Innovative inventions of MUG scientists awarded

28.01.2022

Scientists from the Medical University of Gdańsk: Dr. Habil. Rafał Pankowski from the Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology and team composed of: Dr. Habil. Jarosław Sączewski from the Department of Organic Chemistry, Dr. Habil. Krystyna Pieńkowska from the Department of Physical Chemistry, Prof. Krzysztof Cal from the Department of Pharmaceutical Technology, Joanna Fedorowicz, Eng.D. from the Department of Chemical Technology of Drugs as well as Dominika Krenczkowska, M.A., doctoral student from the Department of Physical Chemistry became laureates of the International Warsaw Invention Show awards for innovative inventions.

DEROtator R.PAN created by Prof. Pankowski has won the Grand Prix Cup of the event, as well as golden medal in category Medicine and biotechnology – devices, while invention developed under the management of Prof. Sączewski New dye for fluorescent staining of stratum corneum has got a silver medal in category Medicine and biotechnology – product.

from the left: Katarzyna Waligóra-Borek, Ph.D., Dr. Habil. Rafał Pankowski, Dr. Habil. Krystyna Pieńkowska, Dr. Habil. Jarosław Sączewski, Joanna Fedorowicz, Eng.D., Prof. Krzysztof Cal, Prof. Michał Markuszewski

The awards were presented on 26th of January 2022. in the building of the MUG Rector’s Office. The guests were welcomed by Katarzyna Waligóra-Borek, Ph.D., acting director of the Center of Technology Transfer, who introduced the history of sending the above-mentioned inventions to the International Warsaw Invention Show 2021 (IWIS). Then Prof. Michał Markuszewski, Vice-Rector for Science thanked the laureates for their work and presented the awards sent by the organizers.

– Promotion of scientific achievements is very important. Without it, we do not have wide visibility, but the most important thing is that your work was not only published on paper, but for practical use in a hospital. I hope that patients and people in need will continue to benefit from it. It is extremely important – said Prof. Markuszewski. – These achievements show that we are going in the right direction. I would like to congratulate you and thank you on behalf of the University authorities, Rector Prof. Marcin Gruchała and all of us who care about the University’s good, development and building a strong position. I know that these inventions are not always easy; learning has its difficulties. Thank you once again and I encourage you to continue your activity in this area.

from the left: Prof. Michał Markuszewski, Prof. Krzysztof Cal, Joanna Fedorowicz, Eng.D., Dr. Habil. Jarosław Sączewski, Dr. Habil. Krystyna Pieńkowska, Dr. Habil. Rafał Pankowski, Katarzyna Waligóra-Borek, Ph.D.

Finally, Prof. Markuszewski thanked also to Waligóra-Borek, Ph.D. and team of the Center of Technology Transfer for supporting scientists, activities aimed at building a network of contacts between science and business and undertaking joint research initiatives.

ABOUT THE INVENTIONS

DEROtator R.PAN is an invention that is used in the treatment of curvature of the spine – scoliosis. Prof. Pankowski performed several operations on patients with the use of the said device, which confirms its effectiveness in practical application. The main goal of surgical treatment of scoliosis is to stop the progression of spine deformation, but also to correct the already formed curvature. Apart from inhibiting the curvature progression, the device enables the elimination of the costal hump, which significantly improves the patients’ quality of life. The derotator is an integral part of the entire derotator system used in the surgical treatment of scoliosis. The invention was registered as an industrial design in the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO).

New dye for fluorescent staining of stratum corneum is an invention which in 2021 obtained a European patent with the exclusive right number EP 3 578 559 A1, validated in the following countries: Poland, Czech Republic, Finland, Germany, Sweden, Switzerland, Great Britain. Thanks to that, it is possible, among others, to assess the ability of medicinal substances to penetrate the stratum corneum and their penetration into the deeper layers of the skin. In addition, it also allows to assess the quality condition of the hair or study the interaction of substances with the building blocks of the skin, which is important in verifying the effects of cosmetics. The proposed dye can be used primarily in modern molecular biology and medical diagnostics for the visualization of the stratum corneum, the assessment of structural disorders of this layer, as well as the identification of the penetration path of the substance into the skin.

ABOUT THE INTERNATIONAL WARSAW INVENSTION SHOW

The “International Warsaw Invention Show 2021 (IWIS)”https://iwis.polskiewynalazki.pl/#/en/ is the largest in Poland and one of the biggest in Europe international event related to innovation and inventiveness in various fields of industry in 12 categories ranging from ecology and environmental protection by engineering, construction, electronics and textile and chemical industry to innovative medical solutions. In the event can participate both universities, institutes, companies, and private persons. Inventors have the opportunity to present their innovative products, both those that are already used on a small scale, and those created with the intention of commercialization. The international IWIS fair allows to establish contacts with potential investors from around the world who participate in the exhibition and evaluate the presented projects in terms of their implementation potential.

Participation in the International Warsaw Invention Show has been funded from the Inkubator Innowacyjności 4.0. (Incubator of Innovations 4.0.) programme, under the non-competing project of the Ministry of Education and Science titled Wsparcie zarządzania badaniami naukowymi i komercjalizacja wyników prac B+R w jednostkach naukowych i przedsiębiorstwach (Support of research management and B+R results’ commercialization in scientific units and companies), realized by the Center of Technology Transfer.

fot. Paweł Sudara/GUMed