Flexible covering to combat water damage wins 2011 Innovation Prize

In order to promote research, development and entrepreneurship in Skľne, Sweden, PwC and the Lund University Innovation System, in collaboration with Lund Municipality, award an annual Innovation Prize of SEK 250 000. The prize, which this year was awarded for the tenth time, aims to support ideas which are highly innovative and have major commercial potential. First prize this year went to cTrap, a flexible covering which is applied directly onto water-damaged surfaces in order to stop harmful emissions indoors.

The inventor of the innovation is Professor Lennart Larsson, who works at the Department of Laboratory Medicine at Lund University.

The prizewinner was presented with a cheque for SEK 150 000 in a ceremony last week at Lund City Hall. Two other projects, a new needle instrument for safer cancer diagnosis and an internal plaster to prevent scar formation after surgery, were awarded SEK 50 000 each.

1st prize: cTrap - protection against harmful indoor emissions

Damage due to damp in buildings leads to harmful indoor emissions. Traditional air purifiers and ventilation equipment reduce the concentration of the emissions, but do not stop them from spreading to areas where people reside. cTrap is a flexible covering which is applied directly to the damaged surface and which stops and binds in the emissions at the source. The effect is immediate and almost 100% effective. The covering can be used as soon as damp has been identified or as a preventive measure when houses are built or renovated.

All of the 18 entries submitted this year were of a very high quality. The jury that had the difficult task of choosing the three winners was made up of: Susanna Bill (Sustenance), Gertrud Bohlin (Stella Nova AB), Stina Gestrelius (Doctor of Engineering and business owner), Christer Fľhraeus (Anoto, Agellis and others), Sarah Fredriksson (Genovis), Anders Österberg (Sparbanken Öresund) and Per Persson (Lund Municipality).

The jury's comments regarding the prize winner:

"A highly innovative and newsworthy idea with technical and commercial potential. The idea is a method to protect health by preventing harmful substances reaching the air that people breathe."

Two projects were also highly commended, each of which received SEK 50 000.

Highly commended: New needle instrument for safer cancer diagnosis

The invention, which enables a test that is simple and safer for both patient and healthcare professional, is used to test changes in the body suspected of being caused by cancer.

The samples taken by the instrument give both a diagnosis and information which can be used to decide on treatment. The instrument both provides better information and is safer for the patient compared with current techniques.

Dr Charles Walther and Ingemar Larsson MSc MBA are behind the innovation. Charles Walther is a specialist in pathology and cystology at Skľne University Hospital in Lund.

Highly commended: Internal plaster to prevent scar formation after surgery

In Sweden, around 100 000 abdominal operations are carried out every year. Scar formation after abdominal surgery can lead to bowel obstruction, pain and infertility, and costs Swedish society around half a billion kronor a year. The newly developed plaster, which is used for internal treatment during operations, is homing and travels to damaged surfaces in the abdomen. The plaster closes the wound and prevents organ adhesion. It is also biocompatible, atoxic and degradable, and in animal experiments has shown both good healing and significantly reduced scar formation.

Registrar and reader Bobby Tingstedt is behind the innovation. Dr Tingstedt works at the Surgical Unit at Skľne University Hospital in Lund.

Provided by Lund University