Hair loss prevention device for cancer patients wins Irish leg of James Dyson Foundation Awards
Olivia Humphreys, a graduate of Product Design & Technology at University of Limerick, has won €5,800 from the James Dyson Foundation for her invention Athena – a device that can prevent hair loss in patients undergoing chemotherapy.
Humphreys got the idea for the invention after witnessing how much of an impact chemotherapy induced hair loss can have when her mother was affected by cancer in 2019.
Scalp cooling can help prevent hair loss by shrinking the blood vessels and is done by applying cold temperatures to the scalp during chemotherapy treatment. The technique works by limiting blood flow to the scalp thus reducing the amount of the chemo treatment that reaches the head, protecting hair follicles from the exposure to the chemo drugs.
Current scalp cooling devices aren’t readily available and due to their size, cost and lack of availability. Current treatments require patients to sit in a hospital ward for long periods of time.
Current products require the patient to arrive 30 minutes early and stay for 90 minutes after infusion for pre and post scalp cooling. With Athena, patients can manage this aspect of treatment themselves and seamlessly integrate into an infusion appointment with no extra time or attention required, using this device from the comfort of their own homes.
Athena works by utilising low-cost thermoelectric semiconductors called peltiers, and these cool a tank of water, which circulates the cold water around the head with the smartly designed headpiece. The battery powered device allows patients to bring the device home and control it themselves, making it more accessible to the consumer market.
The estimated cost for Athena would be around €1,000, compared to industry machines which can cost €40,000 or more.
Weighing around 3kg, Athena is more portable than the current leading products on the market, which use refrigeration technology requiring constant plugged in power. A full charge can last 3.5 hours, allowing the patient to commute to and from the hospital while cooling and move around during infusion for bathroom visits, etc.
“I decided to build a working prototype to test the capabilities of the Peltier semiconductors,” said Humphries. “Using a Peltier computer cooling fan system, a diaphragm pump, my mum’s old suitcase, and my dad’s plane battery, I was able to create a strong proof of concept to gather valuable feedback to develop the concept. Following this, I focused on the product’s form, creating cardboard and foam models and determining functionality aspects and touchpoints to ensure the best user experience. Ultimately, I arrived at my final model, Athena, which was crafted using SolidWorks 3D CAD modelling.”
Speaking about what is next for this invention, Olivia says: “To elevate Athena to the next level, extensive research and development is required. While working on this project, I have been fortunate to network with Luminate Medical, a company in Galway, Ireland, dedicated to building a better future for cancer care. They have extended an internship offer to me as a research and development engineer. I have accepted and am very eager to apply the insights gained from my own research and development to contribute to their mission.”
Humphries now progresses to the international stage of the James Dyson Award and intends to commercialise Athena by producing a fully functional prototype.
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