Safehinge

Case Study

Safehinge Primera + Glasgow Caledonian University

Improving care and recovery within Mental Health facilities.

Awards and Achievements

Future Leader at the at the Innovate UK KTP Awards 2024

Winner

Safehinge Primera

Safehinge develop products that improve safety in challenging environments by addressing the limitations of existing
alternatives.

Listening closely to Architects, Clinicians and Service Users, Safehinge combine the best practices from both hotel and
Mental Health design to create aesthetic, safe and robust doorsets that are used extensively across the UK by NHS Trusts
and private Mental Healthcare providers.

What was the need?

The Challenge

In today’s mental health facilities, ensuring the safety of vulnerable people is a constant challenge. Staff are often stretched thin, and manual observations—while essential—only cover a fraction of the time, leaving patients at risk for hours each day. Intensive observations often mean being observed for 30 secs every 15 mins (3% of the time), What’s missing is a reliable digital solution that supports staff while keeping patients safe, providing continuous support in the moments it’s needed most.

What did we do?

The Solution

Our KTP project has led to the development of an innovative modular digital solution designed to address the complex challenges in mental health care environments. With two patents filed, this technology offers new ways to safeguard patient dignity while enhancing staff awareness through non-intrusive monitoring. We’ve built a team dedicated to bringing this product to life, developing a minimum viable product (MVP) that sets a new standard for continuous patient safety. The recognition our solution has garnered, including publication in a leading journal, reflects its potential to transform how mental health care is delivered.

What changed?

The Impacts and Benefits

Impacts for the Company

The KTP led to the generation and validation of an PoC which the company has developed into an MVP for commercial trials.
The transformative potential of this product has been recognised within the industry, winning Product Innovation of the Year at the DIMH 2024.
Received extremely positive feedback from initial trials with 3 customers.
The associate took an leading role in IP creation and has filed 2 patents with the IPO.
The company has now recruited a full software development team and Director of Software to support commercialisation of KTP outputs.
The company reputation has been improved through publication in world leading journals and conferences.
The KTP outputs have supported the company’s expansion into additional markets in the UK and overseas.

Impacts for the Academic Team

Publication of a paper in MDPI sensors, 2024
Poster presented at IEEE-EMBS International Conference on Body Sensor, Networks, MIT Media Lab, Boston, USA, 2023.
The project is a prime candidate as a Case Study in GCU’s submission to Research Excellence Framework 2029.
Exposed the team to the modern day workings and challenges of building a new business
Enhanced their technical understanding of the application of Ethics and Data Privacy legislation on Edge/IoT/Data Science products and services
Afforded an appreciation of the growth of the software product integration market and the benefits and limitations of modern adaptive systems integration technology
Informed curricula changes in many related programmes with strands of software engineering and data science
GCU will receive a £10k honorarium on successful completion of the KTP Associate’s PhD programme from the Royal Commission for the Industrial Exhibition of 1851 who will also pay the PhD tuition fees Oct 2024-Oct 2027.

Impacts for the KTP Associate

Completed technical training courses and certifications in deep learning, cloud computing, ML ops, and IoT, as well as broader skills in project management, IP and healthcare research.
Presented research at world leading conferences such as IEEE BSN Conference 2023 and published a paper in MDPI Sensors.
Established a reputation as an expert in my field through presenting research at world leading conferences and publication in a Q1 journal.
Gained significant technical expertise by designing data pipelines, building models, and identifying IP, positioning me as a leader in my industry.
Undertaken PhD study and awarded an Industrial Fellowship from the Royal Commission for the Exhibition of 1851.
Had the opportunity to attend events in Asia, Europe and the US, and developed a network of industry peers and experts worldwide, fostering collaboration, mentorship, and ongoing professional development.
Continued employment by the company following KTP completion.

Awards and Achievements

Colm Dowling – Winner Future Leader at the at the Innovate UK KTP Awards 2024
Colm Dowling – Winner, KTP Images Event 2024
Project Grade: A - Outstanding

The People

Meet the Team

Colm Dowling

KTP Associate

Peter Barrie

Knowledge Base Supervisor

Matt Marais

Company Supervisor

Professor Mike Mannion

Principal Investigator

Professor Hadi Larijani

Academic Support

Professor Billy Hare