Science fiction? Come and see for yourselves.

On July 5, 2005, Montreal will play host to the 10th Annual Conference of the International Functional Electrical Stimulation Society (IFESS) - a one-of-a-kind conference showcasing the latest in the field of intelligent medical devices. Through a series of lectures, seminars and tutorials, scientists the world over will present medical technology at its cutting edge, as microelectronics,  materials science, biology and artificial intelligence seamlessly merge to create a new generation of medical devices that communicate with the human body's own nerves and muscles.

Using electrodes to capture or provoke the electrical stream that runs through muscles and nerves, scientists have been able to restore many vital functions in paralysed patients. This includes tiny electronic devices to restore vision in the blind, electrical arm prostheses for amputees and brain implants for patients suffering from Parkinson's disease.

This conference will feature distinguished speakers from many scientific walks of life including engineers, computer scientists, surgeons and physical therapists. The line-up includes delegates from NASA, the National Institutes of Heath, the U.S Department of Energy and MIT, among others.

The highlight of the conference will be a plenary talk by Dr. Andrew Schwartz of the University of Pittsburgh. Dr. Schwartz and his team have grabbed headlines the world over for their pioneering work on brain-computer interfaces - notably in designing an interface for a robotic arms to be controlled by signals streaming from a monkey's brain. In a keynote lecture on July 6, Dr. Schwartz will describe the science of using electronic devices to select and extract brain signals to control natural and robotic limbs.

Presiding over the conference is Dr. Mohamad Sawan, Professor of Electrical Engineering and holder of the Canada Research Chair on Smart Medical Devices at Montreal's École Polytechnique. Recipient of numerous awards, Professor Sawan has gained international recognition for his work on medical implants, including a brain implant to restore vision, a urinary implant for victims of spinal cord injuries, wireless catheters as medical probes and, more recently, a neural interface to guide artificial limbs for amputees.

"It is an absolute honour for me and École Polytechnique to host this conference in Montreal", says Professor Sawan, who is also one of the founding members of IFESS. "It will be a great opportunity for the media to witness first-hand the impressive strides scientists have made in this field."

Media are cordially invited to attend this four-day event. Further details can be obtained at www.ifess2005.org

IFESS
The purpose of IFESS is to promote the research, application and understanding of functional electrical stimulation used in the field of medicine through meetings, tutorials, publications and the exchange of information. IFESS has approximately 1000 members who are primarily academic leaders in the field of biomedical engineering, physical therapists, medical doctors and members of the functional electrical stimulation manufacturing community, as well as students and users of FES technology.

École Polytechnique de Montréal
Founded in 1873, École Polytechnique de Montréal is one of Canada's leading engineering institutions, in terms of both teaching and research. It is the largest engineering school in Québec in terms of its student population and the scope of its research activity. École Polytechnique provides instruction in 11 engineering specialties and is responsible for nearly one-quarter of university research in engineering in Québec. The School has 220 professors and nearly 6,000 students. Its operating budget is $80 million, in addition to a $61-million research and infrastructure fund. Polytechnique is affiliated with Université de Montréal.

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Source:   
Chantal Cantin
Executive Director, Communications and Public Relations

Information and press accreditation: Andrée Peltier
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