Grant injection for Edinburgh medical tech firm behind digital Parkinson’s disease pen

An Edinburgh medical technology company has secured a fresh funding boost to optimise its “digital pen” for the detection of dementia.

Manus Neurodynamica has received £600,000 of grant funding from Innovate UK to optimise and validate its innovative NeuroMotor Pen (NMP) for screening of dementia and cognitive impairment, over a two-year project.

The firm noted that early identification of dementia can hugely increase the chance of maintaining functional abilities and defer the point of escalation, where additional care and support is required at home or in a care facility.

Its handheld device combines sensor technologies with decision support software, enabling users to non-invasively record and analyse minute limb and hand motion during drawing and writing movements. These parameters are used as “digital biomarkers” to provide objective information about decline in cognition and motor skill functions.

Prof Richard Walker, clinical lead adviser to Edinburgh-based Manus Neurodynamica, pictured with a patient, prior to Covid measures. Picture: The Bigger Picture Agency

Over two years, the firm will carry out the project to optimise and validate the pen for screening of dementia.

Chief executive Rutger Zietsma said: “We are extremely pleased to be working at the forefront of this technology, aiming to provide results at primary care level, to help streamline the care pathway and ensure all patients will receive a timely diagnosis and supported earlier to develop long-term cognition and positive mental habits.

“This two-year project will help determine and validate the NMP for screening of dementias, as we set to roll-out our NMP later this year, initially applied in diagnosing Parkinson’s in the UK and Benelux markets, while also progressing work to secure regulatory approval to start selling in US.”

The firm secured a £1.2 million round of funding earlier this year.

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