1 L Health Care Products and Capabilities JUN 251991 in Alberta CANADIAN A Outstanding facilities and top flight health care professionals give Alberta one of the most progressive health care systems in the world. 1 A D ynamic Sector Since the late 1970s, universities, research agencies, industry, government and private investors world wide have co-operated to foster the development of a h ealth care industry in Alberta. ITie government of Alberta is committed to the advancement of this sector, having identified it as a k ey target area for economic opportunities. The result of this thrust can be seen in the co-operative efforts between Alberta’s research-oriented universities and industry. Leading-edge technology is being transformed into niche products and services with global appeal by industry leaders. A B ridge To Global Markets A s trong health care industry requires a solid and extensive infra- structure. The g overnment is committed to providing Alberta's technology intensive companies with a b ridge to a successful health care future. Dramatic advances are being made in the treatment of bum victims. At Foothills Hospital, an expert team of care-givers help the patient along the road to recovery. The Alberta Heritage Foundation for Medical Research (AHFMR) supports medical research at Alberta universities and their affiliated hospitals. Over 150 senior scientists have been recruited from Canada and around the world to conduct a wide variety of basic and clinical research. Heritage researchers are being recognized internationally for 2 their pioneer work in areas such as infectious diseases, cardiac care, diabetes and nerve regeneration. “The programs of the Established in 1979 by the government of Alberta with a $ 300 Foundation have produced million endowment, AHFMR has contributed more money per a unique medical research capita for medical research than any other province, state, or milieu that is likely not country in the world. The investment earnings support the matched elsewhere in Technology Transfer Program and major personal awards and the world.” grants for Heritage Medical Scientists, Scholars and Clinical DR. JACK LAID LAW, Investigators. CHAIRMAN, INTERNATIONAL BOARD OF REVIEW In the three stage Technology Transfer Program, the first two phases support the earliest developmental stages of commer- cialization. The third phase, called the Medical Innovation Program, supports the later stages with funding of up to $500,000 to university/industry teams. The Alberta Foundation for Nursing Research has contributed to the dramatic increase in nursing research within the Province. In 1982, Alberta became the first province or state in the Western world to dedicate funding to nursing research. Since that time, the Foundation has made over 200 awards in seven categories to nurse researchers for a t otal of $1.7 million. Through the research it sponsors, the Foundation aims to: • enhance the expertise and competence of nurses in the design and conduct of research projects, • encourage the development of projects which incorporate icanrneo,v ations into the organization and delivery of nursing • encrease the awareness of nurses in Alberta about the impor- tance of n ursing research in developing and extending nurs- ing knowledge and the opportunities to develop their poten- tial in r esearch, • encrease the number of nursing research projects related to nursing practice, and the opportunities for communicating nursing research findings, • eommunicate to the public the need to create conditions which will increase and facilitate nursing research and the importance of nursing research in improving patient care. The Alberta Cancer Board promotes interaction between basic and clinical cancer research to expedite the transfer of new inventions to cancer therapy. Clinicians and scientists participate in unique and collaborative research studies includ- ing molecular genetics, radiobiology, nuclear medicine, radiopharmacy, radiation oncology and medical oncology. 3 Some of the research products developed include specialized software developments for treatment application, novel radiopharmaceuticals and imaging agents. The Board offers programs in northern and southern Alberta. The Northern Alberta Cancer Program is offered at the Cross Cancer Institute in Edmonton and through associated clinics in Grande Prairie, Peace River, Fort McMurray and Red Deer. The Southern Alberta Cancer Program is offered at the Tom Baker Cancer Centre in Calgary and through associated clinics in Lethbridge and Medicine Hat. INNOGENICS was established in 1990 by the Alberta Cancer Board and Vencap to help fast-track and commercialize the work of Dr. Malcolm Paterson, a H eritage Medical Scientist. Innogenics is working on the development of genetic markers to predict which women with node-negative breast cancer are at high risk for early relapse. The Alberta Foundation for Nursing Research enhances the role nurses play within the province’s health care system. Alberta University Initiatives The University of Alberta Biomedical Design Centre was established in 1987 by the Faculty of Medicine with assistance from the Alberta Heritage Foundation for Medical Research. Its primary man- date is t o develop instrumentation to promote advanced research in the medical sciences. Examples of devices which are currently under devel- opment include: • laser-injected nuclear magnetic resonance probes, • instrumentation designed for the quantitative harvesting, processing and analysis of human pancreatic islet cells for transplantation, • thermal reactors capable of driving specific chemical- and enzyme-mediated reactions with extreme precision, • robotic systems for the performance of high-risk clinical reactions such as contaminated blood processing, • computer-controlled chromatographic purification systems employing artificial intelligence, • extended precision image analysis processors. The objectives of the University of Alberta’s Intellectual Prop- erty and Contracts Office are to enhance and expand the research horizons of the University; to facilitate intellectual property transfer out of the University; and to achieve financial recovery on intellectual property transfer. Patient care equipment in the operating room of Edmonton’s University of Alberta Hospitals. The University’s Patent Policy encourages researchers to consider the invention potential of their work and to disclose it to the University. Under the Policy, an inventor can choose to seek patent protection and commercial partner on his/her own, or offer the technology to the Uni- versity to p atent and commercialize, with the University covering the costs. While the University is j ust in the early phases of writing licenses for its technologies, it continues to encourage faculty, staff and students 5 to consider the commercial potential of their research. Compa- nies such as Chembiomed Ltd., Biomira Inc., and Synthetic Peptides Inc., are examples of joint ventures with the University The mandate of The University of Calgary 's University Tech- nologies International, Inc. (UTI) is to transfer technologies and products developed at the University and Foothills Provincial General Hospital to the private sector. UTI is involved in licensing these technologies and new products - software, pharmaceuti- cals, test kits, medical devices and biotechnology to companies world-wide. UTI provides its clients with: assessment of the commercial potential of the product or technology7 and idea protection: market analysis, determination of the economic feasibility and commercialization recommendations; and negotiation of a mutu- ally acceptable agreement for the inventor and the University. Calbiotronix Inc. is a d ivision of UTI. A r esearch and develop- ment company, its focus is the development of a d evice to facili- tate healing of damaged soft tissues, primarily ligaments, through the use of electrical stimulation. High-Tech Health Care Environments The University of Alberta Hospitals Clinical Engineering Department provides engineering and management of health care technology by supporting and developing equipment and devices used for patient care. The University7 of Alberta Hospitals is a major tertiary care and referral centre for the people of Alberta, western Canada, the Yukon and the Northwest Territo- ries with 843 acute in-patient beds, 387 extended care beds and a variety of out-patient diagnostic and treatment services. It p ro- vides a wide range of health care programs, most of which re- quire a significant and increasing dependency on existing and new health care technologies. In such a h igh-tech health care environment, the Clinical Engineering Department fulfils a vital role by providing technical support and maintenance of all patient care equipment; clinical user training in the safe and effective use of patient care equip- ment; operational support for specialized critical care equipment: health technolog}7 assessment and equipment evaluations; and health technology7 research and development. 6 Foothills Hospital is southern Alberta’s university hospital and the regional referral, teaching and research centre. This 1 ,000-bed facility serves nearly one-half million individuals each year on both an in-patient and out-patient basis. It has special- ized regional programs in the areas of renal dialysis, poison and drug information and bone marrow transplantation. The Hospital’s 180-bed auxiliary facility has a multidisciplinary team of professionals which offer a h olistic approach to long- term care. More than 80 out-patient specialty programs have also been developed to meet the specific needs of the commu- nity, including the Southern Alberta HIV Clinic. The Foothills Medical Centre is comprised of the Foothills Hospital in partnership with the University of Calgary’s Faculty of Medicine and the Alberta Cancer Board’s Tom Baker Cancer Centre. This collaboration integrates specialized regional programs in burns and body injury, cancer, heart disease, high risk maternal and newborn care, and transplantation of organs and tissues. The Red Deer Regional Hospital Centre is a regional refer- ral centre providing a b road range of acute and long-term care and health services. The Centre operates 349 acute and 388 long-term care beds in five facilities. A b road range of services - l aboratory, diagnostic imaging, dietetics, physiotherapy, pharmacy and contract management are provided to smaller facilities in the area. Two products under development for commercial distribution include pharmhand and The Sneaker. The pharmhand automation system is a robotic workcell being jointly developed by the Red Deer Regional Hospital Centre and the Alberta Research Coun- cil. It i s designed to interface directly with automated order- entry systems while capturing and reporting patient drug profiles through a b uilt-in pharmacy management system. The Sneaker is a mechanical cart lift and conveyance device de- signed to transport exchange carts, etc. throughout a h ospital complex quickly and quietly without damaging the building. The Grey Nun’s Hospital Biomedical Engineering Depart- ment provides support and expertise to the Hospital in the management of its technological resources, and participates in the evaluation, standardization and acceptance testing of medical products and technology. The Department also pro- vides clinical engineering support to Alberta’s rural hospitals. Biomedical Engineering supports research within the Hospital with its capabilities for simple electronic design and construe tion; analog-to-digital signal acquisition and processing; elec- tronic equipment modifications and enhancements; and EPROM programming and microprocessor-based design and development. The Department is working with Dr. Edwardo Bruera, inventor of the Edmonton Injector - a p atient-control- led infuser for long-term subcutaneous administration of analge- sics for control of pain primarily in a p alliative care situation. The Glenrose Rehabilitation Hospital provides both in- patient and ambulatory patient care to adults and children with complex needs or conditions who are disabled through prena- tal or perinatal events, diseases, accidents or environmental influences. Committed to rehabilitative research - the Hospital is expanding its endeavors. Comprehensive treatment is provided by multidisciplinary teams of professionals who work The pharmhand automation system, jointly developed by the Red Deer Regional Hospital Centre and the Alberta Research Council. in partnership with patients and families to provide diagnosis, evaluation and treatment of persons with physical, psychological, social and educa- tion or other special needs. The clinical staff are highly regarded for their research, assessment and treatment, particularly in speech development, scoliosis, evoke potential in neonates, neonatal follow-up and rehabilita- tion for p atients with total joint replacement. Edmonton Hospitals Technology Commercialization Group (EHTGC) is an inter-hospital network encouraging commercialization of products developed in the City’s hospi- tals. EHTCG both links Edmonton’s hospitals with local eco- nomic development initiatives, and assists in the identification of opportunities for local industry. Cornerstones for Success Key government agencies have fostered a climate favourable to developing a strong health care industry. Alberta Research Council provides assistance in a myriad of technologies at five locations province-wide. The Council’s headquarters, located in south Edmonton is the site of three major facilities: The Electronics Test Centre, forest products pilot plant and testing laboratory, and a b iotechnology pilot plant. Alberta Microelectronic Centre promotes and mobilizes the use of microelectronic technology in Alberta manufactured products. The Centre’s ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) design facilities provide access to high technology IC design and prototyping services to industry and universities. The Laser Institute provides Alberta companies with custom laser cutting of precision parts from metals, composites and other materials, and provides consultation regarding lasers and electro-optic technology, healthcare applications and laser card data storage. The Alberta Telecommunications Research Centre encour- ages projects emphasizing industrial application or research in fibre optics, network engineering, protocols, integrated serv- ices digital network (ISDN), opto-electronics and digital radio. The Electronics Test Centre, a $ 10 million testing facility, provides design-to-delivery, one-stop testing for a f ull range of electronics products and is recognized by national and interna- tional certification agencies.