A quick-to-install, compact device that provides an isolated electrical supply without the need for a centrally controlled IPS system, and reportedly offers cost savings of approximately 75% compared with existing, bulkier units, is now available from Starkstrom.
The Mini Isolated Power Supply (mIPS) has been invented by Dr Fares Mayia, a principal physicist in the Medical Physics Department of the Oxford Radcliffe Hospitals NHS Trust, and former winner of the NISE “Inventor of the Quarter” Award. It was developed with help from NHS Innovations South East (NISE), which provided proof of concept funding, helped to protect intellectual property, and negotiated with commercial partner, Starkstrom, which is responsible for further development, manufacturing, and sales. Installable in a single day, compared, NISE says, with seven for a “typical” current IPS system, the mIPS is claimed to offer “a substantial increase in patient and staff safety”, plus a 50% increase in capacity and load handling over existing equipment. Incorporated in a spacesaving, wall-mounted unit, it meets MHRA MEIGaN, HTM 06-01, and IEC60364-7-710 electrical safety standards, and incorporates “innovative energy-saving features”. Dr John Stedman, CEO of NISE, said: “Although the mIPS looks simple, it is actually a technically complex piece of kit, and vital during surgical procedures. Because it can be installed so quickly, there is no disruption to clinics. “A patented solution, it has huge commercial potential. Wider applications include field hospitals, and use in the wake of natural disasters and conflict zones.”
