A UK Government agency has delivered a verdict of “outstanding” on University of Huddersfield research that will aid Paxman to continue its expansion.
The research will enable the company to market its innovative scalp cooling caps, designed to prevent hair loss during cancer treatment in several continents and dozens of countries, fitting subtly different head shapes.
Researcher Dr Ertu Unver, a Principal Enterprise Fellow at the University and an expert in product design, needed anthropometric data to complete his latest Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) with Paxman.
The caps were initially designed for typical Caucasian head shapes, but then Paxman started to move into new markets that included Japan.
As part of his extensive data-gathering exercise, Dr Unver sought the collaboration of Japanese students at the University of Huddersfield and scanned their heads, enabling him to produce a 3D model that could be used to develop a range of caps for Asian markets.
The Paxman Scalp Cooling Research & Innovation Centre at the University continues the work carried out by Dr Unver during the recently completed KTP. It received funding from the official agency Innovate UK, which has now awarded its highest grade of Outstanding on the four-year project.
Dr Unver, said: “Our collaboration with Paxman is a fantastic opportunity for the academic team that deliver the BA/BSc Product Design course. Both the University Dean, Mike Kagioglou and I, are very proud of designing an award winning, Shonin, Ninsho, and the FDA cleared product used in over 50 countries that has been proven to help cancer patients keep their hair during chemotherapy treatment.”
The Paxman Scalp Cooling Research & Innovation Centre team will now investigate development of a novel, environmentally friendly ecosystem for 3D-printed, individual cooling caps, ready for mass customisation.
The team will also research new medical applications for cooling technologies, such as devices that could curtail CIPN (chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy), which causes damage to patients’ nervous systems.