Innovate UK has funded a collaboration between the NIHR HealthTech Research Center in Sustainable Innovation and UK health technology company Sanome with more than £300,000 to accelerate the development of an AI-powered system for the early detection of hospital-acquired infections.
The 18-month SMART grant will support the co-design and launch of MEMORI, a CE-certified Class IIb software-as-a-medical device (SaMD) platform that analyzes real-time clinical data to predict infection risk up to seven days before symptoms appear.
Hospital acquired infections (HAIs) account for more than 20 per cent of NHS bed days each year. Research suggests that between 35 and 55 percent are preventable through earlier detection and intervention. Diseases such as pneumonia, MRSA and Clostridium difficile cause an estimated 7.1 million extra bed days per year, costing the NHS around £2.7 billion.
Preliminary studies with the first certified version of MEMORI have already shown that it outperforms the NHS standard National Early Warning Score (NEWS2) in detecting deterioration in patient conditions. The new funding will support the development of expanded capabilities including:
• Integrate additional multimodal data sources such as lab results, prescriptions and clinical notes alongside existing inputs such as vital signs and medications
• Deeper integration with electronic medical record (EPR) systems to embed insights into existing physician workflows
• A targeted 20 percent improvement in prediction accuracy, expanding the window of opportunity for early intervention
• Improved explainability and machine learning performance to increase transparency and clinical confidence
The updated MEMORI v2 platform is being validated through a large-scale live deployment across multiple wards at Royal Devon University NHS Foundation Trust, solving one of the NHS’s most persistent clinical and financial challenges.
The collaboration is supported by the NIHR Exeter Biomedical Research Center and aims to pave the way for wider adoption across the NHS. It also lays the foundation for a long-term partnership between Sanome and the NIHR HealthTech Research Centre, run by the Royal Devon in collaboration with the University of Exeter.
Together, the partners aim to create a real-time, longitudinal view of patient health, initially focused on infection risk, but expanding to include broader preventative and personalized care pathways.
Benedikt von Thüngen, managing director and founder of Sanome, said: “Our mission is to prevent deterioration before it becomes life-threatening. MEMORI shows how real-world NHS data, when safely unlocked, can be transformed into actionable insights at the bedside using multimodal AI. Working with Exeter HealthTech Research Center and support from Innovate UK allows us to leverage both the clinical and system-wide benefits of AI in one of the leading to demonstrate to the UK’s NHS trusts.”
Dr. Nick Kennedy, theme leader for digital innovation and AI at the NIHR HealthTech Research Center in Sustainable Innovation and consultant gastroenterologist at the Royal Devon, said early intervention was crucial. “Hospital-acquired infections continue to pose one of the greatest threats to patient safety, especially for vulnerable patients. By co-creating MEMORI, we can demonstrate how AI can support clinicians, transform care and ultimately save lives.”
Chris Sawyer, digital health innovation lead at Innovate UK, added: “Supporting the safe introduction of AI into frontline NHS care is vital to building a more resilient, patient-centred healthcare service. This partnership is a strong example of how innovation and clinical expertise can combine to address long-standing challenges.”
Initial impact data from live deployment is expected during 2026, along with plans for further rollout to NHS trusts and healthcare organizations across the country.
