Pictured above: (l-r) Max Oulford (Healthcare and Bioscience iNet), Peter Ford (De Montfort University Head of Commercial Design), Brian Conway (Lord Stafford Awards Judge) and Trevor Wills (Director ALBERT UK)

A revolutionary take on existing urinary drain technology has put a Derbyshire electro medical specialist in the running for a prestigious innovation award.  

The A Logic Belt, Electronic Remote Tap (ALBERT) system, a joint project between ALBERT UK Ltd and DeMontford University, has been short-listed in the Innovation in Development category at the 2010 Lord Stafford Awards.  

ALBERT tackles the issues of urinary infection and the difficulties of actually emptying the drain, which in some cases can require a second person.

Current drains are made up of bags worn along the inside of the calf with an outlet tap next to the ankle. These can be difficult to reach for some elderly users and there is no way of informing the wearer when the bag is full, which can lead to reflux and potential infection. This combination of issues has been found to cause users to reduce their fluid intake, which increases risk of infection still further.

To overcome these problems, the ALBERT device replaces the tap with a miniature electronic pump and also includes a level detector to determine when the bag needs to be drained.  When it does reach near fullness the user is warned audibly, visibly and by vibration with repeat warnings every five minutes. To empty the user simply presses one button and a pint of fluid will be discharged in 30 seconds.

Trevor Wills, director of ALBERT UK, takes up the story: "ALBERT came about after my father suffered a serious stroke which necessitated him wearing a leg bag.  This created issues when we wanted to take him out and caused one or two embarrassing moments.

"This fired my imagination and I began work on an improved product and won a Smart Award from the DTI that allowed me to carry out a feasibility study.  The level detector, electronics and pump design were soon completed in house and I then approached DeMontford for help with the cosmetic design and certain commercial elements.

"The collaboration has been hugely beneficial to us both, allowing the company to turn an idea into a viable product for the marketplace and university staff and students to be involved in a major knowledge transfer, evolving their skill pool as they move forward."

The final prototype has been exhibited in the UK, Germany and Dubai and has so far attracted substantial interest. The Middle East has been the biggest advocate with confirmed orders awaiting the first batch of manufacture. 

 This has given the company the confidence to make a global impact with the product, something they feel the Lord Stafford nomination can help with.

"The interest generated from our exhibitions has led to the appointment of UK, European and Middle Eastern agents for the product, which gives us a foothold in each market," explained Trevor.

"Being nominated for this award provides us with further publicity to aid our attempts to market the product and is a big boost for ourselves and the university; it shows we are doing something right."

Established in 2003 to market and manufacture ALBERT, the company currently employs two staff from its Chesterfield base and provides solutions across the complex field of Urology including night bags, catheters and wound drainage systems.

Brian Conway, Lord Stafford Awards judge, said: "The ALBERT and DeMontford University application was extremely impressive.  Issues of this type are sensitive by their very nature and the system offers a chance for users and their families to deal with them with discretion and dignity.

"This collaboration is a perfect example of what the Lord Stafford Awards are all about and thoroughly deserves it's nomination in this year's awards."

The winners of the awards, which cover 'Innovation Achieved', 'Innovation in Development' and 'Innovation for Sustainability', will be announced at a high-profile finale on September 9th at Athena in Leicester.

Sponsors for the event include the East Midlands Development Agency, the East Midlands Universities Association, CFE, Connect Midlands, epm: technology ltd, Swindell and Pearson, Leicester and Leicestershire Leadership Group to the list of sponsors and the Enterprise Europe Network.

For further information, visit www.thelordstaffordawards.co.uk