ISyPeM is a 3-year nano-tera project involving 5 partners from Switzerland. ReDS is involved in the implementation of a RTOS for the embedded platform, as well as on drug monitoring.
Abstract
Innovations in drug regimens and therapeutic protocols are improving the survival rate and life quality of patients affected by serious, life-threatening conditions. Such treatments often require daily drug administration over long-term periods.
This project aims at providing advanced technologies for (i) assessing drug response by measuring drug concentrations and experimental biomarkers (ii) providing drug treatment indications (to the medical doctor, operator and/or patient) based on processing of statistical and personal data, and (iii) enabling the seamless monitoring and delivery by integrated, low power, silicon-based systems. The purpose of the proposed research is to advance the state-of-the-art in personalized medicine by creating
new enabling technologies for drug monitoring and delivery rooted in the combination of sensing, in situ data processing, and drug release control mechanisms. We will explore new sensor technologies, hardware and software data processing means and drug release mechanisms based on silicon membranes. These new technologies, in combination with currently available medical devices (e.g., micropumps, microneedles, etc.) can significantly better medical care and reduce the related costs.
Several companies, located in Switzerland (e.g., Roche, Novartis,
Debiotech, Medtronic, etc.) are developing drug monitoring and delivery
means. Our research goes beyond the state-of-the-art because of the
introduction of new sensing and delivering technologies and because of
the integration of the hardware platform with novel software data
processing and control programs. For these reasons, strong synergies
will be developed with the local industries and some companies (e.g.
Roche) have expressed interest in a collaboration. Our medical partner
at CHUV Hospital will provide us with patient samples, reference
analytical methods and experienced advice to develop and validate the
new drug monitoring and delivery techniques. Targeted application
domains will be: HIV infection, cancer diseases and post transplant
therapies.
The overall benefit of this research is bettering medical practice by
enabling personalized medicine while reducing health care costs. This
goal is achieved by a concerted effort in various disciplines that will
be embodied in demonstrators and validated in the field in the
framework of the project. We advance the state-of-the-art by providing
an electronic-control dimension to drug treatment, based on real-time
sensing and on safe and optimal dosing policies. Expected scientific
breakthroughs are (i) new integrated sensors for specific drugs and
biomarkers, (ii) new drug delivery mechanisms via
electronically-controlled silicon membranes and (iii) a formal design
methodology for provably correct and safe electronic drug delivery.
Partners involved
- EPFL - IBI - CSUI1
- EPFL - LSI
- CSEM
- CHUV