Dundalk’s Blueacre Technology secures role in €4.5m EU research project
Blueacre Technology are specialists in the field of laser marking and engraving.
Dundalk-based Blueacre Technology has secured a role in a €4.5m EU research project developing next-generation surgical devices with eight other companies from Europe.
Openmind is the name of a new EU-funded project aiming to create an actual supply chain of customised medtech devices. This results in the ability to order specialised pieces in smaller batches, much like that of off-the-shelf alternatives.
Blueacre initially starting on the development of guide wires, which play a role in minimally invasive surgical procedures.
Guide wires can be used in cardiac interventions, with stenting and valve replacement greatly improving the survival rate of people with cardiovascular disease.
Openmind, part of H2020, is developing medtecd devices using fibre-reinforced plastics, which offer multi-modal compatibility for X-Ray, CT and even MRI.
Many state-of-the-art minimally invasive devices contain metals or metal pieces that are not compatible with MRI scanning machines.
“This specialised area of medical device manufacture has tremendous potential to improve the efficiency of interventional surgical medicine,” said Blueacre Managing Director David Gillen.
“By making it easier to design and produce metal-free minimally invasive medical devices, the project could lead to significantly improved diagnoses and treatment of cardiac disease and reduce the €45 billion annual cost of lost productivity in the EU associated with it,” he added.
