Press Releases 2020

The medical technology industry is facing major challenges due to digitalization, new manufacturing technologies and changes in the regulatory frame-work. In order to strengthen the innovative power of the SME-driven German medical technology industry, the BMBF joint project "EUREKA-AMeLie: New Advanced Systems Engineering Methods for Development Processes Using Product Examples from Medical Technology and Lifesciences", launched in October 2020, aims to create new opportunities for a structure for networked product development. Classical approaches and methods of systems engineer-ing along the V-model will be tested for their applicability with regard to new challenges and are interpreted and redeveloped in a contemporary way, taking into account work-science aspects.

Today, a large number of diseases are treated with medication. This is often associated with side effects that can be serious for people who are already ill. A new therapeutic approach, known under the keyword "bioelectronic medicine", provides for the therapy of diseases by means of electrostimulation. Since April 2019, the Fraunhofer Institute for Biomedical Engineering IBMT has been contributing its many years of expertise in the field of intelligent miniaturized active implants to the BMBF joint project "Magnetoceuticals" to develop a novel electrostimulation system for nerve tissue.

The risks posed by nanomaterials to humans and the environment due to their very small size have not yet been fully clarified. For this reason, there is a need for new technologies that allow the risks posed to be identified and minimized even before they are industrially manufactured. This approach is embodied within the »Safety by Design« concept, which aims to minimize risks at an early stage of the design process. In addition to quality and efficacy, the safety of the product is also determined during the design phase. The EU project »SABYDOMA – SAfety BY Design Of nanoMAterials« develops new »Safety-by-Design« protocols and implements them in industrial processes.

Since autumn 2019, the Fraunhofer Institute for Biomedical Engineering IBMT coordinates the BMBF-funded ERA-NET project "NExT" that aims to detect endocrine pancreatic tumors at an earlier stage and to improve therapies in cooperation with international research partners. The consortium is setting up a tissue bank, developing patient-specific cell-models and identifying corresponding biomarkers with the aid of a microfluidic chip system.

Since the beginning of 2020, the Fraunhofer Institute for Biomedical Engineering IBMT has been coordinating the "R2U-Tox-Assay" project, which is funded by EIT Health. The aim of this project is to develop innovative toxicity assays for drug research based on human cell systems. This should enable better prediction of undesired side effects of drug candidates in preclinical phases and reduce animal experiments in pharmaceutical research.

The EU-funded project "VISION" is working on the early detection of cancer of the intestinal system. This is achieved through strategic partnerships with European specialists who improve the education of students and researchers in Slovakia and provide the latest technologies and expertise to strengthen research and treatment of gastrointestinal cancer in their own country.

Since the beginning of 2019, the Fraunhofer Institute for Biomedical Engineering IBMT has been working on a comprehensive characterization and humantoxicological assessment of nanocellulose along its life cycle in the BMBF-funded joint project "NanoCELL" under the coordination of Postnova Analytics GmbH, in order to achieve a reliable risk assessment and safe use in environmentally friendly packaging materials.

Since mid-2019, the Fraunhofer Institute for Biomedical Engineering IBMT has been developing an analysis platform as an alternative to animal experiments in drug development as partner in the BMBF-funded project "VISION", coordinated by Saarland University.

The remarkable technological advance of the Fraunhofer Institute for Biomedical Engineering IBMT in the field of mobile epidemiological laboratories, as well as its long-time expertise in the setup of biological safety laboratories and its handling of biotechnological samples contributes in times of the Corona pandemic to the fight against SARS-CoV-2. The mobile epidemiological laboratory (epiLab) designed and built by the Fraunhofer IBMT in collaboration with the vehicle manufacturer Bischoff & Scheck in the "Laboratory of the Future" project will be used on-site in Rheinmünster on June 18, 2020 for SARS-CoV-2 antibody testing by Bischoff & Scheck employees.

After surgeries on the bladder, prostate or kidneys, a permanent irrigation of the bladder is often decisive for a successful healing process. An intelligent system called "VisIMon" was designed to support this. The Fraunhofer Institute for Biomedical Engineering IBMT is developing the miniaturized ultrasound system for automated monitoring of bladder irrigation.