Medica2015_Dienstag

The EPO at MEDICA Stand 07/EN02 www.epo.org/medical When Josef Bille won the European Inventor of the Year Award in 2012, it was for inventing a device that revolutionised certain kinds of eye surgery. His invention received a patent from the European Patent Office, even though medical methods that can be directed to surgery, therapy or diagnosis are explicitly excluded from patentability under the European Patent Convention. The experts on the EPO stand at MEDICA can give you advice on: Ÿ what to do if you’re interested in patenting medical technologies Ÿ how to find out what other people are patenting Ÿ and other questions you have relating to patents in Europe Join the EPO workshop “Competitive strength through patents” in the TECH FORUM Thursday, 19 November, 16.00 - 17.00 hrs, Hall 12 D40 Interested in working for the EPO? Take a look at www.epo.org/jobs Medical technologies and patents Do you know your IP rights? TUESDAY @ MEDICA 3 EH @ MEDICA No 2 2015 air is removed, this structure some- what constrains the actuator layers - holding them under a degree of tension,’ he said. Soft, stretchable silicone layers At EHI Live, in the live streamed session ‘4-D Printing of Inflated Structures for use in Dialectic Elastomer: Artificial Muscles?’ the 4-D printing aspect referred to the fact that the shape of the object changes during and after the course of being printed. The technique involves soft, stretchable silicone layers being inter- leaved and separated by conductive electrodes. When these electrodes are charged, they are attracted to each other electromagnetically and the force generated has the effect of compressing the silicone in one axis, thus expanding it in the other two. Coulter sees the potential for the 3-D artificial muscles to be used in a number of areas. ‘There’s good potential for these to see use as active prosthetic sphincters and oesophagus and cardiac assist devic- es, as well as in non-clinical applica- tions, such as in soft robotics and in space.’ However, there is still more development work to be carried out before there is a clinical application. The focus of his PhD, when at Nottingham Trent University (NTU), in England, was on the passive com- ponents of the device and design and building the 3-D printer itself. ‘Work is still needed in printing the conductive electrodes and control circuitry,’ he said, ‘along with testing and approval from regulatory bodies. But I have completed the first step in building what is a complicated and challenging device.’ NTU, with England’s National Health Service (NHS), has patented the concept with a view to further research and development. In the longer term, Dr Coulter foresees great benefits for patients. ‘As a pulsatile cardiac assist device, this could increase the mobility of patients who currently use a pneu- matic aortic balloon pump, by remov- ing the need for trans-cutaneous tubing, he explained. ‘In some cases, constant flow “total artificial hearts”, or indeed full surgical transplants, may not be needed. The primary purpose of the device is to increase the health of the existing heart by increasing the flow of oxygenated blood to the myo- cardium itself. Those suffering from oesophageal dysphagia or inconti- nence could also benefit.’ 3-D/4-D printing of inflatable structures rinted muscles Dr Fergal Coulter divides his time between University College Dublin and the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich (ETHZ), an engineering, science, technology, mathematics and management university. Much of his work is based on fabricating bio-engineered scaffolds for diabetes research along with 3-D/4-D printing of alternative cardiac devices. MAKE A NOTE: Medica Education Conference Symposium Neurology/Radiology: MRI in neurology Tuesday, 17 Nov 2015 12.45 p.m. – 2.15 p.m. Room: 15 Chairman: Prof. Dr. Jens Fiehler, Hamburg 12.45 p.m. – 1.15 p.m. Neuro MRI: Overview and cases Prof. Dr. Jens Fiehler, Hamburg 1.15 p.m. – 1.45 p.m. Neuro MRI: Diffusion MD, PhD Johan Wikström, Uppsala 1.45 p.m. – 2.15 p.m. Neuro MRI: Spectroscopy Dr. Petra Pouwels, Amsterdam EH @ MEDICA No 22015

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