A Limerick woman who invented a portable scalp-cooling device for cancer patients has won a major international design award.
Olivia Humphreys has been named as this year's global winner of the James Dyson Award under the Medical Devices category.
Ms Humphreys, a graduate of the University of Limerick, developed her invention 'Athena' after witnessing her mother Vicky's battle with cancer.
Athena is a portable, battery-operated scalp-cooling device for people undergoing chemotherapy treatment.
Scalp-cooling can help prevent hair loss by shrinking the blood vessels with the application of cold temperatures to the scalp during chemotherapy treatment.
Athena is designed to be more cost-effective and time-saving than hospital models without compromising on the quality.
"The recognition from the James Dyson Award validates not just my efforts, but also the stories and insights shared by people who’ve experienced cancer treatment," Ms Humphreys said.
"My mum inspired this journey, and it’s incredibly emotional and rewarding to have my project reach this level," she said.
"The award has motivated me to recognise my potential, and it opens up exciting opportunities for me as a young designer and innovator," Ms Humphreys added.
Ms Humphreys will now collect a prize of €38,000 to help fund further research and development of her invention.
She is currently working with Galway company Luminate Medical on advancing Athena, as well as other cancer care projects.
The awards, run by the charitable foundation of billionaire inventor James Dyson, recognise novel inventions that tackle a pressing real-world problem.
"You can freeze your scalp which you have to do in special facilities, but these aren't always available, are costly and it’s very painful," Mr Dyson said.
"This year’s Medical Winner, Olivia Humphreys, has tackled this problem by designing Athena, for portable scalp cooling."
"You can wear it while you travel, you can wear it in the car to and from hospital, you can use it at home – it’s a low-cost alternative available to everybody, with the potential to make a real difference," he added.
The international competition is for engineering and design students and recent graduates, with a focus on ambitious designs that address a global issue.
This year's awards received more than 2,000 entries from around the world and Ms Humphreys is the first Irish global winner of the competition since it began in 2006.
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