It started with a hospital visit in Halmstad in 2011. Today, 14 years later, an innovative safety solution is being tested at Halland Hospital – a product that can prevent serious medication mix-ups during cancer treatments. Behind the development is entrepreneur and former Halmstad resident Micael Törnblom, who, through collaboration with Region Halland and Leap for Life, has brought his idea all the way from a conceptual sketch to a finished product.

When Micael Törnblom accompanied a relative to Halland Hospital for chemotherapy treatment in 2011, he noticed something that made him react. Not because anything went wrong – on the contrary, the treatment worked perfectly. But with his background as a pilot, where safety thinking and redundant systems are a natural part of everyday life, he saw a potential safety risk.

– I was impressed by the nurse, but I also became a bit nervous about how much responsibility rests on a single person to get everything right. I saw how easily things could go wrong if the medications were mixed,” Micael explains. “As pilots, we know we make mistakes, but we have safety systems – there are two of us in the cockpit, we have checklists. I felt that a physical barrier was needed here.

In an oncology ward, patients often have an average of three IV bags hanging, and the nurse must carefully control which fluid should flow at any given moment.

From idea to reality – With the right support

Micael sat down and sketched a solution: a rotary valve that would make it physically impossible to mix medications, even if several IV lines were accidentally opened at the same time. But to move the idea forward, he needed help verifying the need and getting in touch with the healthcare system.

This is where Leap for Life, Halland’s arena for health innovation, entered the picture as a crucial link between the entrepreneur and Region Halland. Leap for Life is a collaboration between Halmstad University and Region Halland, and Region Halland is one of its main financiers.

– As a company, it’s quite difficult to just knock on a door and say ‘Hi, could we present a solution to you?’ That’s not how it works,” Micael explains. “Having Leap for Life do that initial work has been incredibly valuable.

Emma Börjesson describes the organization’s role as bridge-builder between companies and healthcare.

– We connected Micael with nurses from the region and allowed him to verify the idea and the need in a structured way – that this was actually something that was in demand,” Emma says. “For companies, this kind of knowledge and exchange of experience is tremendously valuable.

A long journey – But worth it

From idea to finished product has taken nearly 14 years, but Micael emphasizes that the real development began in 2019, when he decided to drive the project forward himself.

– I had contact with large companies that were interested, but I understood the risk that they might just put it on the shelf. I didn’t want that to happen, Micael says. The idea was never that I would start a company, but when no one else did, I felt a great sense of responsibility.

The circle closes at Halland hospital

When the multi-way valve was tested for four weeks at Halland Hospital, the circle closed. It was at the same hospital where Micael’s relative had been treated in 2011 and where the whole idea was born.

– It’s satisfying to see the circle close, even if it has taken many years, says Emma Börjesson.

–  Micael saw the need at one of the hospitals in the region, came to us for early support, and is now returning with a finished product. It’s not the same people still working in the ward, but it’s the same department.

The reactions from the four nurses who tested the product were unanimously positive. They reported developing new behavior patterns and even stated that they did not want to return to the existing system.

– We think it has been fun to take part in developing better and safer materials. It has also led to important discussions about our work environment and safety thinking in our daily work at the ward, says Hanna Simonsson, head of the oncology and palliative medicine clinic at Halland Hospital.

A model for future innovations

Emma Börjesson highlights the collaboration as an important example of how innovations can develop when all parties contribute.

–  Industry is, to some extent, the development department of healthcare. They are the ones who must produce the products and services that solve healthcare’s problems, she says. For companies to develop relevant solutions, it is crucial that healthcare employees share their time, experience, and knowledge. The competence and insight they contribute are invaluable for the companies.

She also emphasizes Leap for Life’s role as a neutral meeting place focused on knowledge exchange, not buying and selling.

– It would be unreasonable for companies to try to contact healthcare directly to meet nurses. The region doesn’t have the capacity for that – it’s not their main mission. That’s why actors like us exist, to serve as mediators.

The future: Increased patient safety

The multi-way valve can now make a difference for both patients and healthcare staff. The product removes a source of worry from nurses and creates an extra safety barrier in treatment situations where it is truly needed.

– This is exactly what we want to see – innovations that arise from real needs in healthcare coming back and actually being used,” Emma Börjesson concludes. And the fact that it becomes a Swedish company that hires and grows, with production in Sweden, makes it even better.

For Micael Törnblom, seeing his idea become reality brings mixed emotions, including a bit of guilt about doing business from a situation that was difficult for his family. But above all, he believes that the product makes a difference.

– You know that you’re doing something that actually gives back and improves things. And with my piloting experience, I know how important safety systems are. That’s why I felt such a strong responsibility to take this all the way.

Facts

• Region Halland is tasked with running development and research projects from needs or ideas to implementation, with an initial focus on healthcare.

• The Research and Innovation Centre (FIC) is responsible for the region-wide mission and aims to strengthen Region Halland’s ability to conduct research, development, and innovation.

• The Research and Innovation Centre (FIC) also supports regional development in areas such as sustainability, infrastructure, and business development.

Virtual reality is stepping into the wonderful world of art. With today’s VR technology, anyone who isn’t able to physically be present for exhibitions is now able to virtually be a part of what’s actually happening in society, says Emma Börjesson, project leader at Leap for Life.

Research shows that cultural activities have positive effects on our well-being. Sweden also has a national goal where everyone should be able and allowed to participate in cultural life. However, many senior citizens are struggling with participation in cultural events.

With this in mind, Halmstad municipality turned to Leap for Life, an innovation arena located at Halmstad University, and a virtual reality project was initiated.

Leap for Life has been conducting the project “An Art Walk With Digital Glasses”, with the purpose of bringing local art with a strong sense of recognition for senior citizens to those who no longer aren’t able to attend art halls.

“It’s really about testing and exploring the possibilities around utilizing VR for this target group,” Emma Börjesson says.

Filmed with 3D camera

In a collaboration between the cultural administration, the home care administration, the geographical information system in Halmstad municipality, and Danish company TakeAwalk, VR was tested on the target group to investigate the level of susceptibility for this type of technology and how it might be utilized. Leap for Life were responsible for compiling the experience.

“People in the test group were able to have their voice heard and affect the way we produced the VR experience. We had a lot of positive feedback from this part of the project,” says Emma Börjesson.

Because of TakeAwalk’s platform fitting the essential needs of the project, Leap for Life were able to create a local art walk which was then filmed by a 3D camera.

“We documented local art at Halmstad City Hall together with a speaking guide. Afterwards, we compiled a VR viewing which received very nice reviews.”

Navigating with your eyes

For safety reasons, the user, or visitor, is situated in a chair throughout the virtual art walk. For this particular occasion, an office chair was used with the ability to swivel and turn, without forcing the visitor to turn their head – something many senior citizens would otherwise not be able to do.

“This obviously hinders a walk-around-experience, but being able to swivel and turn still creates a sense of actually being there.”

There are symbols in the VR glasses which are activated with the assistance of the user’s eyes. This way, the visitor is navigating between art works and rooms by themselves.

“Our pilot’s quickly understood what they were able to do, and how to do it. We deliberately chose not to have too many symbols, in order to keep things simple.”

There were seven different pieces of artwork being presented. Among them, a mural, a textile piece, a sculpture and a relief. The average visiting time came out to around ten minutes.

All in all, the results were fair and Leap for Life is hoping to have this project further developed and used in different contexts, especially in senior citizen’s homes.

“We’re able to tailor the experiences based on need, there really is no limit to what experiences could be offered,” says Emma Börjesson and continues, “For us, it’s wonderful being able to offer a chance for senior citizens or people with certain restrictions to visit places like this, which they otherwise would not be able to. Only our imagination can stop us now.”

Want to know more about innovation in Halland? Contact us!

Ten years of research at Halmstad University investigating child participation in healthcare resulted in an app. The app was developed by Galaco, a company connected to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, with a clear vision of having children being involved and having a voice on issues directly concerning themselves.

– We have a lot of work to do, and there’s a huge demand. We think it’s important to have a dialogue on the child’s own terms, says Sofia Lindholm, CEO Galaco AB.

Professors Petra Svedberg and Jens Nygren were initially concerned that the clinical research they’d devoted their time to for the last ten years at Halmstad University would become just a report. Which is why they decided to take the leap into the business world. 

Svedberg and Nygren’s research had resulted in different collaborations with people from both health and education. This, in turn, gave them both important insights regarding children’s participation in healthcare. They noticed a clear lack of tools, competence and collaboration – far too important elements to let it get stuck in scientific publications.

– This is about creating a safe space for children in healthcare. For them to feel safe, informed and assured that they can ventilate fears or worries about their state of health, Lindholm explains.

Digital playful communication

Just as the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child became Swedish law on January 1 2020, Svedberg and Nygren founded Galaco based on their mutual research in innovative solutions used practically to make things better for children, and give them a voice in healthcare and education.

– Our ambition is to make it simple and played down, it shouldn’t be difficult for a child. We want them to feel involved and listened to in safe and comfortable conditions, Lindholm says.

The result was a playful, digital communications tool meant to increase the participation of children in healthcare, developed with the support of Svedberg and Nygren’s clinical research. The tool consists of an app where children interact in a virtual environment in order to put words on their thoughts and feelings. 

– It’s based on questions directly aimed at children and their everyday life, like school, their dreams and feelings.

App for children based on research

The app is a platform where the children’s work can be followed up and provide conditions for a care process based on the perspective and needs of the child. Which, in turn, will lead to better resource allocation and increased quality.

– Being able to ask these questions through a gaming format, we can make the children feel safe. But it’s also making it easier for adults to bring up certain tough topics. It’s immensly important for a child to be able to convey their feelings, during for example cancer treatments, Lindholm says.

In what context should the app be used?

– Primarily in healthcare, but we’ve also noticed a certain interest from the educational sector. There are many places in society where children and adults communicate and have interactions, like refugee centers, legal processes and the civil society. Here we are able to really strengthen the rights of the child.

How big is this need for innovation in healthcare?

– The need is big, but demand is too. We all need new ways to meet, new and young companies are able to receive help from larger and more established companies who are able to open doors and use their experience to help advance newcomers on the scene.

Galaco is a succesful startup who, at a very early stage, got in touch with Almi Företagspartner, a state-owned company offering loans and business development for small and mid-sized companies in the Halland region. Today, Galaco view themselves as a “locally grown” company with a background in research at Halmstad University. Which also made it natural for Galaco to have their headquarters situated in Halmstad and be activate in the entire region.

– We have a nice and big network here where we’ve established ourselves. There’s already a big interest in us as a company, and it’s an opportunity for us to lead the way when it comes to helping children, based on the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, Sofia Lindholm says.