Prodtek

Offentlig prosjektsammendrag

The overall idea of the project is to develop novel and smart manufacturing technologies to enable a leap forward in cost effective production of high impact medical devices. Norway has succeeded in creating globally competitive medical device companies in well-defined niche areas, typically for complex products where development and manufacturing depends on advanced skills and competence, and therefore can demand a premium price. This proposal targets such a high impact medical device area, where market accepted medical technologies with multiple end-user benefits (patients, medical personnel, clinical labs, hospitals, research), targets unmet market needs and are safe, portable, minimally invasive and cost-saving. Sensocure, GE Vingmed Ultrasound and Medistim are medical device companies in Vestfold, Norway, that have established low/medium volume production in the high impact medical device space. The companies manufacture products covering separate areas for diagnostics and monitoring in life science, with high quality requirements for invasive and semi-invasive medical products. The main barriers are found generally in the cross-section between materials and technologies, and specifically in the intersection of bonding and sealing, microfeature moulding and automation of hitherto manual processes. The companies want to combine existing competence with focused development of new knowledge and technology. The goal is to disruptively improve medium volume, high complexity medical technology manufacturing platforms. The project is in an early stage, where a feasibility study is in process for the main areas of the project. Process challenges from the corporate partners have been identified and reviewed in cooperation with the R&D-partners, Sintef Manufacturing Raufoss, Norner and USN. State-of-art methods and materials for these process challenges are now being evaluated in cooperation with the R&D-partners before further trials are initiated in the project.