16 - 17

Incontinence: The Engineering Challenge XIII

Name: Incontinence: The Engineering Challenge XIII
Start: 2021-11-16T09:40:00
Location: Conference

Conference, Live Online

16 November 2021 - 17 November 2021
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Complimentary delegate places for clinicians, patients and caregivers from low- and middle-income countries

If you are a clinician, patient or caregiver from a low- or middle-income country and would like to attend this online conference, please email us.

Overview

The 13th biennial Incontinence: The Engineering Challenge conference aims to inform, encourage and inspire those keen to improve technology for diagnosing, treating, or managing urinary or faecal incontinence.

Previous iterations have been highly multidisciplinary, with delegates typically comprising ~50% research and development colleagues in industry; ~15% clinicians; ~15% academic researchers; ~10% colleagues from government and not-for-profit organisations; and ~10% people who live with incontinence. A diverse range of speakers and attendees has given rise to rich and stimulating discussion, collaboration across sectors and ultimately improvements for those using continence products and caregivers.

This year, the conference programme will be themed sessions of presentations, posters, workshops and a product user panel.

Themed sessions will include topics such as:

Incontinence technology in low resource settings
The aim of this session is to discuss the specific challenges for continence management that communities in low resource settings face. Often, such challenges are influenced by gaps in service delivery, economics, climate, and cultural aspects amongst others.

This informative session will include presentations from WHO, UNICEF, and in-country partner representatives - that will look to discuss current projects implementing and evaluating continence technologies in Eastern Europe, South Asia and the Pacific. UNICEF will describe their role in design and innovation of continence technologies. This session will include a live Q&A session involving people from those local projects in India, Papua New Guinea and Romania. In order to encourage international attendance, the session is being held early in the day (BST) to enable people from different time zones to more easily attend.

Apps for Continence
There are many examples of continence apps available, and many are currently being developed, this session will include presentations from groups active in this area, and an open discussion on the pros and cons of these apps. The discussion will be brought into focus by a keynote lecture from Lauren Harkins, Senior Programme Lead - DTAC and Digital Health, NHSX.

Posters and Flash Presentations
Selected abstract submissions will be presented their work in a poster format which will be accessible to delegates online throughout the conference. The programme will also include short Flash Presentations summarising current research projects. Authors will be available for questions throughout the conference in virtual booths and networking lounges.

Product user panel
A panel of product users will share their experiences of managing bladder and bowel incontinence using a range of products. They will share their stories, challenges, and priorities in product design and usability. This session is an opportunity for delegates to ask questions to really understand what people need from products, where they fall short and how they can be improved. This year, an online format offers a unique opportunity to broaden this discussion by including end users from outside of the UK.

Workshops
Workshops will take place on the end of day one. Further information to be announced.

Networking
Opportunities to network will be available throughout the day in various online formats including networking lounges, 1-2-1 chat function, poster sessions, and workshops.

After the conference
Conference sessions will be recorded and, as a delegate, you will gain have free access to the recordings via the IMechE YouTube post-event.

Organising Committee

Biomedical Engineering Association, Institution of Mechanical Engineers

Member Credits:

Alan Cottenden, Emeritus Professor of Incontinence Technology, University College London
Peter Culmer, Associate Professor, Surgical Technologies Lab, School of Mechanical Engineering, University of Leeds
Andrew Gammie, Clinical Engineer, Bristol Urological Institute, Southmead Hospital
Margaret Macaulay, Research Nurse, University of Southampton
Lesley Orme, New Product Development Manager, CliniMed Limited

View the full programme and book your place at this online conference

Booking multiple tickets (group discounts available), on behalf of someone else or need us to make a reasonable adjustment in order for you to attend this event? Email us

Day 1

09:40 - Conference Programme

Tuesday, 16 November 2021
Session One
09:40	Chair’s Opening Remarks Peter Culmer Associate Professor in Surgical Technologies, University of Leeds Alan Cottenden, Emeritus Professor of Incontinence Technology, University College London
	Findings from the 7^th International Consultation on Incontinence
09:50	Keynote: Research priorities for technology for managing incontinence Mandy Fader, Professor of Continence Technology, University of Southampton Every five years or so around 200 experts from across the world join forces to capture in one (rather thick) book current evidence-based wisdom on how best to diagnose, treat and manage urinary and faecal incontinence, and to highlight where further research and development work is most needed. The 7th such consultation is currently nearing completion, and its findings are scheduled for publication in early 2022. Mandy Fader and Andrew Gammie are members of the teams of authors responsible for the chapters covering technology for diagnosing (Andrew) and for managing (Mandy) incontinence and in these two keynote lectures they will share their teams' findings.
10:20	Question and Answer Session
10:25	Keynote: Research developments and priorities for diagnostic instrumentation for incontinence Andrew Gammie, Clinical Engineer, Bristol Urological Institute
10:35	Question and Answer Session
10:40	Poster and Flash Presentation Session: The challenge to think differently about what we do Recovery from Stress Incontinence is Accelerated by Stem Cell Secretome Treatment QiVi: A safe, non-invasive alternative to IUC A Comprehensive Approach to Faecal Incontinence Management Evaluating the implications of pH buffering capacity of two incontinence products on moisture-insulted skin Reducing contamination rates in urine collection for precontinent children URApp: a smartphone app to aid bladder training in young people Long-term urinary catheter use: catheter user experiences and perspectives of catheter practices and design
11:20	Break
11:45	Product User Panel A panel of product users will share their experiences of managing bladder and bowel incontinence using a range of products. They will share their stories, challenges, and priorities in product design and usability. This session is an opportunity for delegates to ask questions to really understand what people need from products, where they fall short and how they can be improved. This year, an online format offers a unique opportunity to broaden this discussion by including end users from outside of the UK.
12:45	End of Session One
	Modelling urinary tract (dys)function
13:30	Wave propagation investigations in an in-vitro model of the male urethra Lukas Bereuter, Senior Engineer, Urogenital Engineering Group, ARTORG Center, University of Bern
13:40	Three-dimensional computational simulations of urinary flow in the stented ureter Dario Carugo, Lecturer in Pharmaceutical Nanotechnology and Nanofabrication, UCL School of Pharmacy (Department of Pharmaceutics), University College London
13:50	Questioning assumptions in modelling bladder contractility Andrew Gammie, Clinical Engineer, Bristol Urological Institute
14:00	Question and Answer Session
	Incontinence and Skin Health
14:10	Why wet feels wet? An overview of the biophysical and neurophysiological bases of human skin wetness sensing Davide Filingeri, Associate Professor, Skin Health Research Group, University of Southampton
14:20	Results of a questionnaire to investigate incontinence and incontinence-associated dermatitis in a community-based population Rachel Morecroft, PhD Student, University of Sheffield
14:30	Friction between human skin and incontinence pads in the presence of barrier protection products Matt Carre, Reader in Mechanical Engineering, University of Sheffield
14:40	Utility of skin impedance in monitoring incontinence associated dermatitis Emily Owen, PhD Student, University of Bath
14:50	Question and Answer Session
15:00	Break
	Urinary indwelling and intermittent catheter developments
15:25	Examining urease inhibitors as a therapeutic treatment against urinary catheter blockage Rachel Heylen, Postgraduate Research Student, University of Bath
15:35	Development of an infection responsive coating to control bacterial biofilm formation and encrustation of urinary catheters Anthony Slate, Research Associate, University of Bath
15:45	Evaluation of the effect of low frequency ultrasound on urinary catheter biofilms Bridget Clancy, Research Nurse and Sandra Wilks, Lecturer, Director of Programmes Health, University of Southampton
15:55	Using advanced imaging techniques to better understand catheter-associated biofilms Sandra Wilks, Lecturer, Director of Programmes Health, University of Southampton
16:05	The multicath trial Margaret Macaulay, Research Nurse, University of Southampton
16:15	Question and Answer Session
16:25	Chair's Closing Remarks
16:30	Workshops 50-minute workshops will take place at the end of the first day of the conference. Prior to the day, delegates will be invited to register one of the three workshops available. Title: From proof of concept to patient ready medical device Leader: Roger Holmes, Co-Founder & Chief Executive, The Flume Catheter Company Abstract: Who would benefit? Do you have an idea for a new device and wondered what might be involved in developing it and bringing it to a reality? Or, are you some way along the journey of developing a new medical device and would be keen to learn from the experience of others? We will draw on our experience (good and bad!) of developing the FLUME indwelling urinary catheter aimed at 100m patients globally, to give you the following takeaways: 1. A Roadmap of the main streams of activity involved in bringing a device to reality; 2. Pre departure checklist! - What you should check before you embark! 3. Typical timelines, costs and sources of funding 4. A framework by which to assess the relative degree of difficulty of your medical device idea 5. Key lessons so far from our experience Title: Surgical MIC app: seeking feedback from attendees Leader: Vee Mapunde, Programme Director, NIHR Surgical MedTech Co-operative Abstract: The NIHR Surgical MedTech Cooperative leads a national multidisciplinary network for surgical technologies research, which also includes incontinence as part of its colorectal theme. Our success is dependent on our ability to facilitate new research collaborations, so we have developed a smartphone app that we are keen to get feedback on, before we launch it in 2022. We are keen to understand what works well and what doesn’t, as well as suggestions on how we can better support you make those vital connections. Prior to attending, please download the test version of the app here - https://surgicalmic.nihr.ac.uk/get-involved-2/surgical-mic-app/. Title: Incontinence for Engineers: an introduction Leader: Veronica Haggar, Clinical Nurse Specialist, Northampton General Hospital Abstract: If you are (fairly) new to the field, this workshop is designed for you. Veronica Haggar - currently urogynaecology nurse specialist in Northampton, but with many years' experience in continence care for both genders - will take you through the basics of urinary and faecal incontinence, focusing particularly on those aspects of importance to engineers and scientists keen to develop effective technology for diagnosis, treatment or management. What are the main causes, types and consequences of incontinence? What's it like to live with? What are the challenges? What matters most to the people who will use the technology you are developing? The workshop will mostly be a presentation from Veronica, but there will be opportunity for questions and discussion.
17:20	End of Day One

Day 2

07:45 - Conference Programme

Wednesday, 17 November 2021
Session One
07:45	Chair’s Opening Remarks
07:55	Incontinence technology in low resource settings The aim of this session is to discuss the specific challenges for continence management that communities in low resource settings face. Often, such challenges are influenced by gaps in service delivery, economics, climate, and cultural aspects amongst others. This informative session will include presentations from WHO, UNICEF, and in-country partner representatives - that will look to discuss current projects implementing and evaluating continence technologies in Eastern Europe, South Asia and the Pacific. UNICEF will describe their role in design and innovation of continence technologies. This session will include a live Q&A session involving people from those local projects in India, Papua New Guinea and Romania. In order to encourage international attendance, the session is being held early in the day (BST) to enable people from different time zones to more easily attend.
09:25	Break
09:50	Keynote: Non-invasive bladder drainage for women: needs and challenges Angie Rantell, Lead Nurse Urogynaecology/Nurse Cystoscopist, King's College Hospital, London The clinical and patent literature records numerous attempts to design devices that will deliver effective non-invasive bladder drainage for women. However, few have made it to market; none has achieved widespread success; and the need persists. In this talk, Dr Angie Rantell will describes the needs, critique recent attempts to meet them, and highlight the key issues to be addressed by anyone hoping to do better.
10:10	Question and Answer Session
10:15	Keynote: Incontinence and regenerative medicine, present and future Richard Day, Director of the Centre for Precision Healthcare and UCL Applied Biomedical Engineering Group, UCL Division of Medicine, University College London Everyone with incontinence – urinary or faecal – would rather be cured than provided with the means for managing it, however well-designed and effective the products. And regenerative medicine – which has long held the hope of providing cure for some people with some kinds of incontinence – is beginning to show serious promise. In this talk Richard Day will draw on recent findings from his and others’ labs to explain what is currently possible and what might be coming soon.
10:35	Question and Answer Session
	Pumped Devices
10:40	Development of a toilet-incorporated medical electric bed and a male urine collector for managing elderly incontinent persons Sangsoo Park, Professor, Biomedical Engineering, Eulji University
10:50	Question and Answer Session
10:55	Poster Booths/Break
	Apps for Incontinence
11:45	Keynote: Lauren Harkins, Senior Programme Lead - DTAC and Digital Health, NHSX
12:05	Question and Answer Session
12:10	Development of “CONfidence” – the continence promotion, self-help app Nikki Cotterill, Associate Professor in Continence Care, University of West of England
12:20	The use of apps to support and improve adherence Myra Robson, Senior Physiotherapist, Squeezy App
12:30	Let’s Go! Co-designing a smartwatch application to help children and families self-manage paediatric incontinence Gemma Wheeler, Design Researcher, Lab4Living, Sheffield Hallam University
12:40	A new level of incontinence care with smart technology Jens Hellmold, Group R&D Manager Product Technology, Ontex
12:50	Question and Answer Session
13:00	Break
13:40	Poster prize announcement
	Understanding User Needs
13:45	Incontinence and Mental Wellbeing Chris Chatterton
13:55	Dementia and incontinence: A survey of carer experiences and needs Cathy Murphy, Senior Research Fellow, School of Health Sciences, University of Southampton
14:05	The cost of nocturnal enuresis to families and the healthcare system Monica Armengol, Researcher, University of Oxford
14:15	Incontinence in Humanitarian Settings – Responding to a Challenging Issue in Challenging Contexts Michelle Farrington, Public Health Promotion and Community Engagement Lead, Oxfam
14:25	Question and Answer Session
14:35	Keynote: Socially Assistive Robots: Making a Positive Impact on Healthy Aging Goldie Nejat, Professor, Mechanical Engineering, University of Toronto Robots are playing important roles in our society especially in a post-pandemic world, aiding people in everyday life at work and at home. In this talk, we explore the field of socially assistive robots and how our team is developing these robots to meet the urgent and immediate needs of our ageing population. These intelligent assistive robots can improve quality of life and promote independence (aging-in-place) of older adults, including those living with dementia. Our robots Brian, Casper, Tangy, Blueberry, Salt and Pepper, and Luke and Leia can provide cognitive and social interventions, help with activities of daily living, and facilitate group activities. The robots are emotional intelligent and learn to personalise their interactions and behaviours to the needs of their users. Robot in the wild user studies that have been conducted with older adults in care settings will be discussed to highlight how these robots can effectively be integrated into everyday life…and in the future how such robots can help manage incontinence.
14:55	Question and Answer Session
15:00	Keynote: Who, What, Wear: A Closer Look at Clothes and Wearables Lucy Dunne, Professor, Department of Design, Housing, and Apparel in the College of Design, University of Minnesota We all wear clothes, but how much do you know about how they work? The physics and physiology of clothing systems are complex and interesting, and are the foundation of how wearable technologies function. From the earliest fabric technologies to advanced e-textiles and computing devices, on-body technologies mediate the body's functions as well as the immediate environment. In this lecture, Dr. Lucy Dunne, co-Director of the University of Minnesota's Wearable Technology Lab will discuss the development of incontinence-related technology from thermal management systems to advanced sensing systems, as well as the ways in which these technologies are developed for wearability and comfort.
15:20	Question and Answer Session
15:25	Break
	Devices and technology to address incontinence challenges
15:50	Point-of-care technology for the simultaneous measurement of three bacteria causing urinary tract infections Richard Luxton, Director of IBST, University of West of England
16:00	A Research Intervention in the Un/Sustainable Futures of the Adult Incontinence Pad Tiina Vaittinen, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Tampere University
16:10	Automated AUP – a novel method to characterize Superabsorbent Polymers Thomas Daniel, Vice President, BASF SE
16:20	Towards Long-Term Bladder Monitoring with Single-Channel Detrusor Pressure Estimation Farhath Zareen, Graduate Research Assistant, University of South Florida
16:30	Question and Answer Session
16:40	Chair’s Closing Remarks
16:45	End of Conference

Organising Committee Member: Alan Cottenden, Emeritus Professor of Incontinence Technology, University College London

Alan Cottenden is Emeritus Professor of Incontinence Technology at University College London, England. Involved in continence technology R&D for over 30 years, he has engaged in diverse projects from fundamental and applied physical and life sciences research through translational research work, commercial consultancy, product design and development, and international standards work. He has published more than 250 scientific and clinical publications, refereed conference contributions and patents. He serves on the board of the IMechE’s Biomedical Engineering Association and chairs the organising committees for the Incontinence: The Engineering Challenge events, and the Simon Foundation’s Innovating for Continence sister conferences in the USA.

Organising Committee Member: Peter Culmer, Associate Professor, Surgical Technologies Lab, School of Mechanical Engineering, University of Leeds

Dr Peter Culmer is Associate Professor at the University of Leeds where he leads the multidisciplinary Surgical Technologies research group. Dr Culmer works closely with healthcare professionals and industry partners and has secured over £5M funding from sources including EPSRC, MRC, NIHR and the Leverhulme Trust. His research achieves impact clinically and he plays an active part in the medical research community as board member of the NIHR HTC in Colorectal Therapies and iMechE’s Biomedical Engineering Association. As academic lead of the EPSRC IMPRESS Network he is passionate about understanding and developing technology to help people with incontinence.

Organising Committee Member: Andrew Gammie, Clinical Engineer, Bristol Urological Institute

Andrew Gammie is the Clinical Engineer for the Bristol Urological Institute, working in research and clinic with diagnostics, urodynamics training, equipment development and consultancy. He also works overseas as a consultant for developing countries in equipment procurement, maintenance training and management and has been the chair of several IET conferences on Appropriate Healthcare Technology for Low Resource Settings.

Organising Committee Member: Margaret Macaulay, Research Nurse, University of Southampton

Margaret Macaulay is a research nurse at the Continence & Skin Technology Group, University College London and University of Southampton. She works with Professor Cottenden and Professor Fader project managing two research programmes: The MultICath study is a major National Health Service funded research programme to investigate re-use of catheters for intermittent self-catheterisation; The Prostate Cancer UK TrueNTH continence programme aims to develop a range of interventions (website, assessment tools and new products) to assist men in managing urinary incontinence following treatment for prostate cancer. Her background is as a urology nurse and community–based continence nurse specialist.

Organising Committee Member: Lesley Orme, New Product Development Manager, CliniMed Limited

Lesley Orme is the New Product Development Manager at CliniMed Ltd, Loudwater, Buckinghamshire. She qualified as a nurse at St Thomas’ Hospital, London and has been involved in the Medical Devices industry for over 30 years. Her new product development work has enabled her to work with clinicians, patients, industry and universities in the areas of Stoma Care, Urology & Continence and Skincare. Her responsibilities include market research, Drug Tariff submissions and the launch / early commercialisation of medical devices into the NHS and private medical sector.

Keynote speaker: Angie Rantell, Lead Nurse Gynaecology, King’s College Hospital, London

Angie gained a BSc (Hons) in Nursing Studies from King’s College London in 2003. She started working in the field of women’s health, first as a staff nurse and then as a sister on a Gynaecology, breast care and early pregnancy ward.

Since 2007, Angie has been working in the Urogynaecology Department at King’s College Hospital and is currently the lead nurse / nurse cystoscopist. She works as part of a multidisciplinary team of consultant urogynaecologists, doctors in training, nurses and physiotherapists. The unit provides care for women with pelvic flor dysfunction from the local community and many tertiary referrals. The full range of investigations, conservative, pharmaceutical and surgical therapies are provided

She is actively involved in research and has just completed a PhD investigating sexual function in women with overactive bladder. To date she has published over 35 articles in peer reviewed journals and has written book chapters and contributed to National guidelines. She was the first Urogynaecology Nurse Cystoscopist in the country and now runs courses and teaches ambulatory Urogynaecology procedures to both doctors and nurses. As well as her clinical and research activities she provides advice to governmental bodies including NHS England and Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCG’s) throughout the UK.

Keynote speaker: Goldie Nejat, Professor, Mechanical Engineering, University of Toronto

Goldie Nejat, PhD, P.Eng. is a Professor in the Department of Mechanical & Industrial Engineering at the University of Toronto, and the Founder and Director of the Autonomous Systems and Biomechatronics (ASBLab) Laboratory. Dr. Nejat is also an Adjunct Scientist at the Toronto Rehabilitation Institute. She received both her BASc and PhD degrees in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Toronto.

Dr. Nejat is a world renowned expert in developing intelligent service/personal robots for applications in health, elderly care, emergency response, search and rescue, security and surveillance, and manufacturing. A major goal of her research is to develop and integrate intelligent socially assistive robots for assistive human-robot interactions (HRI) in healthcare facilities, private homes and for high stress and dangerous jobs. Dr. Nejat’s research is leading the development of intelligent assistive robotic aids that can meet the challenges posed by an aging population. She collaborates with international researchers, healthcare experts and healthcare facilities to develop robots and devices that can be effectively transferred and integrated into people’s everyday lives. Dr. Nejat is helping to change the face of robotics and her work is at the forefront of robotics research. Her research is constantly pushing the envelope of the capabilities of current robots.

In 2008, Dr. Nejat received an NSERC University Faculty Award. She also received the 2012 Professional Engineers of Ontario Young Engineer Medal and the 2013 Engineers Canada Young Engineer Achievement Award, both awards are for her exceptional achievements in the field of robotics at a young age.

Keynote speaker: Lucy Dunne, Professor, Department of Design, Housing, and Apparel in the College of Design, University of Minnesota

Lucy E. Dunne, Ph.D., is a professor in the Department of Design, Housing, and Apparel in the College of Design at the University of Minnesota. She is also co-director of the Wearable Technology Lab.

Dunne is a co-author (with Susan Watkins) of "Functional Apparel Design: From Sportswear to Space Suits" (Fairchild Books, 2015). Her research is focused on wearability and garment-based wearable technology, and explores new functionality in apparel, human-device interfaces, production and manufacture, and human factors of wearable products.

Dunne has received the National Science Foundation’s CAREER award and the NASA Silver Achievement Medal for her work with functional clothing and wearable technology.

Keynote speaker: Mandy Fader, Professor of Continence Technology, University of Southampton

Mandy Fader received her nursing qualification in 1980. She began her career in continence at University College London (UCL) and joined the clinical continence team in 1984. In 1995 she returned to research at UCL and worked on a programme of continence product evaluations, completing her PhD in 2001. In 2004 she joined the University of Southampton’s Continence Technology and Skin Health group. Mandy was Associate Dean for Research and Director of the Clinical Academic Facility at the Faculty of Health Sciences from February 2013 to February 2016 and was appointed as Dean of the Faculty in March 2016.

Keynote speaker: Richard Day, Director of the Centre for Precision Healthcare and UCL Applied Biomedical Engineering Group, UCL Division of Medicine, University College London

Richard Day is Director of the Centre for Precision Healthcare and lead the UCL Applied Biomedical Engineering Group, both based in the UCL Division of Medicine. The group is affiliated to the Research Department of Experimental and Translational Medicine.

His research interests are centred on the application of biomedical engineering, primarily through tissue engineering and regenerative medicine, to provide healthcare solutions for debilitating conditions, which contribute to the UCL Grand Challenge of Human Wellbeing. To enable this, we have inter-disciplinary research collaborations with other UCL groups in the Faculties of Engineering, Life Sciences, Mathematical & Physical Sciences, and Medical Sciences, as well as clinical and surgical collaborations at the affiliated University College London Hospital. The group works closely with the UCL Translational Research Office and UCL Business to facilitate clinical translation and commercialisation of our exciting and innovative technology.

Davide Filingeri: Associate Professor, Skin Health Research Group, University of Southampton

Dr Davide Filingeri investigates how the skin senses temperature and wetness, how this influences body temperature regulation and thermal behaviours, and how this integrated system is impaired by neurodegeneration in the form of multiple sclerosis. Following on a PhD in thermal physiology, Davide performed post-doctoral research in basic and clinical thermoregulation at the University of Sydney and at the University of California at Berkeley. In October 2016, Davide was recruited to a research-intensive lectureship by Loughborough University, where he set up the THERMOSENSELAB. In March 2021, Davide joined the University of Southampton’ Skin Health Research Group as an Associate Professor, where he continues to investigate basic and clinical aspects of skin thermo-sensing.

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