A consultant at Cork University Hospital has won an award for developing a solution to the problems associated with delivering epidurals.
Dr Peter Lee will work with the Cleveland Clinic in the US to develop the simple and cost effective method.
Dr Lee won the Clinical Innovation Award 2012, which is sponsored by Enterprise Ireland and the Cleveland clinic.
Jobs, Innovation and Enterprise minister Richard Bruton welcomed the news, saying healthcare, medical technologies and life sciences are key sectors which are being targeted for job growth.