Duration: 2024-28
Acronym: Photonmed
PI Name: Ray Burke
Topic: Biophotonics
Title: Pilot Line for Photonics-Based Medical Devices
Coordinator: VTT (Finland)
Total Participants: 39
Contribution: € 650K€
Instrument: Chips JU/Enterprise Ireland
Key partners: VTT, Ficontec, Sanmina, CSEM, Ligentec, III-V labs, Microtec, Philips, IMEC, TNO

Photonics is a key enabling technology in the realization of modern medical devices with applications ranging from diagnostics to personalised monitoring and therapeutics. Characteristic nature of both photonics and medical applications is high diversity. Therefore, the more widespread use of photonics technologies in scattered ecosystems presents major challenges for the technological values chains comprising end-user companies and manufacturers. In conjunction with highly regulated validation and production processes, the timespan from the proof-ofconcept to product launch takes years causing high costs. Relying on existing pilot line concept, PhotonMed aims at accelerated uptake of the latest photonics technologies in medical device applications. PhotonMed project is applied to continuously renew the technology offering of photonics pilot line and to invite new members and countries to join the ecosystem. Within research-oriented PhotonMed project RTOs and industrial parties can develop their technology offering while the end-user companies get matured demonstrators based on the latest research results. Tyndall is national coordinator and lead of Work Package 2 (“Advanced Integration”), which is focused on the further development of manufacturing technologies which integrate e.g. different optical components, biomolecules and microfluidic parts to the different platforms for various use cases, The first is based on the development of an in-vivo pilot case medical application (in collaboration with Sanmina) and the other with Ficontec which concerns the development of a micro-imager for a cathether for in-vivo surgical guidance and functional endoscopy.