Nawar Al-Zebari is one of the finalists for The Inventor Prize, which seeks out the UK’s best new inventors and ideas.
plasma
The prize was launched in August 2017, in partnership with the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy. Inventors are invited to submit ideas for inventions that tackle a social issue.
Cambridge-based Al-Zebari, a medical material scientist, has created a catheter, the ‘NuCath’ from smart materials that can change shape accordingly.
According to Cambridge Network, the invention came about when a member of Al-Zebari’s family was diagnosed with cancer and he saw the flaws in their current catheter system, which became infected due to a compromised immune system. Fighting the infection hindered recovery – a problem that Al-Zebari found was not uncommon in such cases.
The catheter aims to improve drainage and lower urinary tract infections which are a huge cost to the NHS each year.
Al-Zebari told Cambridge Network: “As a medical researcher, I work with new ideas and innovations everyday. I had wanted to create something using smart materials for some time. When someone in my family became ill, I saw first-hand how the catheter system could be improved. My relative, who was already undergoing chemotherapy and radiotherapy, had to fight off an infection too. I hope by improving the catheter system, I can help patients beat their main health issue without the added threat of a urinary tract infection.”
Al-Zebari is one of ten shortlisted companies who have received £5,000 to help take the ideas to the next level. The winner will be announced in September this year and will be awarded £50,000.