Introduction by the Milica Popovic, Chair of IEEE WIE Montreal Chapter with observations on roles of women in engineering, followed by a technical presentation and discussion by Dr Emily Porter and Dr Adam Santorelli.

The development of medical technologies and the challenges posed by bringing these devices to market are of key interest for modern academic and commercial researchers. Up to 75% of all medtech start-ups fail in the first five years; for those that do succeed, the average cost of bringing a medical device to the market is in the region of $9 million. In such a challenging and competitive environment, successful medtech development must consider not just the technology, but also the validity and universality of the clinical need, the competitive and intellectual property landscape, the market size and reimbursement model, and the clinical burden of proof required to show safety and efficacy.

Medical devices are increasingly investigated in the academic sector with the same rigor present in a commercial setting, thus ensuring that any technology developed has a realistic chance of moving from “research bench to patient bedside” and making a positive impact on patient care. Within the context of an aging population and an exponential growth in healthcare costs, electromagnetic (EM) therapeutics and diagnostic technologies provide an attractive solution, since they are low cost, non-ionising, and largely non-invasive. Underpinning the development of these technologies is the need for good knowledge of the underlying electrical properties of human tissue. While the dielectric properties of biological tissue have been examined for decades, the majority of the studies have been very narrow in focus, and several studies have resulted in data that are in direct conflict with each other.

This talk will discuss the Translational Medical Device Lab (TMD-Lab) at NUI Galway, and its strategy to develop technologies that are both “close to patient and close to market”. The talk will also describe a large dielectric study of the animal and human tissue at NUI Galway, funded by the European Research Council. The talk will conclude with a brief description of a number of needs-driven medical devices in development at the TMD-Lab.

These technologies tackle a number of clinical conditions with large burdens of care (including Stroke and Breast cancer), and therefore have the potential to make very significant societal and economic impacts.

The event is free, but places are limited!