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HTRIC Events
The Innovation Booster Series
Since we are all eager to connect with each other face-to-face and keep the energy going towards new innovations in health technology, HTRIC organised a series of innovation boosters. These are 2-hour meetings (plus lunch or drinks), aimed at networking, sharing knowledge and exchanging ideas with fellow MedTech experts and professionals. Sessions start with a presentation by the main speaker(s), followed questions from the gruop.
The Workshop Series
After hosting Innovation Boosters for a year, we noticed a desire amongst participants to dive deeper into certain topics. Hence, in 2023 we started organising workshops. An interactive session with one or two experts and a maximum of 30 participants, where there is more room for brainstorms and discussion.
All events are hosted at the HTRIC headquarters; each with a unique health technology related theme.
To see what we have talked about during previous events, check out the schedule below. Really curious? Then check out the podcasts we have made of some of the Innovation Boosters!
Made possible by:
HTRIC Events 2023
Topic: METc (=Medisch Ethische Toetsingscommissie UMCG)
(Medisch Ethische Toetsingscommissie UMCG)
Research falling under the Medical Device Regulation (MDR) and/or ‘Medical Research Involving Human Subjects Act’ (WMO) must be reviewed beforehand by an independent committee of experts: the ‘Medical Research Ethics Committee’ (MREC or METc). Without an approval from this committee, the research may not start. The purpose of the review is to safeguard the rights, safety and welfare of the test subjects participating in this research. Therefore, the METc plays an essential role if you want to do a research study involving human subjects and test products for clinical applications.
Do you know when you need to consult a ‘Medical Research Ethics Commitee’?
Have you submitted a proposal to them in the past?
Any specific question regarding a project you are working on?
No matter if you replied yes or no to these questions: we are pretty sure you can learn something new also this time and have an interactive discussion at the first IB of 2023.
Speakers:
Joke Ummels: Research ethics officer – Medical Ethics Review Board – (ambtelijk secretaries) METc at the University Medical Center Groningen (UMCG)
Jelmer Sjollema: assistant professor and principal investigator at the UMCG. He is also the Director of the Master Programme Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Science and Engineering (RUG) and Member of the medical ethics review committee (METC) at the UMCG, where he is giving specific advice on the use of clinical products.
Moderator:
Jan Willem Veldsink, Program Lead Business Development Innovation Institute at the UMCG
Did you ever wonder: “Does this Health Tech Solution solve the right problem for my patient?” or “Why won’t patients adopt my beautiful, finished solution?” If so, you might have overlooked one of the most important phases of Health Tech development: the Fuzzy front end. It’s the part of the design process where you establish the problem, solution and needs of the end user. These elements are the foundation of the successful adoption of your Health Tech Solution.
During this 2 hour workshop, you’ll familiarise yourself with the core skills you need during this Fuzzy Front End. In a pressure cooker style, you will: interview, narrow down the problem, ideate, make rapid prototypes and test assumptions. Afterwards, we will discuss how this transfers to your research or Health Tech development.
Host: Jetse Goris (NHL Stenden) & Monique Taverne (UMCG).
This workshop is a co-production of the Future Design Center of NHL Stenden and the innovatiecentrum of the UMC Groningen
The maximum number of participants is 30, so be quick to register!
Looking forward to seeing you there!
Explore the latest developments in mental disorders during our upcoming Innovation Booster on 16 February.
We will dive into natural language processing and machine learning in psychiatry with Iris Sommer & Alban Voppel. Learn about the impact of mental health disorders on patients and society, and discover new ways to personalize mental health care with the web-based e-health tool PETRA hosted by Harriette Riese. And we will discuss the role of repetitive negative thinking and how it can be objectively tracked by machine-learning-augmented measurements together with Marlijn Besten.
Topic: Mental disorders
Speakers: Alban Voppel (1), Harriëtte Riese (2), Marlijn Besten (3)
Presentations:
- Alban Voppel: Mental health disorders have a large impact on patients and society. A majority of these disorders have unique language characteristics, from incoherence to more monotonous speech. In this presentation, I will present recent research from the UMCG using natural language processing and machine learning in psychiatry, with a focus on psychosis.
- PETRA is a web-based e-health tool for personalized diaries in mental health care (www.petrapsy.nl). The personalized diaries are based on scientific studies on the experience sampling method (ESM) or ecological momentary assessment (EMA). PETRA is integrated in the personal health record systems of several mental health care institutes. PETRA facilitates clinicians and patients to co-create a personalized diary and visualizes the gathered data in a clinically relevant way.
- Repetitive negative thinking has been associated with a high risk to develop and maintain Major Depressive Disorder. With our recent work at the UMCG and RUG we examine how rumination plays a role in the vulnerability for depression and how rumination can be objectively tracked by machine-learning-augmented measurements.
Unlock the Power of Storytelling: Turn Research Data into an Engaging Narrative.
Host: Lisan Assen (UMCG)
Limited seats are available, so be quick to register!
Looking forward to seeing you there!
Topic: Boosting your drug delivery
Subtitle: Platform technologies for nanomedicine and dosage form development in the Groningen Research Institute of Pharmacy (GRIP).
In this innovation booster we will illustrate the technologies and expertise available in our institute, which could boost and support the development of nanomedicines, targeted drugs and dosage forms.
Six short pitches from GRIP researchers will illustrate the available technologies and expertise. After the pitches, there will be plenty of time for networking and the speakers can be approached individually for further questions.
Speakers: Wouter Hinrichs (1), Klaas Poelstra (2), Anna Salvati (3), Christoffer Åberg (4), Peter Olinga (5), Erik Frijlink (6)
1) Wouter Hinrichs: in this pitch we will illustrate the available technologies and expertise for the stabilization of biopharmaceuticals by sugar glass technology and the development of solid dosage forms, such as powders for inhalation, tablets for oral administration and microneedles for transdermal administration among others.
2) Klaas Poelstra: this pitch will present the available expertise for the design of targeted drugs, i.e., for the identification of key target receptors in diseased tissue and the design and testing of receptor-recognizing peptides that can be used to target them.
3) Anna Salvati: here we will present the expertise and methods available for the characterization of nanomedicines once applied in biological fluids (stability, and nanomedicine corona) and nanomedicine interactions with targeted/non targeted cells (interaction with receptors, mechanism of uptake and eventual impact on cell functions).
4) Christoffer Åberg: this pitch will illustrate methods to quantify cell uptake of drugs/nanomedicines (in terms of absolute numbers), determine their intracellular distribution using microscopy and kinetic modelling of nanomedicine distribution.
5) Peter Olinga: in this pitch we will present our platform of ex vivo human models of different organs and diseases which can be used to test nanomedicines, targeted drugs and other drug formulations and ensure they are effective and non-toxic.
6) Erik Frijlink: Collaborations with different research groups at the Groningen research institute of Pharmacy are an excellent way for companies or research institutes to develop their active pharmaceutical ingredient into an advanced dosage form. This pitch will illustrate different contract forms which have been used within GRIP to establish such research collaborations. Different ways on how IP contracts can be set up will be presented. A few examples from past projects will be presented.
Unleashing Business Potential: A Hands-On Workshop on the Business Model Canvas
Are you curious about the secret to the rapid growth and long-term success of successful companies? It’s not just about having great technology, but also about how you design your company and bring your product to the market. And the best tool for achieving this is the Business Model Canvas.
Join us on Wednesday 12 April for an exciting workshop where you will learn how to leverage the power of the Business Model Canvas to take your business to new heights! In this hands-on session, you will:
- Be inspired to work on your business model and take your company to the next level
- Understand the ins and outs of the Business Model Canvas, and how it can help you design a winning strategy
- Apply the Canvas to your innovation and unleash your full potential
- Assess your own business model to identify opportunities for improvement and growth
- Generate ideas for new business models and explore new avenues for success
- Learn what comes next, and how to turn your newfound knowledge into actionable steps towards success.
Don’t miss out on this exciting opportunity to take your business to new heights! Register now and get ready to transform your company with the Business Model Canvas!
In this Innovation Booster, we will talk about every aspect of Theranostics and Imaging. Four scientific speakers will tell about Molecular imaging, a type of medical imaging that provides detailed pictures of what is happening inside the body on molecular and cellular level. By labeling any compound of interest (e.g., antibody or protein) with a fluorescent dye or a radionuclide, information on bodily functions, diseases (diagnosis) and potential efficacy of novel drugs can be obtained. These imaging agents are called tracers.
The field of molecular imaging is rapidly evolving: AI is changing the way nuclear medicine images are read and “Theranostic” approaches, where treatments and imaging are combined, are emerging. In this innovation Booster, you will be informed about the latest regional developments in Theranostics and (Molecular) Imaging, various experts will cover different topics such as AI, theranostics in oncology and infection diseases.
Speakers1. Prof. Dr. Philip Elsinga
Professor in Positron Emission Tomography (PET) radiochemistry at the University of Groningen and University Medical Center Groningen (UMCG)
He will present novel theranostics approaches for medical imaging (diagnostics) and radionuclide therapy. An overview will be given on available and new radionuclides, currently used radio theranostics and novel approaches including radio theranostic pairs and nanoparticles.
2. Prof. Dr. Jan Maarten van Dijl
Founder and advisor Sabiad BV – Professor of Medical Microbiology at the University of Groningen and the University Medical Center Groningen (UMCG)
One of the most notorious causative agents of knee and hip implant infections are Staphylococcus aureus bacteria, including antibiotic-resistant variants known as MRSA. This bacterium can colonize implants and then form a so-called biofilm that is virtually impossible to combat once it is fully grown. It is therefore important to detect and eliminate the emerging biofilm early. A problem in the early detection of S. aureus biofilms is that current microbiological diagnostics are rather slow and that the symptoms of emerging implant infection are at first sight indistinguishable from sterile inflammation. With help of a monoclonal antibody, linked to fluorescent dyes or radioactive atoms, emerging infections can be visualized without performing an invasive biopsy or surgical procedure.
These so-called tracers can show the surgeon the specific site of an infection during an operative implant revision. In addition to normal dyes, we can also attach activatable dyes to the antibody. With such tracers we can not only localize the infection but also fight it. These Theranostic principles have so far been preclinically investigated in my research group and it is Sabiad’s ambition to bring tracers for Imaging and Theranostics of infections to the clinic in order to achieve better/faster treatment of patients.
3. MD/PhD Rudolf Fehrmann & MD/PhD Derk Jan de Groot
Medical oncologists at the University Medical Center Groningen (UMCG)
AI & Theranostics in oncology. With molecular imaging, we aim to improve the selection of patients that will benefit from targeted cancer medicines and to support drug development.
What roles do patents play in innovation? Where can you find patents of others? How can you get a patent yourself? And what can you do with a patent once you have one? In this introductory workshop, you will discover it all. Using a few easy and fun examples, you will experience how to search patent databases, how to understand the contents of a patent, and how to argue about patent infringement. At the end of the workshop, you will have a good general understanding of how you may be able to use patents in your work. You will also better understand how patent attorneys help innovators every day to get the most value out of their ideas.
Hosts: Teun van den Heuvel & Annemiek Tepper (V.O. Patents & Trademarks)
What are the last trends and new ideas coming from research, technology and business related to cancer treatment? In this booster, we are getting some updates from the clinics and other innovative approaches to improve the patients’ life.
Hope to see you for the last innovation booster before the summer break.
Please consider this event will be on Friday morning (10-12), followed by lunch!
Speakers:
Associate professor in Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging at the University Medical Center Groningen (UMCG)
Marije van Dijk – AI on radiotherapy (UMCG)
Time to innovate
Treatment plans for daily clinical practice are created manually and are becoming more advanced and precise with the advent of new (proton) radiation therapy techniques. Furthermore, it also takes more time to create these advanced treatment plans. In addition, research and innovation to reduce side effects in irradiated patients also takes a lot of time. How do we keep up? Therefore, we developed and implemented a deep learning based automated treatment planning method with multidisciplinary efforts.
Hoang Nguyen from Protyon
From research to startup
Last year I made the transition to go from investment manager to co-founder of a startup called Protyon (spin-off RUG/UMCG).
At Protyon, we use protein structures to help oncologists make the best choice of medications for cancer patients; extending life expectancy and lowering treatment costs. Our vision is of a world in which all patient treatment conversations include a molecular visualization of the disease, empowering the clinical decision-making process to choose the best available therapy for the individual.
Protyon has co-created a digital solution with oncologists at the University Medical Center Groningen (UMCG-MTB). We use anonymized patient data to generate a model of their cancer-driving proteins and apply our algorithms to rapidly assess which drug would be of most benefit for each individual. This approach has led to significant improvements in patient lives and has become an integral part of the work of the UMCG-MTB, directly impacting patients undergoing treatment today.
During the presentation I will go a bit deeper in how to find investors and share my knowledge and experiences on investments with you.
Unleash the power of your diet
What can you eat to prevent diseases? What makes it challenging to adhere to a healthy dietary pattern? Being healthy goes beyond having a ‘healthy’ weight, but how far? In this booster session, you will discover the power of your diet and the role of multiple environmental factors influencing it.
Join us on Thursday 14th, September for this exciting Booster session, where you will learn:
The use of food as preventive medicine
The role of the microbiome and our environment
The influence of personality
Host: Anouk Willems (GGZ Drenthe & AnoukWeten)
Limited seats are available, so be quick to register
Looking forward to seeing you there!
HTRIC Events 2022
Innovation Booster on ‘Safe by Design’ of medical products
Have you ever wondered how medical products are designed/planned so they can be safely applied in patient care? Do you want to learn how companies and researchers make use of safe by design for the development of medical products or patient care? To find out the answers to these and other questions, join us on March 4th for the very first HTRIC Innovation Booster with amazing speakers from companies and researchers discussing how safe by design is applied in their businesses/research for medical product development or patient care.
Programme:
- 11.00 – 11.10 a.m. – Introduction
- Hélder & Jeroen
- 11.10 – 11.30 a.m. – RIVM
- Jaco Westra, strategic advisor
- 11.30 – 11.50 a.m. – Ivy Medical
- Melcher Frankema, CEO
- 11.50 – 12.10 a.m. – 3D Lab
- Max Witjes, Professor of Head & Neck Oncology, UMCG
- Joep Kraeima, Technical Physician Specialist dpt. Oral and Maxillofacial, UMCG
- 12.10 – 12.40 – ‘Round table’
- Discussion between presenters and audience
- 12.40 a.m. – 1.00 p.m. – Announcement
- The very first 4 PhD HTRIC project winners are announced, including short presentations of the selected projects
- 1.00 – 2.00 p.m. – Lunch
- Including networking
Sensing and monitoring: innovations transforming healthcare at hospitals and home
Could wearable sensor technology innovations be the new standard of human movement monitoring at home and hospitals? Could wearable sensor technology assist a healthy lifestyle at work and home? Could Biomedical sensors and devices automate measurements at hospitals, reduce nurse workload and improve home care? Join our innovation booster series which discusses these questions through a series of talks, pitches and group discussions by scientists and entrepreneurs.
Programme:
- 11.00 a.m. – Opening
- Healthy lifestyles supported by smart monitoring sensors – prof. dr. Claudine Lamoth
- Wearable electronic sensors for monitoring physical function and movements – dr. Ajay Kottapalli
- Theme: Movement and physical funtion: sensing and monitoring
- SMOVE project – Natasha Maurits
- Smart Implants – Charissa Roossien
- Healthy worker and sensor monitoring – Elisabeth Wilhelm
- Start-up pitch – Behesta Doestzada
- 12.05 – 12.15 a.m. – break
- Theme: Biomedical devices and clinical sensors
- Optimising shoe parameters based on advanced biomechanical gait analysis – Juha Hijmans, UMCG
- Integration of Urinary sodium and flow in daily practice – Acute Heart Failure – Kevin Damman (Cardiologist), UMCG, (virtual)
- Start-up pitch “Biomedical flow management in hospital and home care” – Amar Kamat (Sencilia B.V.)
- Introduction to case study break-out sessions (3 teams)
- 1.10 – 1.30 p.m. – Discussion of break-out sessions
- Team representative will present their vision
- 1.30 – 2.30 p.m. – Lunch and networking
Stepping into the future with a new generation of bionic legs
In The Netherlands, more than 3000 individuals are annually confronted with lower-limb amputation, mainly as the consequence of peripheral vascular disease or diabetes and, to a lesser extent, as a consequence of trauma or cancer. Lower-limb amputation has large impact on the patients’ mobility, participation, and quality of life.
In the innovation booster on Artificial Limbs, we want to discuss the patients’ needs, the current clinical challenges and engineering solutions, and we want to share our outlook to the future.
If you are a lower-limb amputee, OR if you want to contribute as a scientists/clinician/orthopedics expert, OR you are simply curious about it, join our innovation booster: “Stepping into the future with a new generation of bionic legs”.
See you there!
Programme
- 11.00 a.m. – Opening
- prof. dr. Raffaella Carloni, prof. dr. Han Houdijk & dr. Aline H. Vrieling
- 11.05 a.m. – Lower limb amputation and rehabilitation
- Charlotte E. Bosman, UMCG
- 11.20 a.m. – Muscoloskeletal mechanics and energetics in people with lower-limb amputation
- prof. dr. Han Houdijk, UMCG
- 11.35 a.m. – Mechatronic development of lower-limb prostheses
- prof. dr. Raffaella Carloni, RUG/FSE
- 11.50 a.m. – Prosthetic alignment
- Niels Jonkergouw, UMCG
- 12.05 a.m. – Orthopedic assistive technology
- Jeroen Olsman, OIM Orthopedie
- 12.20 a.m. – State-of-the-art of lower limb prostheses
- Mr. Peter Slijkhuis, Össur
- 12.40 a.m. – Discussion and closing
- prof. dr. Raffaella Carloni, prof. dr. Han Houdijk & dr. Aline H. Vrieling
- 1.00 p.m. – 1.30 p.m. – Lunch
Great idea! Now what?
You have a great life science or medtech idea. How do you proceed?
Is there a need and a market for your invention?
IP-protection, patenting, not your cup of tea. Who can help?
Strategy advice, more research and funding. Where do you start?
Contract and licensing negotiations, legal issues. Who to turn to?
These and other questions will be addressed interactively in this Innovation Booster; please sign up if you want to discuss these and your own questions with people who know.
Need a preview? Check http://businessgeneratorgroningen.com and https://cc-diagnostics.com
Speakers: Herman Groen & Maarten van Roosmalen (Business Generator Groningen); Nutte van Belzen (CC Diagnostics)
*Please note that the language of this Innovation Booster is Dutch.
Commerciële apps en wearables in de gezondheidszorg en het omgaan met persoonsgegevens en privacy, waar wringt de schoen?
Op dinsdag 29 maart 2022 organiseert de Faculteit Rechtsgeleerdheid, sectie IT-recht, in samenwerking met dHealth, PCH Ecosysteem en DASH een HTRIC Innovation Booster over het gebruik van commerciële apps en wearables in de gezondheidszorg. Aanleiding is de promotie van Trix Mulder op maandag 28 maart as, op haar proefschrift ‘The role of law in protecting personal data generated by health apps and wearables’. Het event start om 10:00 en duurt tot 12:30 met aansluitend een netwerklunch.
In de gezondheidszorg wordt vaak gebruik gemaakt van apps en wearables, en doordat het niet uit kan om deze zelf te ontwikkelen wordt vaak van commerciële IT-middelen gebruik gemaakt. Inmiddels zijn er in de commerciële appstores meer dan 320.000 gezondheids- of wellnessapps te vinden. Hierdoor komt een toenemende hoeveelheid data van burgers en patiënten in het domein van commerciële bedrijven. Daarbij ontstaan er silos van data die onbenut blijven, en is er een gebrek aan overzicht welke data impact kunnen hebben. Dat leidt tot de vraag hoe met het gebruik van deze apps de privacy en het medisch beroepsgeheim gewaarborgd blijven?
Sprekers line-up:
Dagvoorzitter Aline Klingenberg
Trix Mulder – over haar onderzoek
Theo Hooghiemstra – over tegenmacht voor mensen die commerciële apps en wearables in de gezondheidszorg willen gebruiken
Jaap-Henk Hoepman – Privacy Preserving Techniques. Op verantwoorde wijze combineren van verspreide onderzoeksdata
Michelle Luxwolda – de ontwikkeling van Sleep in Sync, en het perspectief vanuit praktijk
The North to become a European Centre of Excellence for Nuclear Life Science
In this innovation Booster we invite you to discuss the future of medical isotopes in the North. Both from fabrication and application perspective. What do you think is needed? What would you like to contribute. Let’s think big and put some common goals! (read more)
Speakers: Harrie Buurlage (SHINE Medical – Director Europe); Prof. Sytze Brandenburg (UMCG – Professor in Accelerator Physics); dr. Walter Noordzij (UMCG, Nuclear Medicine)
A dream:
Every year, more than 1 million people in Europe die of cancer. Ursula von der Leyen – president of the EC – “the fight of those battling cancer is our fight as well”. The EC its ‘Beating Cancer Plan’ focuses on the prevention, treatment and care of cancer. It includes all phases of cancer-development, from prevention to the quality of life of cancer patients and people who have survived cancer.
The Northern Netherlands can and wants to share an essential contribution to the battle against cancer, and in doing so, becoming a recognizable part of this Europe Beating Cancer Plan. The collaboration with the University of Groningen, the Universities of Applied Sciences, the Universitair Medisch Centrum Groningen and SHINE Veendam dreams about becoming a European-acknowledged center of knowledge, innovation and production for nuclear medicine – for all Europeans and far beyond.
How do we further shape this dream on April 8th?
Nuclear medicine and the EC Beating Cancer Plan
New technologies, research and development are the starting point of the EC Beating Cancer Plan. An essential part of the plan is doing more and making better diagnoses. Nuclear diagnoses, as well as nuclear treatments, are recurring elements in the life of a cancer patient. The EC has completely acknowledged the worth of nuclear applications and has made this part of the EC Beating Cancer Plan under the name SAMIRA Action Plan. SAMIRA stands for ‘Strategic Agenda for Medical Ionising Radiation Applications’. The SAMIRA plan guarantees access for European civilians to nuclear medical applications of high quality. The supply security of medical radio-isotopes is one of the goals of this SAMIRA plan. (A medical isotope is the radioactive part of a nuclear medicine).
Innovation Booster
One of the goals of the SAMIRA plan is the organizing of a European platform for Radio-isotopes. This platform, called European Radioisotopes Valley Initiative (EVRI), will take care of maintaining the European leadership position in the supply of medical radio-isotopes. The EVRI will also take care of the acceleration of development for new radio-isotopes and production methods.
The goal of the innovation booster of April 8th is a first exploration into the possible initiatives in which the RUG, the Universities of Applied Sciences, UMCG and SHINE can collaborate to support the SAMIRA plan and the ERVI initiative. These are initiatives that – just as was meant under the EC Beating Cancer Plan – take into account all phases of cancer development, from prevention to the quality of life for cancer patients and people that have survived cancer.
Games have proven to provide attractive applications in many healthcare areas. Examples can be found e.g. in training games, diagnosing aids and behaviour changes. However, to launch a successful game in the health-care environment, many challenges need to be overcome: a serious approach is required from the start of the game development!
On the 29th of April, NHL Stenden university will host a HTRIC Innovation Booster to provide insights into the complex development process of Games for Health. By using a practical case as an example we will illustrate the steps we take from the exploration of the issue to the design and evaluation of the implementation. By joining this HTRIC Innovation Booster you will experience yourself how the game design process has changed by co-creation with the audience involved.
If you ever thought about developing games for healthcare applications, or work as a healthcare professional and are looking how a serious game can help boosting your daily professional work, then this HTRIC Innovation Booster is for you. Don’t miss out!
When: April 29 2022, from 11.00 a.m. until 1.30 p.m. Lunch included!
Where: HTRIC building, Blauwborgje 31, Zernike Campus, Groningen
MDR and the translation of medical devices to the clinic
…Finally, you are convinced that your innovative product is ready. After months of testing, adapting and asking feedback, you’re about to try your product first time in human or, after having successfully conducted human trials launch your product to the market. Then you are confronted with the hurdle of passing the METC or legislatory bodies and you need to provide data you never thought. Moreover, this is the first time you notice the full impact of some vague term from the past: MDR! It sets you back months and, considering all unexpected costs mounting at your expense, it puts the whole launch at a business risk”. If you recognize or fear such a situation, this booster is definitely for you! On May 13, experts in the field of Medical Device Regulation or the Medical Ethical Review Committee as well as business people who experienced what MDR can do to your business share their experiences and recommendations. This HTRIC MDR Booster aims to make you aware of the MDR regulatory issues and how to turn this in a competitive advantage for your business.
During this booster, Jelmer Sjollema (UMCG, Biomedical Engineering, member METC) will first introduce the background of the MDR, what does it mean, who should adhere, when? Ilona Brouwers (UMCG Innovation Centre) shares her experiences with in-house developed devices and use within the UMCG clinical environment. Gerrit Baarda (ZIUZ) and Rutger Flink (Pulmotec) give their view from a company perspective and what MDR means to doing business in the MedTech segment, and also which other hurdles to pass! We close this MDR booster session with a group discussion how HTRIC could help providing a working platform regarding MDR know-how and best-practices.
We are looking forward to welcoming you on the HTRIC booster “MDR: Innovation killer or booster?” on 13 May 2022, from 11 a.m. until 1:30 pm. Lunch is included. Location is the HTRIC venue at Blauwborghje 31, Zernike Campus Groningen. Please register!
AI and Imaging
On Friday 20 May, DASH, together with HTRIC, DHealth and the AI Hub Noord Nederland, will organise an Innovation Booster on AI in Imaging. In this event, the AI Hub will be introduced, Peter van Ooijen will tell more about the Role of AI in Medical Imaging and you will learn more about Federated Learning on Imaging, Synthetic Imaging Data Generation and the ELSA Tool.
11.00 – 11.10 – Introduction AI Hub Noord Nederland
Yvonne Kooi, AI Hub Noord Nederland
11.10 – 11.30 – Role of AI in Medical Imaging
Peter van Ooijen, DASH/UMCG
11.30 – 11.50 – Annotation needed! Annotation lab dHealth
Hendrik Erenstein, Hanze Hogeschool
11.50 – 12.10 – Federated Learning on Imaging
Simon Dalmolen, TNO
12.10 – 12.40 – Synthetic Imaging Data Generation
Mihai Popescu, former Master student FSE/RUG
12.40 – 13.00 – Discussion and questions
13.00 – 13.30 – Lunch
Including networking
Technology in the Operation Room: How to speed up Bench-to-Bed implementation?
Programme:
Jean-Paul de Vries | UMCG Chirurgie | Intro to Booster |
Cyril Moers | UMCG Chirurgie | The development of an MRI compatible kidney and liver pump |
Henri Leuvenink | UMCG Chirurgie | The development of the Groningen Preservation Machine |
Leonie Venema | XVIVO (R&D) | From clinical implementation to next-gen perfusion machines |
Jean-Paul / Esther / Jan Willem | UMCG | Poll & Discussion |
Lunch | ||
Richte Schuurmann | UMCG vaatchirurgie | Non-invasive perfusion measurements |
Michael Munker | Photonics Healthcare | COMET device for mitochondrial O2 measurements |
Christoff Heunis | Fluxrobotics | Empowering surgeons through magnetic robots. |
dr. Rodolfo Reyes-Báez |
| Peroperative robot decision platform: |
Jean-Paul / Esther / Jan Willem | UMCG | Poll & Discussion |
Jean-Paul / Esther | UMCG | Closure and Take-home |
The path to success: funding opportunities and start-up support
Although you might have a great idea, it’s sometimes difficult to find funding and support opportunities, right? Why not ask some experts how THEY can support you and how YOU can find them? Lisan Assen and Deepak Veeregowda can help you navigate your way. Moreover, what happens after you get funding? One possible outcome could be funding a start-up, so we invited two founders to speak about their success story.
Speakers: Lisan Assen – Project Manager at UMCG Research BV, Deepak H. Veeregowda – Innovation Consultant at RuG Ventures and Global Head at Ducom Instruments, Reinier Hakvoort & David de Jong – Co-founders of DA-RE Health Innovation and ARNA.
Presentations:
- Subsidy Opportunities – This presentation will provide you with insight into financing options for your project. The focus will be on research and business funding opportunities for all TRL levels. So if you are interested in finding good funding opportunities for your Medtech project, you should join this innovation booster. There will also be ample opportunity to ask questions and discuss your project.
- Capabilities of VentureLab and RuG Ventures to support ideators – Understanding why startups fail is an important learning towards successful entrepreneurship. In this regard, how to be critical about product-market fit and customer journey mapping, and how to capture this in your marketing and sales strategy to achieve your targeted revenue.
- DA-RE Health Innovation & ARNA – You’ve got a brilliant idea and have already read all the books about start-ups, but what’s next? Reinier Hakvoort and David de Jong from DA-RE Health Innovation will take you on their journey about how they started innovating as employees within an existing healthcare organisation. They will tell you how they became successful entrepreneurs despite working in the shadow of a flourishing organisation. Learn from their mistakes and obtain practical tips to ensure you can begin your start-up journey fully motivated.
Speak from experience: New start-up companies on health technology
In the first innovation booster, we introduced one start-up, but luckily there are more success stories around us! For this booster, we invited Romana Schirhagl, Patrick van Rijn and Alessandro Grillini to talk about their experience from academia to becoming founder/co-founder of a start-up on Medtech. What are the hurdles, and what can be improved? What worked well?
As usual, there will be plenty of time for networking and asking questions to them!
Speakers: (1) Romana Schirhagl – Founder of Diamond Visions, (2) Patrick van Rijn – CSO & Founder of BiomACS, (3) Alessandro Grillini – Founder & Managing Director of Reperio B.V.
Presentations:
- Diamond Visions – In this presentation, I will introduce our new startup company, Diamond Visions. I will further share how Diamond Visions emerged from my research group, what hurdles we have faced so far, how we dealt with them and what diamond visions we have for the future.
- BiomACS – How do you get from a research idea to a company utilizing the outcomes of results coming out of that research? In this presentation, I will discuss how a fundamental research question led to a new technology on which BiomACS B.V. is founded.
- Reperio – I will tell about my experience as a solo-founder of Reperio and the journey of translating scientific research into a viable business. In my presentation, I will share challenges, tips & tricks, and some reality checks on what it means to transition from academia into a full-time startup owner.
Rehabilitation
Within the field of rehabilitation, many technological innovations, both high-tech and low-tech, appear in literature, online and at fairs. Some of these become successful commercially and clinically; other innovations remain within the field of research or disappear entirely. In this Innovation booster, we will present examples of arm rehabilitation and wheelchairs and put them in perspective.
Moderator: Juha Hijmans – Associate Professor at the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine
Speakers: prof. Corry van der Sluis, Samantha Rozevink, Riemer Vegter & Jasper den Boer.
Presentations:
- Upper-limb rehab:
1) Prof. Corry van der Sluis MD PhD – Rehabilitation physician, Department of Rehabilitation Medicine (UMCG)
The usage of technological advancements by the end-user is challenging. Only if technology provides more advantages than disadvantages to the end-user, the technology will indeed be used. We investigated the use of a non-actuated robotic device to improve the upper limb function of stroke survivors, who trained in their home situation. Furthermore, we analyzed the (cost)effectiveness of multi-grip prosthesis hands in comparison to mono-grip prosthesis hands. In both research projects the technological advancements did not or only partially live up to their promises, which has implications for the end-user and for the designers/engineers. In this presentation the pros and cons of this new technology will be revealed in the light of bridging the gap between the technology and the end-user.
Teaser: Technological advancements do not always live up to their promises.
2) Samantha Rozevink – PhD student, Department of Rehabilitation Medicine (UMCG)
After a stroke, patients often need a lot of training to improve the upper limb function. In this project we provided patients with a training device to train the upper limb function at home using telerehabilitation. In my presentation I will tell more about the barriers and facilitators that we encountered during this project, especially with the device, telerehabilitation, and the perks and difficulties of home training.
- Wheelchairs:
Crossing the TRL valley of death; better together
1) Dr. Riemer JK Vegter – Assistant Professor Department of Human Movement Sciences (UMCG)
As scientists we feel we have innovative ideas daily. Most never leave our heads. Some become prototypes. Few become in-house manufactured research tools. Finally, every now and then one might transcend our lab, because it fits with our view on the future of rehabilitation. With the wheelchair ergometer we foresaw a chance to give feedback on manual wheeled mobility as part of regular clinical practice and sport-science support. Backed by an abundance of scientific wheeling literature and an international network open to collaboration. In other words, a good start to begin pushing, mostly by the particularly broad shoulders of Prof Lucas van der Woude. Lode Holding was found open to the challenge and we successfully acquired funding through Sprint and SNN, which was a challenge by itself that failed at multiple occasions. Together we went from prototype to scientifically validated marketable product. Over more than 10 years of collaboration have taught us a lot about each other, different perspectives, societal challenges and becoming a team. Currently the ergometer is for sale as a research tool, finalizing the MDR and final TRL levels towards the rehab center is ongoing, just like our collaboration!
Teaser: True partnership and mutual understanding is key to success
Innovative medical technology and end-users, from a business perspective
2) Jasper den Boer – Senior business developer, Lode Holding.
LodeHolding wants people to move in the best possible way, so they can become more healthy, more vital, stronger, better in sports, live more independent, and eventually live happier lives. For all kind of medical applications we develop devices and software that facilitate human movement. All our latest innovations originate in science. There are a lot of steps necessary before an innovation can become part of a successful positive business case. In many innovative projects there is an ambition to reach a marketable, CE certified product, with diagnostic capabilities, easy to use for a patient, sometimes in a home environment, at the end of the project. It is good to have this ambition but it is not very likely it will be reached during the firsts innovative attempts. Sometimes other directions are needed. Place the envisioned product at a point on the horizon, and try to define a roadmap with (minimum viable) products in between that can be reached. Maybe there are other end-users that also can use the product and where you can build a first positive business case.
Teaser: Dare to sidetrack
The Personalised Implants ecosystem aims to optimize the implant production chain to deliver personalized solutions in a shorter time, with improved infection-resistant properties and increased functionality. The ecosystem includes several regional manufacturers and R&D companies, such as Witec Fijnmechanische Techniek, Polyvation, Bether Encapsulates, VDL WIentjes, Smart Polymers, Innovizie, Elbo Technics, Biomacs, EV Biotech and H&P Moulding. Additionally, research and clinical expertise are brought in by the UMCG clinical departments of the 3DLab, the Oral and Maxillofacial Department and Traumasurgery along with Biomedical Engineering, Pathology and Medical Biology and the Biofabrication group of the RUG ZIAM institute.
In the first part of the innovation booster, you will hear about developments and the challenges of the five innovation projects that are subsidized by the program. An open discussion will follow on how effective the ecosystem construction is, what are the challenges and the gaps that were identified and how to continue after the funding ends in 2023
Moderator: Elena Merlo – Project Manager Personalised Implants Ecosystem, UMCG Innovation Center
Speakers & presentations:
- Welcome and Introduction to the Personalised Implant ecosystem – Elena Merlo
- The Witec/UMCG collaboration for optimization of the implant design workflow – Sjoerd Praat, quality engineering at WITEC
- Personalized triggered release of antimicrobials from implant surfaces – Albert Poortinga, CEO Bether Encapsulates
- Personalized Resorbable Osteosynthetic Fixation Devices Through Rapid Manufacturing – Roderick de Hilster, PostDoc researcher Biomedical Engineering
- Pitch – More Science than Fiction: growing spare parts ex vivo – Jeroen Siebring, Researcher Hanze University of Applied Sciences
The ecosystem was made possible by the European Regional Development Fund (EFRO), which is coordinated in the North by SNN, with co-financing from the Municipality of Groningen, Province Groningen, and the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate. For more information about the PI-Ecosystem, please visit Home – PI (personalisedimplants.nl)
Responsible development and implementation of AI:
What are the issues, what is already in place, and what needs to be done?
Health technology innovation, including Artificial Intelligence (AI) development, is moving at a fast pace and with high expectations. It offers good opportunities to contribute to high-quality and affordable healthcare, but also raises many questions. In order to promote responsible development and implementation of AI, several ELSA (Ethical, Legal and Societal Aspects) labs are being set up in the Netherlands, in which researchers, societal partners, companies, citizens and patients work together.
In this business booster, we will explain how the ELSA lab Northern Netherlands (ELSA-NN) aims to contribute to responsible development and implementation of AI in health-care. Three ELSA-NN consortium partners will pitch how they are confronted with and handle Ethical, Legal, and Societal Aspects and what their questions and needs are in realizing responsible development and implementation of AI. With these introductions and discussion with the audience, we expected to receive an overview of the Ethical, Legal and Societal Aspects at stake, what is already in place and what needs to be done to realize the responsible implementation of AI.
Moderator:
Prof. dr. Claudine JC Lamoth – Professor of Movement Analysis, Smart Technology in Healthy Ageing at the University Medical Center Groningen, dep. of Human Movement Sciences (RUG) & General scientific director research center SPRINT
Mirjam Plantinga – Senior researcher and project leader at ELSA AI lab Northern Netherlands (ELSA-NN)
Speakers & Presentations:
- Ethical, Legal and Societal Aspects (ELSA) of AI: Responsible development and implementation – Mirjam Plantinga, senior researcher and project leader at ELSA AI lab Northern Netherlands (ELSA-NN)
- Implementing AI algorithms in healthcare: How to overcome remaining challenges? – Rick Pleijhuis, internist-allergologist/immunologist at University Medical Center Groningen (UMCG), Co-founder and Chief medical officer of Evidencio
- Data-ethics in the municipality – Nephtis Brandsma, Chief Data Officer at the Gemeente Groningen
- Neolook Early Moves – Marco D’Agata, Managing Director at Neolook Solutions
