMASH. SMASH-Sweat Metabolite Analysis for Sports and Health, a product of Innovosens is an AI-powered non-invasive sweat wearable sensor for continuous real time monitoring of Glucose and Lactate. It has 3 components- A Microfluidic Sweat Sensor, Electronic Reader, and an App.

The SMASH device will enable real-time monitoring of biomarkers allowing diabetic users to access personalised health management. Our new figures show that 4.3 million people are now living with a diagnosis of diabetes in the UK. Registration figures for 2021-22 are up by 148,951 from 2020-21, and more than 2.4 million people are at high risk of developing type 2 diabetes in the UK. Approximately 90% of diagnoses are of type 2 diabetes, and around 8% of diagnoses are Type 1 Diabetes, with the other forms of the condition making up the remaining 2%. We estimate there are an additional 850,000 people living with diabetes who are yet to be diagnosed, bringing the overall UK-wide figure beyond five million.

Personalised health management achieved via the SMASH device will contribute to increased wellbeing, improved physical health and lead to a more productive society.

What motivates you? 

Innovation has been a driving force for healthcare, and I have always been intrigued with bringing innovative technology into practice in the UK. I am working on a wearable from Sweden that helps in real time monitoring of blood sugar and lactate. This illustrates making better use of data and digital technology which is one of the key features of NHS Long Term Plan. My goal is to introduce such unique modern technologies that would benefit National Health Service (NHS, UK) and humanity.

What are your ambitions for the next year?

SMASH is undergoing the process of miniaturizing the size of the microfluidic chip inside the device from 5mm to 3mm. The gold standard testing is being done to make sure the electronics works in line with Palmsens potentiostat. SMASH is progressing towards TRL stage 6 with all necessary first version electronics, sensors and microfluidics are under development.

In the Innovate UK project we are heading towards the end of second quarter. We are looking for piloting SMASH in NHS Hospitals this year. We are hopeful to market it as a Health and Wellness device by 2024.

Why do you think innovation is important in healthcare?

Virtually every aspect of modern life will continue to be reshaped by innovation and technology – healthcare is no exception. Medical technology is continually opening new possibilities for prevention, care and treatment. These technologies can empower consumers to make better-informed decisions about their own health and provide new options for facilitating prevention, early diagnosis of life-threatening diseases, and management of chronic conditions outside of traditional health care settings.

How can we find out more?

Please visit http://www.rathinmed.co.uk for more information.

References:

TRANSFORMING HEALTHCARE THROUGH INNOVATION