Fraunhofer USA

A delegation from the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft, the Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron (German Electron Synchrotron, DESY), the Helmholtz-Zentrum Hereon (Helmholtz Center Hereon) and the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) in Hamburg today. With this declaration of intent, the four research institutions have confirmed their plans to work together, pooling their respective expertise and infrastructure to create added value for research and industry.

When carrying out root canal treatment procedures, dentists need to insert a file deep into the root canal to remove the inflamed tissue. The rotating file often gets jammed and must be cleaned regularly. Researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Ceramic Technologies and Systems IKTS have developed a piezoceramic stack actuator that overlays the rotating motion with a vibrating motion. The file does not get jammed as often, meaning that procedures on patients can be completed faster. This technology is also useful for other medical applications, for example in diagnostics and cancer treatment. Fraunhofer IKTS will present a demonstrator at the joint Fraunhofer booth at the COMPAMED medical engineering trade show in Düsseldorf (Hall 8a, Booth G10).

Particularly when it comes to medication or medical devices sold online, end-users often wonder whether these are real or fake. The SmartID counterfeit-proof barcode system means anyone can use a smartphone to check a product is genuine, provided the manufacturer uses SmartID. It can be authenticated without connecting to a database. SmartID has been developed by a consortium of Fraunhofer institutes. The result of a three-year project, they will exhibit a demonstration version of their SmartID at the joint Fraunhofer booth (Hall 3, Booth E74) at MEDICA 2023 in Düsseldorf from November 13 to 16, 2023.

Patients requiring artificial hip and knee replacements are increasingly younger. Because they are more physically active than older patients, the risk of requiring a second operation is considerably higher. Researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Engineering and Automation IPA are addressing this problem with a new software platform for virtual clinical in silico studies. With the help of computer-assisted functional tests and inno-vative human modeling, implants and orthoses can be designed specifically for an individual — minimizing later complications. The workflow-based simulation environment for virtual product development and research in orthopedics will be presented at the joint Fraunhofer booth (Hall 3, Booth E74) at MEDICA, taking place in Düsseldorf between November 13 and 16, 2023.