UCC Invention of the Year announced
08.04.2011
Two ground breaking new technologies – an advanced new system for the treatment of lung cancer and a Nanoelectronics invention which will enable the further miniaturisation of microchips - have jointly won the UCC Invention of the Year Award announced last evening (April 7th 2011). Both inventions are considered to have excellent future potential. The Invention of the Year Award recognises the world class research being undertaken at UCC which has developed a strong track record in commercialising and spinning-out projects in disciplines ranging from life sciences and pharmacology to ICT and engineering.

The awards were presented by UCC President Dr. Michael Murphy who congratulated the two winning research teams “for their immense foresight, perseverance and inventive capacity”. Several other UCC research projects and inventions were also very highly commended in the evaluation process.

Winners of the UCC Invention of the Year Award
Dr Scott Monaghan and Dr Ian Povey, Tyndall National Research Institute (UCC)
With the global semiconductor industry now pursuing the miniaturisation of microchip technologies to atomic levels, researchers from the Tyndall National Institute have developed a new capacitor insulator material. This invention will have an ultimate market application in the further miniaturisation of portable communications devices together with reduced power consumption and extended battery life. This is presently a massive commercial priority for the semiconductor industry and consumer electronics manufacturers.

Declan Soden and John Hinchion, Cork Cancer Research Centre (UCC)
Lung Laparoscopic Electroporation Electrode
Declan Soden and John Hinchion, principal investigators at the Cork Cancer Research Centre have invented an innovative new laparoscopic device for the non-invasive treatment of lung cancer.
The Lung Laparoscopic Electroporation Electrode (LLEE) device is a laparoscopic system that delivers, in a targeted manner, an electrical field to tumour tissue. The cytotoxic cell killing drug absorbtion occurs only in the area that has been electroporated (i.e., when the cell pores are opened using electrodes) and the treatment is directly targeted into the cancerous cells in the tumour, leaving surrounding healthy tissues unaffected.

UCC President Dr Michael Murphy said: “The ability to commercialise Irish research projects and to bring them to a global market will be a vital contributor to the renewal and recovery of our economy. Innovative research at UCC is yielding a tangible return on investment for the State and benefits for industry, society and the economy through the licensing and spin-out of patented research and new companies”.

The awards event was sponsored by Ronan Daly Jermyn, Solicitors together with the Office of Technology Transfer. The UCC Invention of the Year award was sponsored by PURDYLUCEY Intellectual Property Patent Agents.

For more information see http://techtransfer.ucc.ie

Picture: Dr Scott Monaghan, Tyndall (joint winner of UCC Invention of the Year 2010 Award); President of UCC, Dr Michael Murphy; Brendan Cremen, Director of Technology Transfer, UCC; Dr Ian Povey; Tyndall (joint winner of UCC Invention of the Year 2010 Award) Declan Soden( joint winner of UCC Invention of the Year 2010 Award).

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