From Research to Application: Projects at Fraunhofer EMFT

Air filtration systems are considered an effective measure to reduce the risk of infection by SARS-Cov-2 in enclosed spaces. However, the HEPA filters commonly used to date are maintenance-intensive and costly. Researchers at Fraunhofer EMFT, together with Helmholtz Zentrum München, ams OSRAM International GmbH and MANN+HUMMEL GmbH are developing self-sterilizing filter elements using integrated LED chips to clean the air.

Fraunhofer EMFT is developing intelligent plasters for the early detection of pressure ulcers in nursing care. For this purpose, work is being done on an AI-supported prophylaxis that can initiate preventive actions through early detection, thus making life easier for nursing staff and the person treating the patient.

The Internet of Things (IoT) offers huge potential for the healthcare sector - from diagnostics and patient safety to optimized logistical processes. A total of 21 European partners are working in the SERENE-IoT project to create elementary basics for IoT applications in healthcare. As part of the project, the German consortium coordinated by Fraunhofer EMFT is developing an IoT-compatible mobile analyzer for detecting multi-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA).

Applications in future areas such as autonomous driving, robotics and Industry 4.0 require high-performance IC components for data processing and transmission. In order to meet the rigorous demands in terms of reliability and robustness, application-specific microcontrollers or components of older production generations have mostly been used up to now – but this results in reduced performance of these systems as compared to mobile radio or computer systems with modems and CPUs of the latest production generation, which are capable of processing a vastly higher data rate. This is where the project ROBUSTNE comes in: researchers at Fraunhofer EMFT are working with TU Munich and Intel to specifically adapt the robustness and reliability of high-performance, high-volume components at critical points.

In patient surveys on insulin dosing, patch pumps score significantly better than conventional insulin injections in terms of comfort and user-friendliness. They are easy to use, comfortable to wear, and do not need to be removed for sports, showering, etc. For safe and comfortable handling, it is essential that the patch pump doses the insulin precisely and evenly. The micropumps developed at Fraunhofer EMFT achieve dosing deviations of less than 4% even with the smallest volumes. Researchers at the institute were able to verify this in a study.

Unlooc is a project that focuses on the development of organ-on-a-chip (OOC) technologies. These technologies aim to improve the efficiency of drug testing while reducing the need for animal testing. The Fraunhofer EMFT research team is supporting the development of the organ-on-chip multiwell plates, which offer precise control of cell culture conditions and enable animal-free pharmaceutical testing.

How can we succeed in counteracting incessantly rising costs in the healthcare system while at the same time ensuring patients receive the best possible care? Researchers from 66 companies, universities and institutes in 12 European countries are meeting this challenge in the joint project Moore4Medical.

In the "Active Implants" project, the use and a possible safety risk of implants in medical applications are examined. The focus is on two fundamental safety-relevant topics: Interaction between micropump and conveyed medium (e.g. drugs) and a reduction of the operating voltage. Intelligent implants have an enormous potential in medical applications with high added value for affected patients, making research on this topic highly relevant.

The APECS pilot line aims to be Europe’s leading platform for advanced packaging and heterogeneous integration, driving next-generation integrated systems.

How can the vision of a highly connected society be realized with minimum impact on future energy resources? One possible answer is provided by the Fraunhofer lead project Towards Zero Power Electronics. This involves nine Fraunhofer institutes engaged in building a technology and methodology platform to realize highly integrated, extremely energy-efficient modules for the Internet of Things. As part of this project, a research team at EMFT is developing a measurement principle for particle mass measurement.