upcoming event: the 2007 annual conference of the EPFL chapter of BMES, LAUSANNE,Switzerland

The meeting would be interested for those working in the field of Bioengineering in Switzerland. The conference is organised by the BMES* chapter at EPFL( Swiss federal institute of Technology,Lausanne)

Bioengineering in Academics and Industry:

Meet the two Worlds
31^st October 2007 (9h00 to 14h00)
Deadline for title submission for posters: 20th October

In order to register, simply send your poster title to bmes@epfl.ch before 20^th of October. You don’t need to send any abstracts.

Please note that two cash prizes will be given to the selected posters by our jury.

Program of the meeting is available at http://bmes.epfl.c

For more information please contact bmes@epfl.ch

*: BMES Biomedical Engineering Society

Robotic Therapy Tiles: Playing Your Way to Health

Patients recovering from surgery or injuries may soon be able to physically play their way to a full recovery with intelligent robotic systems that generate specialized games to challenge the human body's abilities.

abilities Henrik Hautop Lund, a robotics and artificial-intelligence professor at the University of Southern Denmark is developing therapy tiles that guide patients through physical routines and help them heal.

Each tile is a miniature robotic system employing neural networks. The system looks like an elaborate, electronic version of Twister. As patients step on or press the tiles with their hands, the tiles give feedback, indicating whether ther pressure is firm enough, or if the user is moving quickly enough. Individuals can use the game alone, or up to four patients can compete against each other in a game. The tiles can be assembled in any configuration on the walls and floor to create an intelligent game space.

reference

Drugless approach that could thin blood during open-heart surgeries

Brigham Young University researchers recently developed a new anticoagulation strategy for use during extracorporeal circulation (ECC) that does not involve systemic administration of heparin, which causes negative reactions in three to 10 percent of surgical patients. "Rather than give something to the patient to prevent coagulation, let's take something out," says BYU biomedical engineer Kenneth A. Solen, who led the study published in the August issue of ASAIO Journal (the journal of the American Society for Artificial Internal Organs).

Solen’s team inhibited coagulation by absorbing plasma clotting factors using protamine immobilized on a Sepharose matrix (PSM). In a porcine ex-vivo circuit, plasma was separated from blood via plasmapheresis, passed through a column containing PSM beads, and then returned. After 90 minutes, prothrombin time (PT) was prolonged more than 10 times the baseline and blood clotting Factors I (fibrinogen), II (prothrombin), VIII, and X were decreased more than 90 percent. This state was maintained for 2 ½ hours without any detectable adverse consequences. Within 60 minutes of ECC cessation, PT approached normal levels and hemostasis was restored.

For More readings: Take a look at here.

Source:

Blake Ferguson
University Communications
Brigham Young University

The Venture business plan competetion 2008 Switzerland

"Venture 2008 takes you from business idea to professional business plan and all the way to the financing and founding of a company. The Venture business plan competition takes place every two years and combines a competition, learning events and contact forum in one."

Venture 2008 is an initiative of the ETH Zurich and McKinsey & Company, Switzerland. The Swiss-wide business plan competition supports young entrepreneurs in founding a company.

Experienced coaches support competition participants in the preparation of their business plans and in the search for suitable partners and the necessary capital. Participants also receive feedback from the team of highly qualified jurors. The jurors (approximately 80 people) belong to one of two groups: entrepreneurs, who evaluate the formal and business aspects of an idea, and venture capitalists, who evaluate its financial attractiveness. Jury members also act as coaches. Venture 2008 offers total prize money of CHF 150,000 for the winning business ideas and business plans.

For details of the competion click here.