Project description
Towards a risk-based approach to medical technology
Electromagnetic interference (EMI) represents an increasing threat to the safe performance of medical devices used in hospitals, at home or on the move. Europe, with a leading role in medical technology, has recently enforced a fundamental shift in their design philosophy. A new risk-based approach now makes it necessary to think in terms of scenarios and to ensure a device works safely over its lifetime. The EU-funded ETERNITY project will provide 14 early-stage researchers with international, interdisciplinary and intersectoral training in electromagnetic risks and medical technology, combining research, doctoral schools, network-wide events and secondments. The project brings together a consortium of four academic and three industrial beneficiaries as well as five partner organisations from across Europe.
Objective
Electromagnetic interference (EMI) is not just an annoyance. With increasing numbers of safety-critical devices communicating wirelessly, ensuring that equipment functions correctly is an ever-increasing concern. Nowhere is this more true than hospital environments. Europe is a leader in many areas of medical technology, with companies like Philips at the forefront of research. However, with highly complex interactions between devices becoming the norm, guaranteeing safety requires that we start to assess new equipment using a risk-based approach rather than the conventional rules-based approach, a method that is increasing inappropriate for harsh EMI environments. The ETERNITY ETN will train 14 ESRs through a combination of research, doctoral schools, network-wide events and secondments at the Participants, which include 7 Beneficiaries (4 academic and 3 from industry) and 5 Partner Organisations from across Europe. In combination, these Participants can offer the ESRs research training that is international, interdisciplinary and intersectoral. The 14 ESRs are set to benefit from excellent supervision, with a triple-supervisor system that combines leading researchers from academia and industry, and to have access to some of Europe's finest research facilities. The training programme on offer will go beyond the needs of the ESRs in terms of technical hands-on training and taught courses focusing on the necessary aspects of engineering, with a wide range of complementary and transferrable-skills training that will equip them for their future careers in academia, industry, the public sector or, perhaps, their own start-up. ETERNITY is about maximising opportunities; giving the ESRs the chance to really benefit from a carefully crafted research-training programme; and allowing them to learn and develop as individuals who will make a difference to a vitally important area in terms of people’s safety and well-being in an increasingly technologically complex world.
Keywords
Programme(s)
Coordinator
5612 AE Eindhoven
Netherlands