Nurolight Catalyst Round 2
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Stirling
Department Name: Applied Social Science
Abstract
Nurolight helps people living with dementia and their carers to sleep better at home through a smart home lighting system which improves their natural sleep/week cycle throughout the day by providing bright light therapy, set to evidence-based lighting specifications.
Nurolight meets three of the seven themes of the Healthy Ageing challenge as further described below, and will:
- Maximise independence of those living with dementia and minimise hospital or care admissions
- Mitigate the impacts of poor housing design on those with dementia
- Increase quality of life, lower mortality and reduce incidents of dementia over time.
Nurolight meets three of the seven themes of the Healthy Ageing challenge as further described below, and will:
- Maximise independence of those living with dementia and minimise hospital or care admissions
- Mitigate the impacts of poor housing design on those with dementia
- Increase quality of life, lower mortality and reduce incidents of dementia over time.
Organisations
| Description | We have discovered that sleep dysfunction is misunderstood within the dementia community and that care partners experience poorer sleep than their partner with the diagnosis of dementia. We have identified user interface features and design which are restrictive and challenging for people with dementia and used this learning to develop a new user interface which is more accessible and intuitive for people with dementia. We have developed an MVP to technology readiness level 4 of a product for market. |
| Exploitation Route | We will continue to develop the following as a direct result of the findings and outcome of this funding: 1. Co-design a home lighting product to provide bright light therapy to people living with dementia in their home 2. Co-design a smart app user interface with people with dementia which is accessible and intuitive to use 3. Test the efficacy of our new Stirling Sleep Quality Index tool in future research trials 4. Test the efficacy of our new Stirling ocular health and visual comfort tool 5. promote publicly on social media and in journal articles the findings of this study |
| Sectors | Environment Healthcare |
| Description | We have developed new intellectual property and an MVP in collaboration with people with dementia. |
| First Year Of Impact | 2024 |
| Sector | Environment,Healthcare |
| Impact Types | Societal |
| Description | Light and dementia demonstrator |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Policy Influence Type | Contribution to new or improved professional practice |
| Description | Nurolight website |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Policy Influence Type | Contribution to new or improved professional practice |
| URL | https://www.nurolight.co.uk/ |
| Title | Stirling Sleep Quality Index |
| Description | We have developed a new sleep quality index questionnaire for use with participants with a diagnosis of dementia and/or a care package provision who live within a dwelling (i.e. not in a care setting). Conventional sleep quality index questionnaires were tested during this project and were deemed unsuitable in their format for use with this particular participant cohort. |
| Type Of Material | Improvements to research infrastructure |
| Year Produced | 2024 |
| Provided To Others? | No |
| Impact | We plan to publish the findings from this report, identifying the limitations of others sleep quality index questionnaires. We will make available to the research community our new Stirling Sleep Quality Index questionnaire in due course, following further research trialing. |
| Title | Stirling ocular health & visual comfort questionnaire |
| Description | During participant trials we identified the need for a questionnaire which enabled participants to self-report on their ocular health and visual comfort. This questionnaire comprises of a series of questions which ask the participant to report on eye heath and comfort on a 'typical day' by condition and incidence. |
| Type Of Material | Improvements to research infrastructure |
| Year Produced | 2024 |
| Provided To Others? | No |
| Impact | We plan to trial our Stirling ocular health & visual comfort questionnaire in a large-scale future research project. If successful, we will make this tool available to the public and to the academic community. |
| Title | Nurolight trademark |
| Description | We trademark registered 'Nurolight' the name of the product which we developed during this research project. |
| IP Reference | |
| Protection | Trade Mark |
| Year Protection Granted | 2023 |
| Licensed | No |
| Impact | We have protected the use of Nurolight. |
| Title | Nurolight app |
| Description | We developed a minimum viable product smart phone app to control off-the-shelf smart lamps (Phillips Hue, IKEA etc.) with a user interface co-designed by people living with dementia. The app is developed to technology readiness level 4 |
| Type Of Technology | Webtool/Application |
| Year Produced | 2024 |
| Impact | We identified features of user interfaces which support people living with dementia to continue to engage with their smart apps and control their home lighting systems. Further app development is required but upon launch we hope to have developed a fully accessible app. |
| Description | Keynote speaker: UK Healthy Ageing Challenge Case Studies' 2023 International Symposium of Resilient and Sustainable Cities & The 23rd Annual General Meeting of the UK China Association of Resources and Environment' Wenzhou, CHINA |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
| Results and Impact | I gave a keynote speech on behalf of the UKRI covering UK Healthy Ageing Challenge Case Studies' 2023 at the International Symposium of Resilient and Sustainable Cities & The 23rd Annual General Meeting of the UK China Association of Resources and Environment' in Wenzhou, CHINA. During this presentation I referred to this funded project. The symposium was delivered in person to an audience of approx. 250 people and was aired online for an international audience. This raised interest from professionals and academics working in the field of ageing and dementia. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| URL | https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/di-8G1OfqAW3I6SR0XnL5Q |
| Description | Public talk: 'UK Healthy Ageing Challenge Case Studies' 'Independent Ageing 2023 Convention', Nagoya, JAPAN |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | I presented at the Independent Ageing 2023 Convention in Nagoya, JAPAN and gave an overview of the project to a live audience of approximately 150 people. I was approached by professionals and academics following the presentation, looking for more information on the project. I received interest from one angel investor, interested in investing in the project's IP. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| URL | https://independent-ageing.kenes.com/ |