FaBiMed Workshop at euspen’s 16th International Conference & Exhibition
(Cranfield, U.K. 21st April 2016.) The European Society for Precision Engineering and Nanotechnology (euspen) is hosting a workshop for working with FaBiMed (Fabrication and Functionalization of BioMedical Microdevices) at its 16th International Conference & Exhibition to be held in Nottingham, U.K. 30 May to 3rd June 2016.
euspen‘s event provides a leading forum for industrialists and academics alike to review the best of world-wide industrial innovation, progressive research. and technology developments. It offers the possibility to see latest advances in traditional precision engineering fields such as metrology, ultra precision machining, additive and replication processes, precision mechatronic systems and control and precision cutting processes. This year, two new sessions, Precision Engineering in Biomedical Sciences and Precision Engineering for Aerospace will complement the FaBiMed workshop with specific precision issues for aerospace.
The aim of FaBiMed is to improve and develop new manufacturing techniques, based on micro-moulding, specific for biomedical micro-devices. The FaBiMed project will reduce the cost of mass production of diagnosis and therapeutic micro devices which have a common problematic: medium sized batches, customization needs, micron-scale geometrical features.
These include opto-fluidic sensors (MIR technology) used for different lab-on-chip diagnostic systems, and micro-needle arrays used for drug delivery and micro-piezodevices for intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) and similar medical imaging techniques.
These kind of medical micro-devices lack access to tailored manufacturing techniques, and depend on conventional miniaturization methods inherited from silicon processing technologies, developed for the micro-electronics industry. Such methods, based on expensive masters and masks, are only economic for high volume production, and as such are not well suited to cater for the trend towards personalized medical devices.
The FaBiMed workshop will take place on Monday 30th May starting at 15.30, and is centred around the requirement to develop and manufacture pervasive diagnostic and treatment devices with low cost, customized, miniature, disposable components. Their manufacture is one of the current barriers for many future medicine devices, from micro-fluidic PoCD, to minimal invasive surgical tools.
Speakers at the workshop include Pablo Romero from Asociación de Investigación Metalúrgica del Noroeste (AIMEN) in Portugal who will explore novel manufacturing routes for efficient fabrication of micro/nano-structured medical devices.
Romero will be joined by a colleague from AIMEN, Nerea Otero , who will look at the use of ultrafast lasers for direct writing of 3D structures in elastomers, as a way for digital manufacturing of flexible moulds.
Other topics include new microfluidic functionalities by nano- and micro-patterned moulds; micro and nano structuring of carbon based materials for micro injection moulding and hot embossing; use of conventional injection moulding in medical device micro-fabrication; new generation of ultrasound transducers manufactured by epoxy gel-casting; micro-replication of ceramic micro-needles by gel casting; optimised optical techniques for inspection of micro-replicates; and analysing the influence of micro-mould engineering in the overall efficiency of replication processes.
With 3D printing and additive manufacturing at the forefront of many industrial developments at the moment, two further contributions focus on this dynamic area of research in the medical arena. Christian Wögerer from PROFACTOR GmbH looks at technology and machine concepts for high precision 3D printing, and presents a strategy for continuous development of advanced 3D printing machines for functional multi-materal structures, and Jun Qian from K.U. Leuven looks at additive manufacturing for micro injection moulding.
euspen’s conference and exhibition represents the largest annual gathering of professionals involved in the area of precision engineering. Attendees can access the FaBiMed workshop, a highly respected conference focused on all the areas of cutting edge research and development in micro and nano manufacturing, and an exhibition boasting an array of prominent technology and service suppliers in sector.
ENDS
To enquire about euspen’s 16th International Conference & Exhibition visit www.euspen.eu, or contact Dishi Phillips, Business Development Manager, euspen, tel: +44 (0)1234 754023 or email: dishi-phillips@euspen.eu
The event will be held at the University of Nottingham, East Midlands Conference Centre, Beeston Lane, Nottingham, NG7 2RJ, United Kingdom 30th May – 3rd June 2016.
For PR/media enquiries contact Chris Young, Micro PRM. t. +44 (0)7712 891070,
e. chris@microprm.com
