Smart device for Parkinson's patients wins Zorginnovatieprijs Zuid-Holland

Cue2Walk has been proclaimed as the winner of the ‘Zorginnovatieprijs’ for the province of Zuid-Holland by Medical Delta. The company from The Hague developed a smart wearable device that gives Parkinson's patients a cue when they become ‘frozen’, as it were.

This so-called ‘Freeze of Gait’ is a common symptom that hinders people with Parkinson's in their daily life. Cue2Walk competes for the National Zorginnovationprijs of Health~Holland on March 11th.

LorAIne wins wildcard nomination

‘LorAIne’, a solution from the Rijswijk-based company Annovating, won the wildcard nomination for the Zuid-Holland region. LorAIne applies machine learning to detect cardiac arrhythmias at an early stage using data from fitness trackers. For this innovation, it works together with the Haga Hospital and with TU Delft.

Activate brain with signal

At least ten million people worldwide have Parkinson's (source: Parkinson's Foundation). Parkinson's is a chronic disease; medication can at most inhibit symptoms. A proven way to slow down the disease is to exercise a lot. However, sooner or later a large proportion of patients will have to deal with the symptom called ‘Freeze of Gait’ in which they lose control of their movement and come to a standstill. Not only does this lead to accidents, it hinders patients physically and mentally from remaining safe and being active without fear.

By training the brain to control movements again at a certain signal, it is possible to break through a Freeze or Gait. Cue2Walk, together with physiotherapists and patients, developed a portable device that recognizes the symptoms of a Freeze or Gait on the basis of algorithms and immediately emits a short-lived sound and / or vibration signal. This prevents getting used to a continuous signal.

Innovating with the help of patients and professionals

In recent years, the device has been further developed in collaboration with The Hague University of Applied Sciences, TU Delft and Basalt. A project has been started through the ZorgTech innovation program to include the use of Cue2Walk in the treatment plan of physiotherapists. At the same time, financing is being sought for a broad market rollout, starting in The Netherlands and then internationally.

“What is so great about the recognition of the Zorginnovatieprijs is that it is about the total picture: not just the technology, but the entire application,” says Martijn van der Ent of Cue2Walk. “This award is a great boost for us and our partners. The exposure helps us to show that the solution works and to make it widely applicable in the market. ”

The award was given on 11 February during the Rotterdam Digital eHealth Safari.

National Award

For the National Zorginnovatieprijs, Health~Holland searches annually for the best healthcare innovation in The Netherlands. Innovations that improve the quality and efficiency of care and have been successfully tested and implemented by the end user, have a chance of winning a prize and professional guidance in the further development of their innovation.

The most innovative companies in the upscaling phase have a chance to win the professional jury prize (€ 10,000) or the public prize (€ 5,000). As in previous years, Medical Delta organized the regional preliminary round. Wolk Heupairbag, last year's winner from the Zuid-Holland province, won the national public award.