When the evening nurse shows up for his shift at general inpatient ward 2221 at Psychiatric Centre of North Zealand, Denmark, he will have a new routine: Seven patients will get an intelligent patch applied to their upper body or arm before going to bed. Inside the patch is a wireless sensor that measures heart rate and activity during the night.This may have a huge impact: Instead of doing nursing rounds of the private rooms three times a night, the nurse can now do the first two rounds from the office, checking in on the patients remotely via a monitor. For example, a low heart rate may indicate that the patient is sleeping rather than being active in the room. This means that the nurse can avoid waking up the patients, which is very important. The lack of a good night&rsquo;s sleep often triggers a deterioration in their condition.Testing of the patches has just begun at the centre, which is part of the Mental Health Services of the Capital Region. The hope is that the patches will reduce the number of nightly nursing rounds and provide an overview of patient conditions. The next step is using the data to monitor the quality of the patients&rsquo; sleep to find out if any adjustments need to be made in sleep treatment aimed at improving sleep quality, says Chief Nurse Kim Johansson:&ldquo;We see a huge benefit in this project, because it means that we don&rsquo;t have to enter the patients&rsquo; rooms at night. In all the 25 years I&rsquo;ve worked here, sleep has been an important topic. It&rsquo;s a big priority for us to improve our patients&rsquo; sleep quality. Previously, we could only give a rough estimate as to how long they had slept, but now we can get more precise measurements. And that&rsquo;s important in terms of medication and treatment in the long run.&rdquo;<h2>Patients staying at home</h2>Testing at the Psychiatric Centre of North Zealand will run for three months and is just the beginning of the entrepreneurial adventure for medtech startup&nbsp;<a href="https://www.impscandinavia.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">IMP Scandinavia</a>. Behind the company are three former DTU students who got the idea three years ago. Now they have a Danish patent and are awaiting approval on an international patent. Furthermore, they have received medical approval and a CE marking, proving that the product meets EU requirements for safety, health, and environmental protection.The first customers are the Foundation for Innovation and Business Promotion (FIERS) in Region Zealand and Nyk&oslash;bing Falster Hospital, which will run a test programme in three different departments later this year. The entrepreneurs plan to begin selling the patch for treatment of hospital-at-home patients in 2024.Although the technology was originally developed to reduce or eliminate the number of mandatory nightly nursing rounds in psychiatric wards, it has become evident that there is a need for patient monitoring across the entire healthcare sector. The aim is to help nurses and doctors improve the treatment of patients and citizens in need of supervision. This can free up time for healthcare professionals and increase the patients&rsquo; quality of life. But the prospects go even further:&ldquo;We&rsquo;re looking at a future where many patient groups will be sent home for hospital-at-home care. So instead of having the doctor measure their blood pressure, many patients will be doing it themselves and then sending the results to the doctor or hospital. Here, the patient&rsquo;s condition will be monitored, and it will be assessed whether further treatment is needed. In this way, diseases can be detected early and hospitalization avoided. This can lead to major socio-economic gains,&rdquo; says Brian Christensen, co-founder of the company.<h2>From innovation course to medtech startup</h2>He works in the office behind K.B. Hallen in Frederiksberg with the other two co-founders, Jeppe Damgaard Leth and Oliver Kj&aelig;p Karlsson. The three entrepreneurs met each other at a Business Innovation course on the DTU Ballerup Campus, where students learn to develop technologies to solve some of the challenges in society. When Brian Christensen talked about the challenges in the psychiatric sector, Jeppe Damgaard Leth and Oliver Kj&aelig;p Karlsson got in on the idea, and, together, the three of them set about developing a prototype for a smart patch.On the last day of the course, they pitched the idea in front of a panel of investors with competences in financing, sales, and marketing. They initially thought the project would end there. But investor Peter Beck-Bang saw great prospects in the technology. Shortly after the course ended, he contacted the students and asked if he could be their mentor. It was the beginning of the entrepreneurial dream.IMP Scandinavia has now received DKK 10 million in grants from private investors, the Danish Growth Fund, Innovation Fund Denmark, and Otto Bruun&rsquo;s Fund, among others. The entrepreneurs have participated in several accelerator programmes such as the Danish Tech Challenge, which is a competition for high-tech startups focusing on IT hardware. They have also been part of the Copenhagen Health Innovation partnership, which aims to create a better healthcare system for the benefit of patients. And during that time, the entrepreneurial grew.&ldquo;We quickly realized that we needed someone who could run our company and take care of the business aspect of it. Today, our team consists of students, investors, and co-owners. As engineers, we&rsquo;re trained to develop, refine, and scale production. We use these skills every day to make our products better and better,&rdquo; says Jeppe Damgaard Leth.<h2>Only requires two electrical outlets</h2>The entrepreneurs develop the software for the patch&mdash;which currently measures activity and heart rate&mdash;themselves. The readings are transmitted via wireless beacons, which are little radio transmitters, to a laptop or tablet. From here you can follow the development over time. The sensor holds enough power for approx. 24 hours, is sustainable, and can be removed from the patch and recycled.40 patients have now used the patch. The first version was fully developed and tested at Psychiatric Centre Sct. Hans in 2020. The patch is currently being sold and tested at OK-Fonden&rsquo;s nursing home Bavne Ager in Gilleleje. Here, the staff use the smart patch to minimize disturbances of elderly people who would normally need frequent check-ups. Concurrently with the test projects, the entrepreneurs are developing a version 2.0 of the monitoring patch. The new version will measure both heart rate, blood pressure, oxygen levels, temperature, respiratory rate, and activity level.&ldquo;We&rsquo;re seeing a large market for monitoring, and right now we don&rsquo;t experience any direct competition. There are companies that work with the same needs as us, but no one is developing the same solution. Plus, we&rsquo;re making it smarter and easier. Instead of developing a technology that uses Wi-Fi or Bluetooth, which requires a password and internet connection, we have developed a solution that only requires two sockets&mdash;one for the charger and one for beacons. This means that anyone can use our product,&rdquo; says Brian Christensen.<h2>We are getting older</h2>The vision is to scale up production in Denmark. Initially, the entrepreneurs will expand the use of the technology in hospitals, the psychiatric sector, elderly care, and hospital-at-home care. The next step is the health sector in the Nordic region and Germany, says Jeppe Damgaard Leth:&ldquo;At DTU, we learn that you have to find a need and develop a solution for that instead of coming up with a solution first and then finding a need for it. We saw a need and found a solution to some of the challenges we as a society will face in the future where people get increasingly older. Our dream is to develop a product that can make a big difference for many people.&rdquo;

Testing patches at Psychiatric Centre of North Zealand Photo: Magnus Møller.

A DTU startup has developed a new sensor for monitoring patients in an easier, smarter, and better way, with major potential socio-economic benefits.

Smart patch will improve patients' sleep

&ldquo;When I touch the stump with my hand, I feel tingling in my missing hand, my phantom hand. But feeling the temperature variation is a different thing, something important... something beautiful,&rdquo; says Francesca Rossi.Rossi is an amputee from Bologna, Italy. She recently participated in a study to test the effects of temperature feedback directly to the skin on her residual arm. She is one of 17 patients to have felt her phantom, missing hand, change in temperature thanks to new EPFL technology. More importantly, she reports feeling reconnected to her missing hand.<iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ccy2rpjkhxQ?&wmode=opaque&rel=0&enablejsapi=1&origin=https://www.wevolver.com" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable" data-lf-form-tracking-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true" data-lf-yt-playback-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true" data-lf-vimeo-playback-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true"></iframe> &ldquo;Temperature feedback is a nice sensation because you feel the limb, the phantom limb, entirely. It does not feel phantom anymore because your limb is back,&rdquo; Rossi continues.Researchers Silvestro Micera and Solaiman Shokur have been keen on incorporating new sensory feedback into prosthetic limbs for providing more realistic touch to amputees, and their latest study focuses on temperature. They stumbled upon a discovery about temperature feedback that far exceeds their expectations.If you place something hot or cold on the forearm of an intact individual, that person will feel the object&rsquo;s temperature locally, directly on their forearm. But in amputees, that temperature sensation on the residual arm may be felt&shy;&hellip; in the phantom, missing hand.By providing temperature feedback non-invasively, via thermal electrodes (aka thermodes) placed against the skin on the residual arm, amputees like Rossi report feeling temperature in their phantom limb. They can feel if an object is hot or cold, and can tell if they are touching copper, plastic or glass. In a collaboration between EPFL, Sant&rsquo;Anna School of Advanced Studies (SSSA) and Centro Protesi Inail, the technology was successfully tested in 17 out of 27 patients. The results are published in Science.&ldquo;Of particular importance is that phantom thermal sensations are perceived by the patient as similar to the thermal sensations experienced by their intact hand,&quot; explains Shokur, EPFL senior scientist neuroengineer who co-led the study.<img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1684764143446-f5080511.jpg" style="width: 300px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">2023 EPFL / Neuro-X Institute&nbsp;<h2 id="isPasted">Towards realistic bionic touch</h2>The projection of temperature sensations into the phantom limb has led to the development of new bionic technology, one that equips prosthetics with non-invasive temperature feedback that allows amputees to discern what they&rsquo;re touching.&ldquo;Temperature feedback is essential for relaying information that goes beyond touch, it leads to feelings of affection. We are social beings and warmth is an important part of that,&rdquo; says Micera, Bertarelli Foundation Chair in Translational Neuroengineering, professor at EPFL and SSSA who also co-led the study. &ldquo;For the first time, after many years of research in my laboratory showing that touch and position information can be successfully delivered, we envisage the possibility of restoring all of the rich sensations that one&rsquo;s natural hand can provide.&rdquo;<img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1684764173810-1440x948.jpg" style="width: 300px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">EPFL / Alain Herzog. Silvestro Micera holding a thermal sensor on a prosthetic index finger.&nbsp;<h2>Temperature feedback, from well-being to prosthetics</h2>A few years ago, Micera and Shokur got wind of a system that could provide<a href="https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/abstract/document/6775436" rel="noopener" target="_blank">&nbsp;temperature feedback through the skin of healthy subjects</a>, also developed at EPFL and spun-off by Metaphysiks.Metaphysiks has been developing neuro-haptic technology, MetaTouch, which connects the body with digital worlds. MetaTouch combines touch and temperature feedback to augment physical products for well-being.&ldquo;This breakthrough highlights the power of haptics to improve medical conditions and enhance the quality of life for people with disabilities,&rdquo; says Simon Gallo, Co-founder and Head of Technology at Metaphysiks.The EPFL neuroengineers borrowed MetaTouch that provides thermal feedback directly to a user&rsquo;s skin. With this device, they discovered the thermal phantom sensations and subsequently tested it in 27 amputees.<img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1684764236941-1440x960.jpg" style="width: 300px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">EPFL / Alain Herzog. Fabrizio Fidati (left) and Jonathan Muheim.&nbsp;<h2>The Minitouch prototype and tests</h2>For the study, Shokur and Micera developed the MiniTouch, a device that provides thermal feedback and specifically built for integration into wearable devices like prosthetics. The MiniTouch consists of a thin, wearable sensor that can be placed over an amputee&rsquo;s prosthetic finger. The finger sensor detects thermal information about the object being touched, more specifically, the object&rsquo;s heat conductivity. If the object is metallic, it will naturally conduct more heat or cold than, for instance, a plastic one. A thermode, one that is in contact with the skin on the amputee&rsquo;s residual arm, heats up or cools down, relaying the temperature profile of the object being touched by the finger sensor.&ldquo;When we presented the possibility to get back temperature sensation on the phantom limb or the possibility to feel the contact with different materials, we obtained a lot of positive feedback. And eventually, we were able to recruit more than 25 volunteers in less than two years,&rdquo; says Federico Morosato who was responsible for organizing the clinical aspect of the trials at Centro Protesi Inail.The scientists found that small areas of skin on the residual arm project to specific parts of the phantom hand, like the thumb, or the tip of an index finger. As expected, they discovered that the mapping of temperature sensations between the residual arm and the entire projected phantom one is unique to each patient.<img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1684764284070-1440x961.jpg" style="width: 300px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">EPFL / Alain Herzog. Fabrizio Fidati (left) and Jonathan Muheim.&nbsp;<h2>Bionic prosthetics for repairing the human body</h2>Almost a decade ago, Micera and colleagues provided real-time sensory feedback about objects being grasped. They went on to improve touch resolution by providing feedback about an object&rsquo;s texture and position information in a reliable way. Moreover, they discovered that amputees begin to embody their prosthetic hand if provided with sensory feedback directly into their intact nervous system. The added sensation of temperature feedback is yet another step towards building bionic prosthetics for repairing the human body. Fine-tuning temperature sensations and integrating these into a wearable device that can be mapped out to each patient are part of the next steps.

The MiniTouch, a device that allows amputees to feel hot and cold in their phantom hand. 2023 EPFL / Alain Herzog.

An unexpected discovery about temperature feedback has led to new bionic technology that allows amputees to sense the temperature of objects ­– both hot and cold – directly in the phantom hand. The technology opens up new avenues for non-invasive prosthetics.

Amputees feel warmth in their missing hand

<h2 id="isPasted">At a glance</h2>ChallengeTo prototype the cartridge section used in a universal platform, designed to run eight samples in parallel and detecting up to eight genetic markers in parallel within 10-15 minutes with high accuracy, as opposed to several hours or even days using traditional PCR-based technologies. The product needed to offer quick and accurate results but cost-effectively, meaning the most effective cost per part would be an essential factor when selecting a production method.SolutionThrough Protolabs&rsquo; automated solution, Diagonal Bio immediately received an initial analysis of how easy and cost-effective it would be to manufacture the first cartridge design. Protolabs technical consultants worked with Diagonal Bio to fine-tune and optimise the design to further align with the project&rsquo;s speed and cost-effectiveness requirements.OutcomeThe first version of the instrument for Research Use Only has been produced and it is now subject to a validation process with external partners. The second step will be to develop a commercial platform for use in general laboratories and less regulated sectors for example the food and agricultural sectors, where quick, accurate, and cost-effective detection of genetic markers would be highly beneficial. The aim is to continue developing a universal diagnostic platform for use in healthcare settings.<hr>The Covid-19 pandemic made it clear that there is a global need for a quick, accurate, more reliable, holistic tool for diagnosis. Today&#39;s market is dominated by either accurate but slow, complicated and expensive PCR-based technologies or rapid antigen tests offering fast but unreliable (less than 50 % accuracy) diagnosis, typically for only one infectious disease at a time.During the pandemic, the MedTech company Diagonal Bio was established in Lund with the vision to limit the spread of infectious diseases worldwide by creating a universal diagnostic platform, PANVIRAL. The platform should have the same accuracy as today&#39;s PCR-based technologies but deliver diagnosis within 10-15 minutes for multiple infectious diseases and/or patients in parallel. The idea was that this diagnostic platform could eventually be used at Point-of-Care, i.e., directly near the patients, at low cost and with extreme ease of use.New platform technology in only two yearsIn just two years, Diagonal Bio has developed an entirely new and patented platform technology, where electrochemical sensors, in combination with LAMP (Loop Mediated Isothermal Amplification), can detect genetic markers in essentially any genetic material (DNA or RNA) for any organism (humans, animal, plant, bacteria, viruses etc.). The technology, which has the potential to cut costs compared to traditional PCR-based technologies by up to 70 %, is already patented, and the company is listed on the Nasdaq stock exchange in Stockholm.The platform technology is based on three components: an instrument plus two types of consumables (cartridge and reaction mixes). The cartridge, which is currently prototype-manufactured in collaboration with Protolabs, is designed to run eight samples in parallel. This enables the detection of up to eight genetic markers in parallel within 10-15 minutes. In comparison, standard PCR-based methods where a sample has to be sent to a centralised lab for purification by expensive and complicated machinery before being analysed often mean that the result takes from several hours (at best) to several days (in general).One of the applications for the new technology developed by Diagonal Bio is for fast, accurate, cost-efficient, Point-of-Care diagnosis, for example, at private clinics, hospitals, workplaces, airports, during surgery etc., where quick and accurate diagnosis would enable fast and correct treatment early on for patients, hence enabling speedier recovery, fewer complications and save lives and limit the spread of infectious disease.Fast developmentHigh quality is never an accident but requires informed decisions, hard work and experience. This is why Diagonal Bio has chosen to work with the fast-growing Swedish product development company OIM, and Protolabs, the world&#39;s fastest digital supplier of prototypes and components in small volumes.Diagonal Bio uploaded its first CAD drawings of the prototype into Protolabs&#39; <a href="https://www.protolabs.com/en-gb/automated-design-analysis/?utm_source=wevolvert&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=uk-medical-0323&utm_content=wevolver-diagonal-bio-cs-0523" target="_blank" title="Automated Design Analysis">automated solution</a> and immediately received an initial analysis of how easy and cost-effective it would be to manufacture the first cartridge design. Unique to Protolabs are the technical consultants with expertise in manufacturing who then, together with Diagonal Bio, fine-tuned and optimised the design &ndash; a process that continues to develop.&nbsp;Diagonal Bio&#39;s CEO, Jack Egelund Madsen, explained:&quot;The process worked very smoothly and was very easy. The cartridge is produced by<a href="https://www.protolabs.com/en-gb/services/injection-moulding/?utm_source=wevolver&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=uk-medical-0323&utm_content=wevolver-diagonal-bio-cs-0523" target="_blank" title="Injection Moulding">&nbsp;injection moulding</a>. Making the mould took a total of four weeks from the first upload of our CAD drawings. From there, it only took a couple of days before we received the first prototypes:&quot;The patented platform technology has a wide range of possible uses, as many sectors can benefit from quick, accurate and cost-effective detection of multiple genetic markers in parallel in essentially any genetic material within 10-15 minutes, directly at the place of sampling.<img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNjg0MjIxNjMxMzU2LUlNR183MTE2LXVuZGVyMjAwa2IuanBnIiwiZWRpdHMiOnsicmVzaXplIjp7IndpZHRoIjo5NTAsImZpdCI6ImNvdmVyIn19fQ==" style="width: 300px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">LAMPlify &ndash; a commercial system for the less regulated market segmentsOne of Diagonal Bio&acute;s focus areas for 2023 (<a href="https://diagonalbio.com/investors/focus-2023/" target="_blank">Focus 2023 | Diagonal Bio</a>) is to develop the first commercial system, LAMPlify, for the less regulated market segments, for use as a general laboratory equipment, for example, in research laboratories and the food/feed/agricultural/veterinary sectors.Jack Egelund Madsen continued:&quot;The first version of our instrument, which is for Research Use Only (RUO), was delivered by OIM on 5 October 2022. Now we have begun our very important validation process with external partners and collaborators.PANVIRAL &ndash; a commercial system for in-vitro diagnosticsDiagonal Bio&acute;s ambition is still to develop the PANVIRAL systems as a universal in-vitro&nbsp;diagnostic system for infectious diseases, at a later stage.Revenue generated from LAMPlify could be used to co-fund the regulatory process which is required to get PANVIRAL to market as a CE-marked in-vitro diagnostic instrument according to EU-IVDR/US-FDA for use in human healthcare, where infectious diseases such as covid, antimicrobial resistance (AMR), sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), pneumonia, Ebola or other infectious diseases that can be diagnosed using genetic markers. The technology also has the potential to diagnose certain types of cancers or genetic disorders.&quot;The only requirement is that the sample analysed contain genetic material, and that the genetic code (DNA or RNA) for the target (genetic marker) is known,&quot; explained Jack.&nbsp;Development continues&quot;Although we already have the first version of the instrument for RUO ready, there is still ongoing development as we plan to tailor the technology for use in various market segments,&quot; Jack continued. &quot;Working with Protolabs in this phase has proven very efficient, and we are now continuing to develop the solution iteratively.<blockquote>&quot;Together with Protolabs, we can change and refine our cartridge design as we get new ideas and quickly and cost-effectively receive modified prototypes for evaluation. We&#39;re really looking forward to the continued exciting development with Protolabs,&quot; Jack Egelund Madsen, CEO, Diagonal Bio.</blockquote><hr>&nbsp;Want to learn more about how <a href="https://www.protolabs.com/en-gb/?utm_source=wevolver&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=uk-medical-0323&utm_content=wevolver-diagonal-bio-cs-0523" target="_blank">Protolabs</a> supports similar businesses with CNC machined, injection moulded or 3D printed custom parts? <a href="https://www.protolabs.com/en-gb/resources/case-studies?utm_source=wevolver&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=uk-medical-0323&utm_content=wevolver-diagonal-bio-cs-0523" target="_blank">Click here to check out their other case studies.</a><div id="_com_1" language="JavaScript"> </div><hr>

Cartridge section of universal diagnostic platform

Protolabs’ expertise supported the fine tuning and optimisation of the design, to align with the projects speed and cost-effective requirements.

Diagonal Bio innovates towards quick and accurate identification of genetic markers with the help of Protolabs

A groundbreaking 2020 research project led by <a href="https://www.tudelft.nl/3me/over/afdelingen/biomechanical-engineering/research/biomechatronics-human-machine-control/delft-institute-of-prosthetics-and-orthotics" target="_blank">Delft University of Technology and Gyromotics</a> delved into the unique requirements of children using lower limb prosthetics. The findings highlighted that youngsters are more prone to damaging their prosthetic devices due to their active nature. Furthermore, the study emphasized the need for greater adaptability in children&#39;s prosthetics, as growth spurts can cause the devices to become overly rigid or excessively flexible.The results of the study inspired <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/tijmen-seignette-51153b101?miniProfileUrn=urn%3Ali%3Afs_miniProfile%3AACoAABnizB0BjktQ9h9zx63zxr_kymOBsl-InMU" target="_blank">Tijmen Seignette</a>, a researcher at TU Delft, to look for ways to make children&#39;s prosthetics more robust, comfortable, and adaptable as they grew.&nbsp;Tijmen pitched his graduation project titled &#39;Measuring Ground Reaction Forces in Running Specific Prostheses - A Fiber Optic Sensing Approach,&rsquo; where he designed a sensor system for running specific prostheses together with <a href="https://www.photonfirst.com/" target="_blank">Photon First</a> and <a href="https://gyromotics.com/en/" target="_blank">Gyromotics</a>. His system can be used to improve sprinting performance of Paralympic athletes, as well as validate prosthetic design choices. <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/tijmen-seignette-51153b101?miniProfileUrn=urn%3Ali%3Afs_miniProfile%3AACoAABnizB0BjktQ9h9zx63zxr_kymOBsl-InMU" target="_blank">Seignette</a> submitted his research to the Precision Fairs Boost Your Talent Awards, where he won the $5000 Wevolver award. <a href="#_msocom_2" id="_anchor_2" language="JavaScript" name="_msoanchor_2" target="_blank">[2]</a> The Precision Fair is organized by Mikrocentrum.&nbsp;We recently sat done with <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/tijmen-seignette-51153b101?miniProfileUrn=urn%3Ali%3Afs_miniProfile%3AACoAABnizB0BjktQ9h9zx63zxr_kymOBsl-InMU" target="_blank">Seignette</a>, to talk about what his project is now and how he sees the future of prosthetics.&nbsp;<h2>When did the project get started? What was your motivation, and what did the early&nbsp;iterations look like?</h2>The Ground Reaction Force measurement project on prosthetics started in the summer of 2020 as a graduation project for my Master&#39;s thesis at the Biomedical Engineering department at the Delft University of Technology. In a previous graduation project, a design for a novel prosthesis was made. However, no validation method for this design was readily available. Therefore, in the project, I set out to design a measurement system that would allow for GRF measurements during running, as these forces are very important parameters in efficient sprint running.Early iterations of the instrumented prosthesis were based on FBG shape-sensing prototypes that I got acquainted with during my internship at PhotonFirst in Alkmaar, the Netherlands. During this internship, I learned how to perform calculations on deformations in (composite) materials using optical sensors. I also learned how to apply FBGs in several other fields, and thus got to know which limitations, but mostly which opportunities these kinds of sensors have in several fields of applications.&nbsp;Ewoud Velu, an engineer at PhotonFirst, helped me to create the FBG-instrumented prosthetics. We first made a prosthetic that would allow for rudimentary measurements, and to see if our method of applying sensors to the surface of the prosthetic would work as expected. Of: At PhotonFirst, Ewoud Velu, an engineer, collaborated with me to develop FBG-instrumented prosthetics. We began by creating a basic prosthetic to conduct initial measurements and test the effectiveness of our sensor application method on its surface.&nbsp;The next step was&nbsp;to&nbsp;integrate the sensors into the prosthetic so that it could be used by an athlete for field tests.<h2>How important was winning the Precision Fair&rsquo;s Boost Your Talent Award? What doors did this open?</h2><a href="https://precisiebeurs.nl/register" target="_blank">The Boost Your Talent award</a> helped me build a professional network in the engineering field. This helped me find the right people to help us further develop the product that I am currently working on in Project Unlimited. Because of winning the award, we were also introduced to the <a href="https://www.wevolver.com/article/the-composite-engineering-challenge" target="_blank">Composites Engineering Challenge by Mitsubishi Chemical,</a> in which we won the Innovation Award for the most disruptive and innovative project within our field.&nbsp;In addition to this, my project will also be published by professional magazines such as the Mikroniek, which means that the project will gain more attention in the professional field of sensors and fine mechanics. Of:&nbsp;Furthermore, my project will also be featured in professional magazines such as Mikroniek. This will increase its visibility within the professional field of sensors and fine mechanics.&nbsp;<img border="0" width="602" src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNjgzMDE5NzY3NzIyLTE2ODMwMTk3Njc3MjIucG5nIiwiZWRpdHMiOnsicmVzaXplIjp7IndpZHRoIjo5NTAsImZpdCI6ImNvdmVyIn19fQ==" class="fr-fic fr-dii">Project Unlimited involves the end users throughout the whole design cycle. Image credit: Project Unlimited<h2>What impact did winning the innovation award for the Composites Engineering Challenge have?</h2>By winning the award, we got international attention for the problems and inconveniences that children with an amputation face on a daily basis. We got the opportunity to publish articles in multiple magazines and blogs so that we could communicate what problems we are tackling by creating a new prosthesis.&nbsp;As a team, we welcome this because one of our research project&#39;s goals is to raise awareness about children who use a lower leg prosthetic.We will also receive help from Mitsubishi Chemical in exploring suitable materials and production methods to find the right material properties that we are looking for. We are also looking into scaling up the production for the modular prosthesis, which is very helpful for our project; within our project group, we do have a lot of knowledge on prototyping and small-scale production of composites but not in larger series production. Getting help from a large company with a lot of experience in scaling the production method will have a large impact on the project.&nbsp;Additionally, we are detailing our service model and business model for our prosthesis - for now, mainly for the purpose of the Dutch market. Mitsubishi will help us find the right people to further develop these aspects of our project.&nbsp;<h2>What&#39;s next for you and the project?&nbsp;</h2>In the coming months, we will do multiple iterations of our current modular prosthetic design, so that, eventually, we will have a prosthesis that we know will be safely usable for an extended period. We will then launch a testing trial with multiple orthopedic technical companies so that about 20 children will be provided with a prosthetic foot. From these tests, we will gather data to further develop our product-service system and eventually do a market introduction under the Gyromotics company in the Netherlands.&nbsp;We will also be working on awareness about children with a foot prosthetic, for instance, by developing presentation material that can be used by children in primary schools to tell their peers about prosthetics, and we will attend technical/educational events to showcase our progress on the design of our foot. For me personally, my role in the research project is almost finished, and I will be on the lookout for a new professional challenge in the field of medical design/R&amp;D. On the side, I will still be helping out the Project Unlimited team, where I can.&nbsp;<h2>What resources or input are you looking for now?</h2>For Project Unlimited, we want to explore the implementation of our product into the market.Since we have a complicated stakeholder structure in our project (lots of people are involved in providing prosthetics for children; the child, the parents, orthopedic technicians, rehabilitation doctors, insurance companies, etc.), we need to get everyone involved in the service design so that we can provide every child with a lower leg amputation with the right prosthetic foot, for the right price.&nbsp;For this service design and the detailing of the business model, we are also working together with Mitsubishi Chemical, but it is always nice to know of other projects that apply a similar approach to healthcare and see if we can learn from these projects as well. Personally, since I will be looking for a new professional challenge, I am mainly looking for a role in a project that involves a disruptive product/service in the healthcare field, as I think I can apply the knowledge I gained in my previous work well in this field.<h3>Read more about Mikrocentrum:</h3>Mikrocentrum is the connecting platform for the high-tech and manufacturing industry. We have a fascination with technology. And as an independent foundation, we are uniquely positioned to establish the right connections to translate that fascination into all layers of the value chain. Together with our members, customers, and partners, we are committed to a strong innovative ecosystem, talent development, and addressing the major societal challenges of today. We do this by providing education, stimulating meetings, and connecting through our courses, events, and member platform. Because with knowledge, talent, skills, and connections as fuel, we are making the world of tomorrow a little better today.<h3>About the Precision Fair:</h3>The Precision Fair is the annual trade fair for the entire precision technology value chain, ranging from mechatronic engineering &amp; systems, metrology, vacuum &amp; clean, micro processing &amp; motion, laser &amp; photonics, to production for high precision.<img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNjgzMDE5ODg5NzYwLW1pa3JvIGJvdHRvbSBiYW5uZXIuanBnIiwiZWRpdHMiOnsicmVzaXplIjp7IndpZHRoIjo5NTAsImZpdCI6ImNvdmVyIn19fQ==" style="width: 300px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">

Research from elite athletes informs the design of these robust and adaptable prosthetics. We interview researcher Tijmen Seignette, about his ambitions to change how we approach prosthetic design. 

Revolutionizing prosthetics for kids: A modular approach that grows with the user

A camel cannot go through the eye of a needle. But researchers at ETH Zurich have now achieved something that &ndash; figuratively speaking &ndash; comes quite close. They have developed a new approach to minimally invasive surgical instruments, thanks to which large objects can be brought into the body through a narrow catheter.<iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/wuiAQJF8z88?&wmode=opaque&rel=0&enablejsapi=1&origin=https://www.wevolver.com" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable" data-lf-form-tracking-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true" data-lf-yt-playback-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true" data-lf-vimeo-playback-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true"></iframe> This works as follows: The researchers disassemble such devices into individual parts and then slide them through the catheter in a row, like a string of pearls. At the end of the catheter, the parts assemble themselves into a predefined shape thanks to built-in magnets.In its research, the team &ndash; led by ETH doctoral student Hongri Gu, who is now a postdoc at the University of Konstanz &ndash; was primarily concerned with demonstrating the many possibilities of this new approach. In a relatively simple way and using 3D printing, the scientists also constructed an endoscopic grasper. Moreover, they showed that the new approach makes it possible to assemble an endoscope head consisting of three parts.For their prototypes, the researchers combined soft, elastic segments with rigid segments, into which the tiny magnets are incorporated. This design method also makes it possible for an endoscope head to perform movements with very tight radii and angles that aren&rsquo;t feasible with today&rsquo;s endoscopes. This increased mobility broadens the possibilities when designing devices for minimally invasive surgery on organs such as the intestine or the stomach. The scientists published their demonstration study in the journal <a href="https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-023-36819-z" target="_blank">external pageNature Communicationscall_made</a>.

For minimally invasive surgery, the instruments used must be small. ETH Zurich researchers have now developed a method to transport large devices through a narrow catheter. This expands the possibilities for designing minimally invasive surgical tools.

How to make self-folding surgical tools

Printed electronics is a promising additive technique to produce all manners of devices. It is already a very successful industry. However, &nbsp;some continue to consider only a technology of the future. This is partly because when printed electronics succeeeds, it is often no longer called printed electronics, leading some to overlook its current successes.<a href="https://www.techblick.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">TechBlick</a> is the home of additive and printed electronics. In this TechBlick presentation - which was originally posted<a href="https://www.techblick.com/post/full-presentation-review-of-industrial-applications-of-printed-electronics-1" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">&nbsp;here</a>- &nbsp;aims to highlight a diverse range of printed electronics applications which are already industrialized today. This offers a good view of the depth and breadth of the industry, demonstrating how this technology is literally everywhere!You can download the slides accompaying this presentation<a href="https://www.techblick.com/post/full-presentation-review-of-industrial-applications-of-printed-electronics-1" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">&nbsp;here</a> Here we will cover the following<ul><li>Printed metalization of Si PVs (PERC, Topcon, and HJT PVs)</li><li>Organic and Perovskite Photovoltaics</li><li>QD-OLED Displays</li><li>MicroLED Color Conversion</li><li>MLCCs</li><li>PCB Industry (solder printing, solder &amp; legend printing)</li><li>Automotive industry (from occupancy sensors to seat heaters to 3D touch surfaces)</li><li>Medical and Biosensors (from glucose test strips to multilayer precision biosensors)</li><li>HMIs</li><li>2.5D and 3D Electronics</li><li>Intelligent packaging</li><li>Semiconductor packaging</li><li>and many more</li></ul>To learn more about the world of printed and additive electronics, and to network with all the key players from around the world, please join us in Berlin on 17-19 OCT 2023 where you can hear more than 50 onsite talks, visit more than 74 booths, and network with 600+ peers and partners. <a href="https://www.techblick.com/electronicsreshaped" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Here</a> you can find mroe info<img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1681376756569-email+%28Berlin-2023%29+%282%29.jpg" style="width: 713px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"><a href="https://www.techblick.com/electronicsreshaped" id="isPasted" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.techblick.com/electronicsreshaped</a>

TechBlick's presentation reviews printed electronics' industrial applications, dispelling the notion that it's solely a technology of the future. The talk showcases various commercial success stories incl.  photovoltaics, displays, sensors, HMIs, 3D electronics,  MLCCs, PCBs, semicon packaging, etc

Review of industrial applications of printed electronics - what are current successful applications?

This article was written by Tsuyoshi Takeda from Panasonic for TechBlick and first appeared on <a href="https://www.techblick.com/post/beyolex-for-soft-circuit-solutions-panasonic" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">this link.</a> The Electronic Materials Business Division of Panasonic Industry Co.,Ltd. (Panasonic) is a premier supplier of electronic materials like printed circuit boards laminates, semiconductor packaging materials, display films and other leading-edge products.&nbsp;Leveraging our core expertise in high-performance thermosetting polymer chemistry, we developed BEYOLEX&trade;, a fully cross-linked, non-silicone, thermosetting stretchable film. BEYOLEX&trade; is specifically designed as a soft, stretchable, and durable substrate for reliable printed electronics. BEYOLEX&trade; exhibits superior performance when compared to existing stretchable films like Thermoplastic Polyurethane (TPU) and Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) and is under evaluation and qualification for a wide variety of demanding applications. In collaboration with our innovative partners, Panasonic introduces our latest case studies on soft circuit development which is one of the promising applications of BEYOLEX&trade;.<hr><h3>Case Study 1: Pliable PCB made with copper sintering ink</h3>InnovationLab and Panasonic developed a pliable PCB demonstrator. This device was designed and manufactured by InnovationLab using BEYOLEX&trade; and sintered copper ink. Generally, the copper inks require a high sintering temperature (&gt;160 &deg;C), which is extremely challenging for TPU. As can be seen in Pic 1, the BEYOLEX&trade; substrate had no difficulty tolerating the sintering temperature and exhibited no damage from the process. Furthermore, the combination of the high temperature tolerance of BEYOLEX&trade; and the solderability of the sintered copper ink &nbsp;enabled component mounting with standard solders such as Sn-Bi or SAC305: resulting in reliable and high density assemblies and delivering a functional PCB with more pliability and softness than typical flexible printed circuits (FPCs.) 　<div data-hook="rcv-block12" type="paragraph"> </div><div data-hook="imageViewer" tabindex="0"><img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNjgxMjQzMzQ4MTIzLTE2ODEyNDMzNDgxMjMucG5nIiwiZWRpdHMiOnsicmVzaXplIjp7IndpZHRoIjo5NTAsImZpdCI6ImNvdmVyIn19fQ==" alt="" data-pin-media="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/090711_4a367e5ea8b54dc3b278e4d91f691fab~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_900,h_742,al_c,q_85/090711_4a367e5ea8b54dc3b278e4d91f691fab~mv2.jpg" class="fr-fic fr-dii"></div><div data-hook="rcv-block14" type="image"> </div>Pic 1: Pliable PCB made by InnovationLab<hr>Panasonic will be exhibiting at the TechBlick event on the Future of Electronics RESHAPED. Please join us in Berlin on 17-18 OCT 2023. More info <a href="https://www.techblick.com/electronicsreshaped" id="isPasted" target="_blank">here</a><img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1681243834906-email+%28Berlin-2023%29.jpg" style="width: 766px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"><a href="https://www.techblick.com/electronicsreshaped" id="isPasted" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.techblick.com/electronicsreshaped</a><hr><h3>Case Study 2: Stretchable hybrid PCB made using copper ink and stretchable silver paste&nbsp;</h3><div data-hook="rcv-block17" type="h3"> </div>Kelenn Technology, a leading manufacturer of printing equipment, also makes functional inks that are customized for their printing systems. Using their proprietary Direct Material Deposition (DMD) technology, Kelenn Technology printed land pads with copper ink and circuit traces with stretchable silver-based paste onto BEYOLEX&trade; film (Pic 2). This hybrid circuit produced a solderable, stretchable PCB configuration that would be difficult to achieve with copper circuitry alone. Definitely, BEYOLEX&trade; is the only substrate solution for this design.&nbsp;<div data-hook="rcv-block19" type="paragraph"> </div><div data-hook="rcv-block20" type="paragraph"> </div><div data-hook="imageViewer" tabindex="0"><img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNjgxMjQzMzQ4OTcxLTE2ODEyNDMzNDg5NzEucG5nIiwiZWRpdHMiOnsicmVzaXplIjp7IndpZHRoIjo5NTAsImZpdCI6ImNvdmVyIn19fQ==" alt="" data-pin-media="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/090711_ec3b66bae7ef4a8bac4b59e8699970c5~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_900,h_717,al_c,q_85/090711_ec3b66bae7ef4a8bac4b59e8699970c5~mv2.jpg" class="fr-fic fr-dii"></div><div data-hook="rcv-block21" type="image"> </div>Pic 2: Stretchable PCB made by Kelenn Technology &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;Subsequently, Panasonic engineers reflowed solder paste onto test vehicles prepared by Kelenn Technology. We printed an industry standard SAC305 solder paste and reflowed the part in a Vapor Solder Oven with a temperature of 230&deg;C. We confirmed both the solderability of the copper ink pads provided by Kelenn Technology as well as the mechanical integrity of BEYOLEX&trade; after soldering (Pic 3). As a result of this test, we believe BEYOLEX&trade;, with sintered copper ink, is a promising solution for solderable, pliable or even stretchable PCB constructions.<div data-hook="rcv-block24" type="paragraph"> </div><div data-hook="imageViewer" tabindex="0"><img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNjgxMjQzMzQ1NzY4LTE2ODEyNDMzNDU3NjgucG5nIiwiZWRpdHMiOnsicmVzaXplIjp7IndpZHRoIjo5NTAsImZpdCI6ImNvdmVyIn19fQ==" alt="" data-pin-media="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/090711_a29a1cd0f67343ecbbf3dea16b496471~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_900,h_556,al_c,q_85/090711_a29a1cd0f67343ecbbf3dea16b496471~mv2.jpg" class="fr-fic fr-dii"></div><div data-hook="rcv-block26" type="image"> </div>Pic 3: Soldering on CuThis technology will be presented at TechBlick&#39;s event in Berlin on 17-18 OCT 2023. You can learn more info<a href="https://www.techblick.com/electronicsreshaped" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"> here</a>. This is the most important global event on printed electronics, stretchable and soft electronics, and wearable electronics.&nbsp;<img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1681243915891-email+%28Berlin-2023%29.jpg" style="width: 760px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"><hr><h3>Case study 3: Tackling the challenges of truly stretchable electronics</h3>Stretchable silver pastes are an attractive conductor solution for new form factor devices. However, these polymer composite pastes have inherent limitations for forming truly stretchable electronics; typically, the resistance increases significantly with each elongation cycle and these increases are cumulative, climbing with each stretch cycle. A printable Liquid Metal Based Composite developed by University of Coimbra (UoC) is a promising solution to this issue. UoC&rsquo;s ink exhibits metallic conductivity and much lower resistance change during stretch cycles compared to silver-polymer pastes. Thanks to the lack of plastic deformation of BEYOLEX&trade;, UoC&rsquo;s ink printed on BEYOLEX&trade; looks to be a promising combination for truly stretchable electronics requiring repeated stretching (Pic 4).&nbsp;<div data-hook="rcv-block31" type="paragraph"> </div><div data-hook="rcv-block33" type="empty-line"> </div><div data-hook="imageViewer" tabindex="0"><img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNjgxMjQzMzQ4NDAzLTE2ODEyNDMzNDg0MDMucG5nIiwiZWRpdHMiOnsicmVzaXplIjp7IndpZHRoIjo5NTAsImZpdCI6ImNvdmVyIn19fQ==" alt="" data-pin-media="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/090711_7b7f233db9a746e6ad504d65e4c2c543~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_1200,h_787,al_c,q_85/090711_7b7f233db9a746e6ad504d65e4c2c543~mv2.jpg" class="fr-fic fr-dii"></div><div data-hook="rcv-block34" type="image"> </div>Pic 4: Stretchable LED with capacitive touch by UoCThe soft-circuit solutions made with BEYOLEX&trade; introduced in this article are made by additive printing processes which are generally more environmentally friendly than the conventional subtractive PCB fabrication process. &nbsp;Panasonic&rsquo;s Electronic Materials Business Division keeps contributing to create value and to society through innovative materials.Panasonic will be exhibiting at the TechBlick show on The Future of Electronics RESHAPED in Berlin on 17-19 OCT 2023. You can find more information <a href="https://www.techblick.com/electronicsreshaped" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">here</a>

A novel stretchable film has been developed for soft & stretchable circuit / electronic solutions, outperforming existing films like TPU.  Here you can learn about case studies showcasing its potential in pliable PCBs, stretchable hybrid PCBs, and truly stretchable electronics. 

A Novel Substrate for Soft Circuit Solutions: Case Studies and Results

Infections of the middle ear, the air-filled space behind the eardrum that contains the tiny vibrating bones of hearing, annually affect more than 700 million people worldwide. Children are especially prone to ear infections, with 40% of them developing recurrent or chronic infections that can lead to complications like impaired hearing, speech and language delays, perforations in their eardrums, and even life-threatening meningitis.As a treatment, doctors may surgically insert ear tubes knowns as &ldquo;tympanostomy tubes&rdquo; (TTs) into the eardrum to create an opening between the ear canal and middle ear. Ideally, these conduits ventilate the middle ear, provide a route for fluid to drain out, and allow antibiotic drops to reach the infection-causing bacteria. But in reality, these small hollow cylindrical devices made of plastic or metal function far from perfectly. Bacteria can lay down biofilms and local tissue can grow on their surfaces, which blocks TTs&rsquo; lumen and causes them to extrude. Also, antibiotic ear drops applied in the ear canal may not reach the site of infection anymore. These complications pose risks and result in the need for frequent replacement surgeries, producing sizeable economic costs to the health care system.<img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1681140520247-iTT+Journal+Cover+Image.png" style="width: 304px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">Collaborating researchers at Harvard&rsquo;s WyssInstitute and School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, and Mass Eye and Ear in Boston have developed a blueprint for designing optimized tympanostomy tubes and other fluid-transporting devices. The approach combines antifouling liquid-infused materials with optimized geometries to achieve new functionalities at a small scale. Credit: Second Bay Studio&nbsp;Importantly, problems affecting TTs also plague other fluid-transporting &ldquo;implantable medical conduits&rdquo; (IMCs), such as catheters, shunts, and various small tubes with use in the brain, liver, eyes, and other organs where a high-pressure barrier prevents fluids from flowing through the conduit. In the quest for superior devices, the fundamental challenge faced by biomedical engineers is rooted in the conflict that reducing IMC devices&rsquo; size and invasiveness comes at the price of increasing their risk of becoming blocked and malfunctioning.Now, a multi-disciplinary research collaboration at the <a href="https://wyss.harvard.edu/" target="_blank">Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard University</a>, <a href="https://seas.harvard.edu/" target="_blank">Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences</a> (SEAS), and <a href="https://www.masseyeandear.org/" target="_blank">Massachusetts Eye and Ear</a> (MEE) in Boston provides a complete design overhaul for IMCs by creating a broadly applicable strategy that solves this challenge. Their approach enables IMCs with predictable and effective uni- and bi-directional fluid transport at the millimeter scale that resist various contaminations. With the example of TTs fabricated from a liquid-infused material (iTTs, short for &ldquo;infused tympanostomy tubes&rdquo;), they co-optimized difficult-to-reconcile functions, including fast drug delivery into and drainage of fluids out of the middle ear, resistance against water crossing from the outside into the middle ear, as well as the prevention of bacterial and cell adhesion to tubes, by introducing a novel curved lumen geometry of the tube. The findings are published in the recent cover article of Science Translational Medicine.&ldquo;As a clinical otologist, I treat pediatric and adult patients with recurrent ear infections on a daily basis and I routinely place tympanostomy tubes, which in children is the most common surgical procedure performed in the United States. Yet, TT medical device technology has remained relatively unchanged for the past 50 years,&rdquo; said co-senior author <a href="https://oto.hms.harvard.edu/people/aaron-remenschneider" target="_blank">Aaron Remenschneider</a>, M.D., M.P.H. &ldquo;Given our findings, I do see hope on the horizon for patients with chronic ear infections. Not only do our iTTs demonstrate a reduction in cell adhesion and improved selective fluid transport, but we showed how iTTs result in decreased scarring of the eardrum and preserved hearing when compared to standard-of-care control TTs. iTTs could also become an effective tool for delivering a range of drugs to the middle ear.&rdquo; Remenschneider is a lecturer at Harvard Medical School (HMS), and at MEE collaborates closely with co-author, MEE otologist-colleague, and HMS Assistant Professor <a href="https://oto.hms.harvard.edu/people/elliott-d-kozin" target="_blank">Elliott Kozin</a>, M.D., who also investigates therapeutic approaches to ear disorders at MEE.<h2>Material and clinical scientists listen closely &ndash; together</h2>Preceding this collaboration, co-senior author <a href="https://wyss.harvard.edu/team/associate-faculty/joanna-aizenberg/" target="_blank">Joanna Aizenberg</a>, Ph.D., who is an Associate Faculty member of the Wyss Institute and the Amy Smith Berylson Professor of Material Sciences at SEAS, has pioneered bio-inspired materials with entirely new functionalities. These included <a href="https://wyss.harvard.edu/technology/slips-slippery-liquid-infused-porous-surfaces/" target="_blank">SLIPS</a> (short for &ldquo;Slippery Liquid-Infused Porous Surfaces&rdquo;), which expose a thin layer of oil-based liquid to prevent biofouling by various organisms while enabling specific interactions with other fluids. Aizenberg&rsquo;s group had applied SLIPS technology to different industrial and environmental &ldquo;biofouling&rdquo; problems and, in search of unmet needs in the medical field that their materials could help address, they consulted with Remenschneider, Kozin and other physicians. A complete design overhaul of TTs and other IMCs became the goal of a long-standing collaboration driven by Aizenberg&rsquo;s group, and Remenschneider and Kozin, which also included other researchers and clinicians. During its advancement, the cross-institutional project was recognized as a Validation Project at the Wyss Institute, which provided additional financial, technical, and translational support.First-authors Haritosh Patel, a graduate engineering student in the Aizenberg lab, and Ida Pavlichenko, Ph.D., a former Wyss Technology Development Fellow began to develop the first iTT prototypes, using materials with liquid-infused surfaces and the 3D printing expertise of co-author Jennifer Lewis, Sd.D. at SEAS. &ldquo;As a mother of a child who had experienced recurrent ear infections and some of their pain and harmful consequences, I could immediately relate to the clinical problem, and felt strongly compelled to spearhead a project with the potential to solve it,&rdquo; said Pavlichenko. &ldquo;We soon began to investigate geometry as a possible solution for solving IMCs&rsquo; fundamental design challenge. Surprisingly, only cylindrical TTs with straight internal lumen channels existed. We hypothesized that introducing specific curvatures into iTTs&rsquo; channels could allow them to discriminate between different fluids at a small scale.&rdquo;While focusing on iTTs as a first application, the team developed a much more broadly applicable modeling-enabled design process that can be applied to IMCs with different tasks and locations in the body. Based on the physical parameters of liquids, materials, and size, it starts with the fluid dynamics-based prediction of specific geometries for millimeter-sized IMCs fabricated with liquid-infused surfaces to control the directional transport of different liquids through them. &ldquo;Besides validating the predicted transport of fluids through rationally designed and fabricated iTT prototypes in in vitro&nbsp;models of the middle ear, we also demonstrated their resistance against adhesion by the five most common bacterial strains causing ear infection in children,&rdquo; said Patel. The strains were directly isolated from patients with chronic middle ear infections by co-author Paulo Bispo, Ph.D., another MEE collaborator on the project and an Assistant Professor at HMS.<h2>Moving closer to the human ear</h2>To investigate the performance of their iTTs in comparison with conventional TTs in an in vivo model with relevance to the human ear, the collaborators tested their approach on the ears of chinchillas, the gold-standard for studying middle ear diseases and treatment approaches. Chinchillas have a tympanic membrane about the same size of that of humans and a similar frequency range of hearing, and Remenschneider and Kozin had routinely used them in their MEE research lab. &ldquo;Checking off all essential boxes, iTTs, when implanted into chinchillas&rsquo; eardrum, kept out environmental water, prevented infectious buildup, reduced scarring, and remained clear for aeration and pressure equalization,&rdquo; said Patel. Pavlichenko added, &ldquo;Importantly, they preserved hearing and enabled more easy and reliable dosing of antibiotic ear drops to the middle ear compared to conventional TTs, which is particularly exciting.&rdquo; According to Remenschneider, &ldquo;reliable dosing of medications to the middle ear through iTTs opens the door to rethinking our management of middle and even inner ear conditions, like hearing loss.&rdquo;&ldquo;Based on our excellent safety and efficacy results, iTTs could next be tested in a clinical trial in human patients. But what equally excites us is to extend our patented design approach to other important IMCs, for example, as shunts for the brain, eye, and bile duct. The technology and fabrication process would even enable the creation of personalized devices optimized for specific patients&rsquo; characteristics and needs,&rdquo; said Aizenberg. &ldquo;We envision that iTTs&rsquo; and other IMCs&rsquo; material and geometrical properties in the future could be reverse-engineered to adapt them to different drug formulations and make them a part of the drug discovery process for an efficient topical delivery of therapeutics and treatment of various diseases.&rdquo;&ldquo;This is wonderful example of what can happen when you have innovative materials scientists, engineers, and clinicians working together hand in hand to devise a new approach to meet specific patients&rsquo; needs,&rdquo; said Wyss Founding Director <a href="https://wyss.harvard.edu/team/executive-team/donald-ingber/" target="_blank">Donald Ingber</a>, M.D., Ph.D., who is also the Judah&nbsp;Folkman Professor of Vascular Biologyat HMS and Boston Children&rsquo;s Hospital, and the Hansj&ouml;rg Wyss Professor of Bioinspired Engineeringat SEAS.Other authors on the study are Alison Grinthal, Cathy Zhang, Jack Alvarenga, Michael Kreder, James Weaver, Qin Ji, Christopher Ling, Joseph Choy, Zihan Li, and Nicole Black. The study has been funded by the Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard University, National Science Foundation (under award# DMR-2011754), and National Institutes of Health (under award# R43DC019318 and K08DC018575).

Novel ear tubes improve treatment outcomes for patients with ear infections

Creating a blueprint for optimized ear tubes and other implantable fluid-transporting devices

The market for connected medical devices is booming. According to Bloomberg, it will expand by a factor of six between 2021 and 2028 to reach 296 billion dollars. At the same time, these devices are collecting increasingly reliable data, and programmers are developing ever-more powerful algorithms to process them. Many wearable devices today use photoplethysmogram (PPG) sensors &ndash; placed for example under connected watches and distinguishable by the colored LED light they emit &ndash; to measure vital signs like heart rate, blood oxygen levels, breathing rate and blood pressure. After several years of miniaturization research, EPFL engineers have developed technology that concentrates all the monitoring capabilities available on smart watches into an area that&rsquo;s four times smaller, breaking all records. This miniaturization prowess &ndash; a breakthrough that&rsquo;s backed by several patents &ndash; also means much less power is required, and so a significantly smaller battery can deliver the same battery life.These innovations are at the heart of Iris, the smart ring marketed by Senbiosys &ndash; a firm founded by two former EPFL PhD students in 2018. Iris packs a myriad of health monitoring sensors into a piece of jewelry roughly the size of a wedding band. The company&rsquo;s crowdfunding campaign will soon draw to a close and has already raised five times more than the initial target of 100,000 francs. The proceeds will be used to take Iris from the prototype stage to large-scale production.<img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1678967222669-d4eda958.jpg" style="width: 766px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">Antonino Caizzone and Assim Boukhayma, cofounders &copy; 2023 Alain Herzog&nbsp;<h2 id="isPasted">The world&rsquo;s smallest PPG sensors</h2>The PPG sensors used in wearable medical devices contain LED light sources coupled with photodetectors and an electronic reading system. The photodetectors capture the light reflected from the LEDs and feed this information into algorithms, which then calculate the wearer&rsquo;s vital signs. Senbiosys&rsquo;s PPG sensors measure just four cubic millimeters, which is four times smaller than the ones found in competing devices on the market. When it comes to this kind of miniaturization, the biggest obstacle is usually the power needed to run the LEDs. But extensive research at EPFL&rsquo;s Integrated Circuits Laboratory in Neuch&acirc;tel has produced tiny photodetectors that can pick up signals just as clearly as existing ones &ndash; from a light source that&rsquo;s much less intense. This discovery has made waves across the industry. &ldquo;Our breakthrough has given rise to around 60 journal articles in the fields of microelectronics and optical sensors,&rdquo; says Antonino Caizzone, a Senbiosys cofounder who received the 2021 Gilbert Hausmann Award for his thesis in this area. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s also led to 11 patents, including some obtained at EPFL, and our work has been cited around 1,000 times.&rdquo;<blockquote>Thanks to inventions we came up with in the MICS Lab, we were able to miniaturize the professional-grade sensors used in bulky devices like blood pressure monitors and pulse oximeters<footer>Assim Boukhayma, cofounder</footer></blockquote><h2>Six sensors around a single finger</h2>Senbiosys&rsquo;s miniature photodetectors are already used in a number of electronic devices, such as hearing aids produced by other companies. Today, the photodetectors equip a smart ring measuring 5 mm wide and 2.5 mm thick. &ldquo;We felt there was potential to use our sensors to create a new product directly for consumers,&rdquo; says Caizzone. &ldquo;Several journal articles, including one appearing in&nbsp;Frontiers in Physiology&nbsp;in 2019, have shown that taking vital-sign measurements on the wrist isn&rsquo;t ideal, since data reliability can be impacted by the wrist&rsquo;s size and shape. Readings taken on the finger or ear are better. Another reason why we decided to develop a smart ring is that watches can sometimes be impractical. They can cause discomfort while sleeping, for example.&rdquo;Iris isn&rsquo;t the first health-monitoring smart ring out there, but what sets it apart is its ultra-compact design and low power requirement: Iris looks more like a piece of jewelry than a health product. The ring can be fully charged in just half an hour. It contains 18 LEDs and six photodetectors, allowing for enhanced accuracy relative to existing products. Assim Boukhayma, also a Senbiosys cofounder, explains: &ldquo;Thanks to inventions we came up with in the lab, we were able to miniaturize the professional-grade sensors used in bulky devices like blood pressure monitors and pulse oximeters.&rdquo; Because Iris contains six photodetectors, it collects enough data to calculate averages for each parameter, which isn&rsquo;t the case for smart watches or more cumbersome smart rings. &ldquo;Another benefit to Iris&rsquo; smaller size is that less materials are needed to make it, meaning we can sell it at a lower price point,&rdquo; adds Boukhayma.Being able to measure vital signs continuously outside of a hospital setting will become increasingly important given the aging population and growing prevalence of obesity and heart disease. Senbiosys carried out a clinical study of its technology at the Fribourg cantonal hospital, comparing heart rate data collected by its miniaturized sensors with those collected by an arterial catheter. The study found that the two methods gave comparable readings. &ldquo;However, our goal isn&rsquo;t to create a medical device for doctors but rather to provide a personalized way of tracking different health indicators,&rdquo; says Boukhayma. &ldquo;Our eyes are set on prevention. If users see significant changes in their vital signs, that can prompt them to contact their doctor.&rdquo; The first version of Iris will provide measurements of heart rate, step count, blood oxygen level, sleep quality, stress level and calories burned. &ldquo;We intend to continually improve our algorithms and smartphone app and will make updates available online as soon as they&rsquo;re ready,&rdquo; says Boukhayma.<h2>Preliminary market study with a specialized firm</h2>Senbiosys has raised a total of 5 million francs in capital since it was founded, and has used these funds to develop photodetectors for industrial applications. But in 2022, its cofounders wanted to evaluate the potential for a B2C product. They carried out a market study which led to the idea for Iris. Thanks to the over 500,000 francs raised so far in the crowdfunding campaign, Senbiosys will be able to move forward with production and fulfill the preorders made by crowdfunding participants, scheduled for delivery in late 2023. &ldquo;First we&rsquo;ll determine how many parts we&rsquo;ll need &ndash; mainly the circuit boards, batteries and mechanical components,&rdquo; says Caizzone. &ldquo;Then we&rsquo;ll finalize our assembly process to make sure all the different components are integrated correctly.&rdquo;<hr>References<a href="https://marketresearchcommunity.com/digital-health-market/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI39T8pIvP_QIVeY9oCR2-igcTEAAYASAAEgLAtfD_BwE" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Bloomberg article on the smart health device market</a><a href="https://actu.epfl.ch/news/gilbert-hausmann-award-2021-antonino-caizzone/" target="_blank">Gilbert Hausmann Prize 2021</a><a href="https://infoscience.epfl.ch/record/222436" target="_blank">EPFL thesis of Assim Boukhayma</a><a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphys.2019.00198/full" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Article in Frontiers on the location of measurements</a><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35950543/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Study with Fribourg hospital on the reliability of the sensor</a>

Senbiosys, an EPFL spin-off, has unveiled a jewelry-like smart ring that incorporates all the health-monitoring features currently available in smart watches. The company’s notable achievement in miniaturization – made possible thanks to the world’s smallest sensor, developed at EPFL – appears to have major market potential, as its recent crowdfunding campaign raised five times more capital than expected.

biomedical devices