Advancing healthcare in Germany through people and their ideas is what the Health-i Award is all about. With over 220 applications, more projects and ideas were submitted this year than ever before. This year, the award was again presented in three categories: "Young Projects," "Companies" and "Start-ups.
Puray won the Health-i in the "Young Projects" category with a urinary catheter that disinfects itself with the help of UV-C radiation, thus preventing infections in hospitals and reducing the use of antibiotics. Puray's technology is also effective against multi-resistant germs. With their idea, the Munich-based team of bioengineers, mechatronics engineers and nanotechnologists beat out finalists Bodytune (audio analysis that monitors blood flow in the carotid artery) and Breathment (a program that offers breathing and physical exercises to people with respiratory diseases).
So what's next for Puray? "The product is patent pending and we are on our way to start a company," said Christina Weber, who accepted the award with her colleague Eduardo Borrero.
In the "Start-ups" category, "Endo Health" took the win this year with its product, the "Endo App." It is designed to give endometriosis patients a better quality of life and has already been approved as a digital medical device.
Online Doctor 24" won the "Company" category. The Hamburg-based company offers an online skin check that, according to CEO Philipp Wustrow, can treat 85 percent of all cases, regardless of time or location.