Lab at CRANN where Adama Innovations carries out research
Galway-based medical device manufacturer Crospon, and Adama Innovations, a new spin-out from the Irish nanoscience institute CRANN, have been selected to take part in a European Commission-led project called FaBiMed. The goal? To improve and develop new manufacturing techniques for medical devices.
Via the EU’s research funding programme FP7, Crospon and Adama Innovations will together receive almost €600,000 in funding. They will be joining four other companies and a number of research institutes from the UK, Netherlands, Germany, Austria, Portugal and Spain as part of the FaBiMed project.
Kicking off in September, the researchers from around the EU who are involved in FaBiMed will spend three years working to come up with new manufacturing techniques for medical devices using nanoscience.
Based in Galway, Crospon was set up in 2006 by John O’Dea. The company is developing minimally invasive medical devices for surgery in the oesophagus and stomach.
As part of FaBiMed, Crospon will lead the demonstration team and will test the effectiveness of the new devices produced during the three-year project.
Adama Innovations was spun out from the Irish nanoscience institute CRANN earlier this year by principal investigator Prof Graham Cross. The company has developed a process for imprinting patterns at a scale invisible to the human eye onto materials and hard surfaces.
Applications for this technology could include anti-counterfeiting technology, labelling or additive manufacturing to improve functionality, according to Adama Innovations.
During the FaBiMed project, Adama Innovations will examine how this micro-patterning could be used in moulds and coatings when producing medical devices.
Managing director Declan Scanlan said that being accepted onto the EU project would be a real boost to Adama Innovations
“Our research has the potential to transform medical device manufacturing, among other products,” he said.
Echoing these words, Crospon’s O’Dea added that the company has been working on developing more innovative medical devices for six years.
“Nanoscience research can open up a world of possibilities for the future of medicine, and the fact that the EU is recognising this and investing in this project is extremely encouraging,” said O’Dea.
The news about the Irish involvement in the EU project coincides with Nanoweek, Ireland’s national awareness week around nanoscience, that is running until Friday.
