Bridging Education and Industry: Vitalograph Inspires Next Generation of Physiologists

Third- and fourth-year university students from Ireland’s longest-running Clinical Measurement Physiology course visited Ennis this Spring to attend a one-day education event hosted by Vitalograph.

Twenty-three students from Technological University Dublin and their tutors travelled to Clare to attend the event, which was aimed at providing students with insights into the world of clinical respiratory diagnostics.

“The country always needs more respiratory diagnostic specialists, and this visit provided us with the opportunity to inspire the next generation of respiratory physiologists by making real-life connections between them, the types of equipment used in pulmonary function testing and the patient,” explained Vitalograph CEO, Frank Keane.

Mr Keane added that he was proud to leverage Vitalograph’s position as an Irish-based manufacturer of the broadest range of respiratory diagnostic solutions in the world for over 50 years to offer the students a behind-the-scenes look at the manufacturing and R&D processes involved in these devices.

Speakers at the event included Regulatory Affairs Manager, Ayesha Akmal; Executive Vice President of Manufacturing Operations, Bernard Mulcahy; Vice President Product Development, Gary Casey; and Global comPAS Clinical Specialist Joe Topham.

“We brought together regulatory affairs, manufacturing and R&D to share key concepts and considerations within each of these areas to better support the students’ understanding of the ecosystem that surrounds the delivery of the type of equipment they would use as part of their role as respiratory physiologists.

“We combined this with a talk by one of our global clinical specialists Joe Topham, who has real world experience as a respiratory physiologist, which is exactly the road some of these students will take. Joe now works with Vitalograph in a customer enablement capacity, ensuring they are properly trained and can get the best use out of our advanced pulmonary function equipment,” Mr Keane said.

At a time when many second-level students are considering their CAO options, it is a perfect example of how local companies can support, and inspire, students as they consider the career pathways available to them.

"The opportunity for our students to visit a facility where multiple critical functions coexist on a single site, including R&D, prototyping, regulatory affairs, and distribution, is rare and highly impactful,” explained Peter Coss, Clinical Tutor (Respiratory) with TUD.

“For future Physiologists, seeing this end-to-end lifecycle firsthand provides a deeper understanding of the technical precision and rigorous standards required to produce the diagnostic tools they will rely on in clinical practice."

He said that observing the integration of design and production at Vitalograph underscored the vital link between industrial innovation and patient outcomes. He continued that the visit allowed students to appreciate the complexity behind the equipment, as well as reinforcing the importance of quality assurance in their future professional roles.

"As Ireland’s longest running approved program in Clinical Measurement Physiology, our legacy is built on a deep commitment to healthcare education. Our curriculum is driven by the rapidly evolving needs of the patient. We equip our students with the knowledge and clinical experience necessary to adapt to the technological and healthcare advances they will encounter throughout their professional careers."