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Healthcare technology

Healthcare technology, Personal/public health

How to reduce the risk of running injuries – a step in the right direction

An estimated 50 million people in Europe regularly go for a run, including almost 20% of the Belgian population. While most might not be running marathons at an Olympic pace, the chance of getting injured can feel inevitable to any runner. This fear is justified, as around half of all runners experience at least one injury annually. But what’s driving this unsettling statistic, and how can runners potentially reduce the likelihood of a dreaded injury spell?

Bridging the gap between academia and the sports tech industry

For scientists or budding entrepreneurs with the next big idea in sports tech, the road from conceptualization to product can seem perilous, with many pitfalls along the way. To stand a chance at getting your research out of the lab and into the hands of athletes, it’s essential to start off on the right foot. Read on to see how the collaboration of scientists and sports tech development experts is helping this unique ecosystem in Belgium to flourish.

Monitoring muscles in motion with wearable ultrasound technology

Ultrasound is a powerful technology that helps healthcare professionals take the first images of your child in utero and allows us to look at soft tissue, such as muscles, tendons, and most internal organs. But ultrasound largely requires patients to be static, meaning crucial information is missed about how muscles or organs behave when they’re most strained during exercise. Now, novel advances and innovative designs from the Netherlands and beyond are bringing ultrasound devices into the wearable medtech era, with exciting possibilities to monitor muscles and organs in motion. These technologies are pushing boundaries in both the medical and sports worlds while helping to diagnose patients, to help athletes train, or to shorten their road to recovery.

Athlete versus pain, an inevitable battle?

Training session after training session, top athletes must push themselves to the limits to test their bodies. Although pain is a clear emergency signal, athletes in pain may push themselves even further. This makes them vulnerable to injuries and severe pain conditions including acute and chronic lower back pain. Although there are several treatment options to alleviate the symptoms, the treatment of acute and chronic pain is not straightforward. A multidisciplinary approach is required, and more treatment options are needed that focus on treating the underlying cause.

This vagina-on-chip model holds the potential to advance yeast infection research

While a vast majority of women experience vaginal yeast infections, research has fallen short in providing an effective treatment approach. However, hope has emerged recently with the development of new model systems that allow exploration of the complex vaginal environment. Organ-on-chip models enable researchers to examine the interactions between human cells and microbes in a more accurate manner, offering the potential for the development of new therapies.

Azalea Vision Secures Prestigious European Innovation Council (EIC) Transition Grant

Innovative Smart Contact Lens Developer Awarded €2.5M in Funding for Groundbreaking Ocular Health Technology

Looking forward: Azalea Vision’s smart lens is a game-changer for ocular disorders

In December 2023, Azalea Vision announced the first test of their smart contact lens on a real person. This demonstration showcased the first functional prototype of their smart lens, known as the ALMA lens, which was developed by the company to address ocular disorders characterized by the inability to effectively filter light.

Azalea Vision announces first on-eye test of ALMA, its revolutionary smart contact lens

In a significant milestone, Azalea Vision, pioneering start-up on a mission to revolutionize the treatment of ocular disorders, announces the successful demonstration of ALMA Lens, the first functional prototype of the Azalea smart contact lens’ platform.

Belgian breakthrough in endometriosis research captures investors’ attention

Even though endometriosis impacts millions of women globally, the condition remains poorly understood and researched, leading to delayed diagnosis and lack of effective treatment. Encouragingly, there are promising recent developments in the field coming from Belgium. Professor Hugo Vankelecom’s research group at KU Leuven uses advanced cellular models, known as organoids, to delve into the disease and expedite the drug discovery process. The Danish BioInnovation Institute now offers the team an incubation program to pave the way towards industrial success.

Intelligent dentistry: AI is making surgeries safer

The AIPLANT project aims to reduce complications from dental implant surgery using AI-based preoperative planning. The project is a collaboration between the Centre for Dentomaxillofacial Imaging at UZ Leuven, AI startup Relu, and Xentro Dental. 

Hearts in space: a Belgian story of successful collaboration

AstroCardia has developed a heart-on-a-chip to study cardiovascular aging… in space! Trials will begin in 2025 aboard the International Space Station (ISS). The MEDVIA project was made possible thanks to the combined expertise of the five Belgian partners: Space Applications Services, the Belgian Nuclear Research Center (SCK CEN), QbD Group, BIO INX, and Antleron.

Jan Rabaey on the convergence of biology and technology

Belgian Prof. Jan Rabaey has spent the past 35 years conducting pioneering tech research at the University of California at Berkeley. His groundbreaking electronics work has been used in a range of modern devices, including the iPad, brain-computer interfaces, and wireless sensor nodes used for the Internet of Things. The ongoing theme of his work has been miniaturization and connection, which he is now using to link technology and people like never before.

Biodevice-CRO: smart solutions for better bioprocessing

Biodevice-CRO is a MEDVIA project uniting three very different, but complementary, Flemish companies: ICsense, Comate, and Antleron. This unique partnership aims to provide life science actors with customizable, modular bioprocess solutions through a collaborative Contract Research Organization (CRO) model. These smart solutions – the biodevice based on an integrated chip, biofluidic cartridge, and functional device – will enable fast-track development of personalized medicines and improved diagnostics.

Byteflies: virtual care solutions for all

Byteflies is on a mission to make virtual care available to all. The Belgian company has developed a platform for remote patient monitoring solutions, to save precious time for healthcare providers, reduce hospitalization costs, and boost the quality of life for patients. The aim is to aid the transition from fragmented to connected healthcare, enabling a continuum of care through virtual solutions.

CoMoveIT: patient-driven mobility solutions for people with complex movement disorders

CoMoveIT is a striking example of how visionary ideas can be turned into life-changing innovations once the right technology becomes available. We spoke with CoMoveIT’s CTO, Sotirios Gakopoulos, about the Belgian company’s unique solution to improve the mobility of patients with complex movement disorders, like cerebral palsy.