News & Agenda

This month, the University Fund and TU Delft launched a campaign called Tech for Health | Better healthcare thanks to Delft technology. The campaign comprises seven pioneering and illustrative studies, each symbolising the many unique innovations and collaborations taking place at TU Delft and the medical centres.

Gerjo van Osch, part-time professor of Integrative Cartilage Regeneration at the Department of BioMechanical Engineering and principal investigator at the Department of Orthopaedics & Otorhinolaryngology at Erasmus MC, received the Engineering and Physical Sciences Suffrage Science award on International Women’s Day.

A team of researchers from the Department of BioMechanical Engineering and the Bio-Inspired Technology Group (BITE) has developed the ‘4 DoF Steerable Sigma Catheter’, the world’s first catheter with a tip able to make S-shaped curves. This catheter is controlled by two joysticks and was developed for complex interventions in the heart.

During the COVID Case Day, thirty master students from the Technical Medicine programme studied COVID-19-related cases submitted by various hospitals and health-care institutions.

Researchers from TU Delft will work together in nine consortia with the entire knowledge chain and societal organisations, and conduct interdisciplinary research that will bring scientific and societal breakthroughs within reach. Faculty 3mE takes part in two consortia.

Ajay Seth, assistant professor at the Department of BioMechanical Engineering, has received a grant of US$190,000 from the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative DAF for his research on the development of Essential Open Source Software for Science. Ajay Seth is receiving the grant specifically for his ‘OpenSIM’ project, an open source biomechanics simulator to study movement to improve the usability, computational performance, maintenance and outreach of the OpenSim open source software and to support the education and training of its users around the world.

Good news for the technical physicians who will be first to graduate from the joint programme at TU Delft, Erasmus MC and LUMC. They can use the legally protected title of clinical technologist and register in the BIG register. This makes them officially registered healthcare professionals allowed to carry out reserved procedures independently. Clinical technologists will be given first-line status and therefore have the authorisation to register and declare healthcare activities. This is a milestone in the positioning of this still recent professional field, according to programme directors Jaap Harlaar and Pleun Hermsen.

A project team of scientists active in the Medical Delta region is testing the first prototypes of a ventilator consisting entirely of standard parts. These parts are locally stocked almost everywhere in the world and can be made by hundreds of manufacturers. As a result, the ventilator can in many cases be assembled locally. The design hopes to respond to the demand for respiratory equipment and the logistical problems that exist due to a shortage of specific parts.

Bart van Trigt is researching how to reduce injuries among athletes, especially baseball and tennis players.