Tim Jones & Michelle Tierney 

Biographies

Names: Tim Jones & Michelle Tierney

Job Titles: Chief Scientific Officer & Co-Founder of SymPhysis Medical, and Research Fellow; CEO & Co-Founder of SymPhysis Medical, and Research Fellow

Organisation: Translational Medical Device (TMD) Lab, NUI Galway

Contact: (opens in a new window)tim.jones@bioinnovate.ie, (opens in a new window)michelle.tierney@bioinnovate.ie

Project Title: Development of Home-Based Device for Fluid Management in Late Stage Cancer.

Research Outline

Up to 50% of all patients with metastatic cancer will experience fluid build-up in their chest, which puts pressure on a patient’s lung and diaphragm, resulting in severe pain and breathlessness.

Currently, patients can manage symptoms at home by having a tube-based device placed into the patient’s chest, which allows them to drain the fluid at home to relieve their chest pain or breathlessness. As a team, we are developing a home-based drainage device that’s easier to use and limits treatment length.

A vital aspect of the research is ensuring that we include the patient and carer voice in our design to address some of the current devices’ negative aspects.