Researchers, clinicians, and industry come together for the 1st MedTech Day

May 30, 2022

Neurology and oncology among themes to be discussed, with the program followed by the inaugural lecture of new professor Maarten Paulides.

Maarten Paulides.

In terms of healthcare, June 3^rd is a day of firsts at TU/e. First, there’s the 1^st TU/e MedTech Day organized by TU/e’s Centre for Care & Cure Technology. The theme is ‘The Golden Triangle’ as researchers, clinicians, and those from industry are brought together to discuss collaborative approaches to care in neurology, cardiovascular medicine, and oncology. And second, there’s the inaugural lecture of Maarten Paulides, new full professor in the department of Electrical Engineering.

The is the 1^st TU/e MedTech Day organized by the Center for Care & Cure Technology (C3Te) of the department of Electrical Engineering and Applied Physics. The team behind the organization of the day are Noortje Bax, Daniëlle van der Hagen, and Maarten Paulides.

“The TU/e MedTech Day is a significant event for researchers, clinicians, and those in industry. It’s an opportunity for these communities to come together and discuss the key issues from their perspectives on specific medical conditions and diseases,” says Paulides. “That’s why the theme for the day is ‘The Golden Triangle’ – we can’t innovate and improve without each other. And after the disruption of the pandemic, an in-person meeting involving these stakeholders is very welcome.”

The program for the MedTech Day consists of three sessions, each with a particular theme, and both national and international speakers will contribute to these sessions. The event will be opened by Carmen van Vilsteren, Director of the Eindhoven MedTech Innovation Center (e/MTIC).

Below is a summary of the three sessions.

MedTech Day will be a great opportunity for researchers, clinicians, and those from industry to network.

Session 1: Neurology – “Cooperation? A no-brainers!”

The human brain is an incredible pattern-matching machine. Unfortunately, small changes to the brain can lead to neurological or mental disorders. This session highlights the benefits of neurotechnology for neurological and psychiatric patients. Gaining insights from computer models of networks of neurons, the use of specific biomarkers for the treatment of epilepsy, and the development of implantable neuromodulation medical devices for patients with neurological disorders will be discussed.

Speakers in the session are Cyriel Pennartz (Amsterdam UMC), Jurriaan Bakker (INNERVIA Bioelectronics, Barcelona), and Evelien Carrette (UZGhent, Ghent).

Session 2: e/MTIC – “In a heartbeat”

The heart – the engine of life, and the first organ to form and become functional. From the first heartbeat, slight changes in the cardiovascular system may have profound effects on human health. In this session, the development of sophisticated technological solutions that can pave the way to enhanced care and monitoring interventions are discussed. The essential role of academics, businesses, and clinics in this journey from bedside to bench-models and back to transform healthcare practice throughout life will be highlighted.

Speakers include Marcel van’t Veer (TU/e), Rick Bezemer (Philips), and Carola van Pul (Máxima Medical Center). This session is dedicated to activities within e/MTIC, and the speakers in this session are all affiliated to eMTIC.

Session 3: Oncology – “ Sense and Vision”

With approximately 40% of individuals diagnosed with cancer at some point during their life, cancer affects all of us. Although cancer treatment has been revolutionized, cancer remains a major challenge for human medicine. In this session, detection, localization, and characterization of prostate cancer tumorous with ultrasound and image-guided radiotherapy and thermotherapy of cancers in the pelvic region are the point of attention. Speakers will highlight the collaboration between research institutions and companies as they are all aware that research only can become an innovation when applied in products, services, or processes.

Speakers in the session are Massimo Mischi (TU/e), Paul van den Biggelaar (Sensius Thermotherapy), and Remi Nout (Erasmus MC).

Inaugural lecture of Maarten Paulides

The day will conclude with the inaugural lecture of Maarten Paulides, who was appointed as full-time professor of Biomedical Electromagnetics at the department of Electrical Engineering in July 2021.

Paulides’ lecture takes place from 16.00 at the Blauwe Zaal of the Auditorium at TU/e. “The title of my lecture is ‘Progress in Waves’, and resonates with the central theme of the MedTech Day.”

“During my lecture, I will speak about the history of the biomedical electromagnetics field, the results of my research on hyperthermia therapy, and my vision on the future of the field,” says Paulides. “I’ll also highlight the need for collaboration, particularly between the three sides of ‘The Golden Triangle’. Advancement in all three comes in waves, and waves can reinforce each other. In my appointment, I’m hoping to see progress via these reinforced waves.”