I’m delighted to share that a project I’ve been closely involved with has recently won the Shah Innovation Award at the Royal Society of Medicine’s 2024 ENT ‘Dragon’s Den’ event.
The award was presented to Dr James Arwyn-Jones, an ENT registrar and PhD fellow whom I’ve had the pleasure of supervising throughout the development of the innovation and supporting as he prepared his presentation for the RSM event.
Utilising mobile phones in ENT care
- The winning innovation is a novel device designed to adapt mobile phone torches into a light source for flexible nasendoscopy
- It’s a simple, elegant solution with real potential to improve access to endoscopic examination — particularly in settings where traditional equipment may be limited
- Since the award, the device has been shared with manufacturers and we’re exploring commercial partnerships to bring it into clinical use
Championing innovation in medicine
The project was funded by a £20,000 grant from Imperial College NHS Foundation Trust, for which I was the official grant holder. I’ve been involved with the project from its earliest stages, helping guide the design and development process including prototyping, as well as the financial management of the project.
The ENT Dragon’s Den event itself was a fantastic showcase of trainee-led innovation, with participants pitching live to a panel of consultants with a shared interest in advancing ENT care. James’s presentation was outstanding, and I was proud to see the project recognised by such a respected panel. It’s been a rewarding journey — not only because of the innovation itself, but because of the collaborative spirit that made it possible.
I’m grateful to the Innovations team at Imperial, to James for his dedication and creativity, and to the RSM for continuing to champion innovation in ENT. It’s exciting to see what’s next.