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Center Research Goals and ThemesResearch Portfolio
Neurophysiology of the Lower Urinary Tract
Design of MRI Compatible Instrumentation for Image Guided Interventions Battery-Less Wireless Sensing for MIS and other Biomedical Applications New Tactile MEMS Sensors for Endoscopic End- Effecters High Efficiency Power Delivery and Front-End, Module Design for Implantable Bio-Sensors Ultrasound Temperature Mapping for Design Verification of Thermal Devices Image Based Deformation Analysis of Soft Tissues - Internal Organs In Vitro Photoelastic Model of Arterial Aneurysms with Wall Stress Sensing Capability U of M Portion: Magnetic Resonance Image Guided Tissue Cutting Using Lasers U of C Portion: Mechanical Cutting of Soft Tissues Center Technical Focus & Need
One of the primary goals of MIMTeC is to conduct research that will generate intellectual property, new scientific knowledge, and data that will be equally shared amongst members. Recognizing the competitive nature of the medical device industry and the fact that a successful center model is dependent on conducting research that will be shared by competitors, it was extremely critical that the technical focus of the center produce research output that could be amicably shared. At the same time, it is also critical to produce technologies that will form the underpinnings of major advancements in minimally invasive interventions. The major impediments to the development of advanced minimally invasive technologies in the U.S. Medical Device industry include the following:
- Existence of a technological gap between basic science-based medical research conducted primarily in universities and the applied, product development-based research conducted by companies.
- Inadequacies in graduate level engineering programs in terms of preparing future bioengineers that are capable of conducting successful industry relevant research in minimally invasive technologies.
These impediments present tremendous challenges to the future of U.S. companies in terms of their ability to continue to lead the world in minimally invasive technology innovations. This represents a critical need today for the creation of a research environment that represents a cooperative collaboration between government, academia, and industry that will specifically focus on the applied or translational research to address these critical scientific and educational challenges.
Thus, the research focus for MIMTeC is in the area of development of enabling technologies that will be used by industry members to fuel their future product pipeline for minimally invasive and non-invasive products/devices. The unique positioning of this strategy allows Center researchers to pursue research that is not product specific, while at the same time generates specific technology deliverables in terms of new novel experimental methods for generation of product critical in vivo biomechanical, biothermal, and bioelectric data, as well as new advanced computational methods and analytical tools and methodologies for design of minimally invasive devices.
U.S. Medical Device Industry - Research Needs
The global medical device market was projected to be $94 billion in 2004 with the U.S. market alone valued at about $75 billion. This industry has increased 10-fold in the past decade and has been growing at a rate of 9-10% per year in the past 4 years. It is expected to grow even faster in the next decade (Frost & Sullivan Reports). The industry ranges from small start-ups to large multi-billion dollar companies. While the U.S. currently dominates the industry worldwide, overseas competition from Asia and Europe have begun to fiercely challenge the dominant position of the U.S.
The primary research needs for the U.S. medical device industry is in the bridging of the technological gap between basic research and applied product development. Bridging of this technological gap to further the cause of minimally invasive surgery (MIS) is possible only if there is a critical mass of researchers partnering across organizational (academia and industry) and disciplinary boundaries and working in the area of translational research and development. What is needed is a pooling of university, industry, and government resources to address fundamental issues that face the industry. The MIMTeC is an ideal match and mechanism to achieve this vision.
Expertise and Resources at UMN and UC
Both universities have strong engineering and medical schools that are in close proximity to each other and researchers have a history of working together. This proximity and history of collaboration allow efficient collaboration, exchange of intellectual concepts and facilitates significant medical advancements.
UMN
The UMN is a natural lead institution for the MIMTeC because of its strength in both engineering and medicine, its rich history of medical device and medical innovations, and the proximity to an exceptional concentration of medical device companies. Many medical device companies have been created from the UMN’s research.
UMN also has many research centers that support alloy research for medical devices. The UMN has a rich history of medical first's including the first gastrointestinal suction (1931), first open heart surgery (1952), the first pancreas transplant (1966), first pacemaker for the heart (1959). In many cases, the medical tools that result from the collaborations between physicians and engineers are chiefly responsible for making these milestones possible.
The UMN was responsible for launching the "Medical Alley" which refers to both the trade association, and the rich corridor of health care organizations that extends from Rochester through the Twin Cities to northern Minnesota, which is expanding into Canada, Wisconsin, Iowa, Illinois and the Dakotas. Medical Alley is home to over 800 medical device manufacturers and thousands of allied health care-related organizations, employing approximately 250,000 people in Minnesota alone. Medical device companies in the Twin Cities area range from small start-ups to Fortune 500 companies such as Medtronics, Guidant, Boston Scientific, and 3M.
The core UMN engineering faculty has expertise in mechanism and medical device designs (Erdman, Durfee), control and tele-robotics (Li) (Sun), Man-machine systems (Durfee and Li), fluid power (Li), (Sun) design methodology (Durfee), MEMs and smart polymer devices (Rajamani), ultrasound imaging and therapy (Ebbini), MRI compatible devices (Hammer), image processing and communications (Tewfik), interaction of physiology and medical devices (Iaizzio). Many of the core faculty have a history of working with the medical device companies on individual research projects tackling areas in cardiology, urology, ophthalmology, neurology, etc. Some of this research is showcased at the well attended Design of Medical Device Conference. In addition to direct research funding, the unique second semester graduate level course ME8221/2 New Product Design and Business Development brings together engineers, business majors and companies to develop and market new products. Since the course’s inception in 1994, over half of the 50+ projects have been in medical devices. Most have led to patent applications and commercialized products.
The Mechanical Engineering Department, home to many of the UMN core faculty, is nationally ranked as one of the top ten departments. In addition to the traditional engineering laboratories, other useful laboratories for research at MIMTeC include the Medical Device Prototyping Lab, where devices can be easily prototyped through advanced computer modeling and manufacturing techniques, and the world class Microfabrication Lab, where MEMS and Nano-scale devices can be manufactured.
The core clinical faculty are physicians drawn from key clinical areas (urology, cardiology, GI) with significant clinical experiences in pioneering minimally invasive procedures in their respective fields, and in translating benchwork results to use at the bedside. In the medical school, the Center for Minimally Invasive Surgery has pioneered many MIS techniques in many areas; the Center for MR Guided Therapy is a leader in MRI-guided interventional therapy.
UC
UC has researchers in cardiac surgery, neurology, orthopedics, GI surgery, stroke therapy and biomedical engineering who have made ground-breaking contributions in their respective fields. Bioengineering research at UC has a rich history with the pioneering work in the area of diagnosis and treatment of injuries to the soft tissue structures in the knee joint (Drs. Grood, Butler, and Noyes). This research which originated in the mid 70s and continues to this day represents a significant body of work that advanced the clinical treatment of knee joint injuries, largely a result of a very successful collaboration between biomechanical engineers and orthopedic surgeons. This research resulted in the development and commercialization of a knee brace device for anterior and posterior cruciate ligament deficiency. The brace line became profitable and was sold to Sutter, Inc. Dr. Grood has also participated in the development and evaluation of a fluid management system for arthroscopic knee surgery that was commercialized by 3M.
UC has one of the oldest medical schools in the nation. It has a number of medical breakthroughs, including (1) the first medical laser laboratory in the country, (2) developed the first oral polio vaccine, (3) developed the Heart-Lung machine, (4) invented the Clark Oxygen electrode; (5) developed the Fogarty Heart Catheter; and (6) developed the antihistamine Benadryl. It has also established a premier research center for minimally invasive robotic surgery with its state-of-the-art Center for Surgical Innovation (CSI) which was developed in collaboration with the Department of Biomedical Engineering (UCBME). Core faculty for the NSF I/UCRC come from both these divisions at UC. This collaboration between UCBME is focused on research projects in minimally invasive surgery, robotic surgery and telesurgery (Dr. Broderick). UCBME has also established a unique undergraduate program in Medical Device Innovation and entrepreneurship, a partnership between UCBME, UC’s College of Design, Architecture, Art and Planning (DAAP) (Ranked #1 in the nation), and College of Business. This program aims to create new intellectual property by partnering physician innovators with senior undergraduate student teams from these three colleges who work on research projects in the upstream conceptual stage of new device innovations. Dr. Grood developed the unique undergraduate curriculum for the medical device innovation within the Department of Biomedical Engineering at UC. He is also a member of the Steering Committee for Cincinnati Creates Companies, and NSF-funded project under the Partners for Innovation Program.
Dr. Haridas is developing a strong industry-focused translational research program in minimally invasive surgery, and design of endovascular devices for neurology, and peripheral vascular applications. He also has very active ongoing research collaborations with the Procter & Gamble Company in the area of pelvic floor disorders in women. This collaboration took the form of a $3.2 million NIH grant application that receive a high priority score and will be resubmitted for funding in fall 2006. UC’s work in the diagnostic and therapeutic therapeutic ultrasound is another strong focus area for minimally invasive procedures (Drs. Holland, Mast). Finally, UC also has significant strengths in bio-MEMs; Dr. Ahn (www.biomems.uc.edu/) and Dr. Paputsky (www.biomicro.uc.edu) who have done highly innovative work in the design and fabrication of MEMS devices such as biochips and blood analyzers.
