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To help European industries compete in the burgeoning 184 billion euro
biomedical market, MEDICS is working to make biomedical devices smaller,
cheaper and more reliable, as well as developing completely new types of
devices and applications.
"One of our strengths is our capacity to market state-of-the-art
microtechnologies, which is one of the key technologies for the 21st
century," says Andreas Schneider, Head of the MEDICS consortium.
"Most industries are proficient in either the biomedical market or the
microtechnology market, but usually not both. We know both markets and we
know how to put them together for industries."
One of the most recent successes from MEDICS research and development is an
application-specific integrated circuit designed for the world's only
swallowable camera capsule. The camera is used in place of a traditional -
and more invasive - endoscope for diagnosing disorders of the small bowel,
such as Crohn's Disease and small bowel cancer.
The patient swallows the capsule and continues with daily activities. Over
the course of about eight to 10 hours, the capsule travels naturally through
the gastrointestinal tract while transmitting two high-definition,
full-colour images per second to a receiver worn on the patient's belt. The
images are then downloaded to a computer that produces a video of the
camera's journey, offering the diagnostician the opportunity to look for
pathologies and diseases.
MEDICS is also developing a microsensor that can continuously monitor organs
to be used in transplants, offering transplant teams vital information about
the preservation of the organ.
The MEDICS consortium provides services including contract research,
workshops and training courses, feasibility studies and concept evaluation,
and support in regulatory affairs, patent and market research, as well as
technical due diligence.
The development, manufacturing and sale of biomedical products is
complicated by the extremely high standards and requirements that biomedical
products must meet, including biocompatibility, device security, quality and
medical device regulations. In addition, the reorganisation of public
healthcare systems increases the demand for cost-effective devices and more
efficient methods.
To address these complexities, MEDICS is planning the International
Cooperation Forum on Wireless Systems for Biomedical Applications & Devices.
The forum, which will take place in 26 April 2005 at the Fraunhofer
Institute for Biomedical Engineering, follows up on previously organised
workshops on Packaging & Interconnection Technologies for Innovative
Biomedical Devices, organised by MEDICS in 1999 and 2000.
MEDICS, the European Competence Centre for Biomedical Microdevices, emerged
from the European Commission initiative Europractice in 1997 and then
further developed under the IST project MICROMEDICS. The MEDICS consortium
comprising the Fraunhofer Institute for Biomedical Engineering, i2m DESIGN,
Zarlink Semiconductor, and CSEM works within four main areas of
competencies: active implants, microelectronics, biomedical sensors and
telemedicine.
CONTACTS:
Andreas Schneider
Fraunhofer IBMT
Unit MEDICS
Industriestraße 5
D-66280 Sulzbach
Germany
Tel: +49-6897-907142
Fax: +49-6897-907149
Email: medics@medics-network.com
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