SEMECO revolutionises the medical electronics industry

In May, project work will start in the future cluster SEMECO (Secure Medical Microsystems and Communications) with partners from the Technische Universität Dresden. The goal is ambitious: To clear the innovation backlog in the medical technology industry, accelerate innovation cycles and revolutionise conventional approval processes with the support of artificial intelligence (AI). „The future cluster SEMECO is Europe's first cluster for medical electronics that is orientated towards medical needs. We want to increase the pace of innovation for smart medical instruments and implants. AI-supported regulation, modular system architecture and dedicated microsystems are at the centre of this“, said project coordinator Prof. Gerhard Fettweis at the launch.

Academic institutions and manufacturers are working closely together

The technological basis of many medical devices today is far behind what we are used to from smartphones, for example. The reason for this is that the development of devices is still mostly monolithic rather than modularised. This slows down the speed of development. On the one hand, products are becoming more and more complex, while at the same time approval is becoming more and more expensive. „Our vision is to develop modularised and digitally networked medical devices and implants faster and get them approved. The challenge is to close the gap between the latest technological possibilities and the practical application in medicine," says Fettweis. „In our cross-sectional and application projects, manufacturers and academic institutions therefore work closely together in interdisciplinary teams. The aims of the alliance are Gentler and better diagnostics and treatment, more modern work, affordable innovative medicine and highly integrated networked products that are approved more quickly“, says project coordinator Prof Jochen Hampe.

Regional innovation funding in cross-sectional and application projects

At the leading academic and industrial location for microelectronics, communications engineering and explainable AI, the future cluster offers ideal conditions for innovative and sustainable cooperation in the environment of the Technical University of Dresden, the Else Kröner Fresenius Centre for Digital Health, the 5G++Lab Germany and the Barkhausen Institute.A key strength of the future cluster lies in the primarily, but not exclusively, regional bundling of scientific excellence of leading research and industry partners. To support the regional science and economic region, the Free State of Saxony has promised funding for further application projects in the first phase. In the SEMECO Future Cluster, scientists are working together in eight different projects. The cross-sectional projects focus on solving fundamental architectural, organisational and technological issues. The application projects access the core technology depending on the content requirements and put the SEMECO concept into practice.

1. With the help of strong technology partners, a modularised, scalable, secure and trustworthy platform for medical microsystems will be created
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2. The project partners are developing a modular, AI-supported framework for the certification of medical microsystems.
3. The project provides a reliable and trustworthy communication platform for applications in the clinical environment and in remote monitoring.
4. The project promotes the economic translation of SEMECO concepts and social dialogue.

Four examples of the application projects

1. One project is enabling a new generation of computer tomographs by replacing traditional data transmission with a dedicated wireless solution
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2. In another project, a new type of communication implant is being developed that goes far beyond the functionality of today's devices.
3. One project aims to replace traditional patient monitoring. In the future, sensors attached with plasters will transmit various health data simply and wirelessly via a modern broadband connection.
4. The project team is developing an active, intelligent capsule endoscope that has adaptive anchoring mechanisms, the ability to take tissue and liquid biopsies and a broadband chemical sensor system for in vivo microbiome mapping.

Background Clusters4Future

With the Clusters4Future competition, the Federal Ministry of Education and Research promotes excellent, primarily regional networks. In the second round of the competition, SEMECO (Secure Medical Microsystems and Communications) was selected as one of seven winners from 117 submissions by an independent jury of experts. The first of up to three possible implementation phases will start in May 2023. SEMECO will receive funding of up to 15 million euros for an initial project duration of three years. The project duration can be extended to up to nine years with a corresponding increase in funding. The SEMECO project is coordinated by Prof Dr Gerhard Fettweis (spokesperson) and Prof Dr Jochen Hampe (vice spokesperson).

Contact:
Scientific spokespersons:
Prof. Gerhard Fettweis
Technical University of Dresden
Prof. Jochen Hampe
Universitätsklinikum Dresden
Email: semeco@tu-dresden.de
semeco.network

Anja Stübner
EKFZ für Digitale Gesundheit
Press officer
Tel: 0351 458 11 379
Email: anja.stuebner@ukdd.de

Press release from "TU Dresden" dated 11 May 2023