INDUSTRY FOCUS IMEC TECHNOLOGY FORUM 2018
THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS: THE NEXT ERA IN SMART HEALTH
Michelle Winny, editor of Electronics visited the Imec Technology Forum in Antwerp (ITF Belgium 2018). Here the company describes some of the latest developments that are opening up a whole new world in optometry and how this is shaping the future of ‘Smart Health’
S
mart health was a key topic of focus at this year’s Imec Technology Forum
in Antwerp, with new wireless eye- tracking technology being demonstrated, based on electro-oculography (EOG). This is an ophthalmology technique used to examine eyes and record eye movement. The technology, which is integrated into a standard pair of eyeglasses, is claimed to be able to significantly improve augmented reality and virtual reality (AR/VR) experiences. Moreover, imec aims to employ it for clinical research on neurodegenerative diseases. The enabling technology behind Imec’s
EOG is five dry-contact electrodes mounted on a standard pair of eyeglasses. The electrodes detect the eye-movement, while the ergonomic design gives the wearer the comfortable familiarity of every-day glass frames. With this novel approach Imec is able to
achieve a sampling rate of 256 samples per second, making it more than twice as fast as current camera-based solutions for detecting eye position. Based on Bluetooth wireless technology, it is found to be more energy efficient, requiring only one battery in a small box behind the wearer’s ear. Another small box includes the electronics. Imec’s EOG technology can be used in
AR/VR applications to navigate interfaces and menus quickly by the user’s eye gestures, eliminating the need for cumbersome hand controllers. An advanced algorithm translates the eye movement signals into virtual commands: lateral eye movements can then, for example be used to swipe and turn, while blinking will trigger a move forward. More recently, eye movement analysis has been increasingly used in studies on neurological disorders, resulting in scientific evidence that eye movements are affected by neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson’s disease or Alzheimer’s disease, even at an early stage. With this in mind, imec aims to employ its technology for clinical research on the early detection of neurodegenerative diseases and monitoring disease progression. A novel organ-on-chip platform for
38 JUNE 2018 | ELECTRONICS
cells in a cell culture. Imec claims its novel organ-on-chip platform aims to address these challenges. This solution packs 16,384 electrodes,
Figure 1:
New Fast Eye Tracking Technology looks
promising for healthcare applications such as early detection of neurodegenerative diseases
pharmacological studies with unprecedented signal quality was also presented. It fuses imec’s high-density multi-electrode array (MEA)-chip with a microfluidic well plate, developed in collaboration with Micronit Microtechnologies, in which cells can be cultured, providing an environment that mimics human physiology. Said to be capable of performing multiple tests in parallel, the new device aims to be a game-changer for the pharmaceutical industry, offering high quality data in the drug development process. Imec highlights how, every year a handful of new drugs make it to the market, but in their wake tens of thousands of candidate drugs don’t make the cut. Nevertheless, this journey will have taken a decade and costs billions. The fact that drug development is so
Figure 2: Imec-Lab-on-Chip
time-consuming and costly is because of the insufficiency of the existing methodologies for drug screening assays. These current assays are based on poor cell models that limit the quality of the resulting data, and result in inadequate biological relevance. Additionally, there is a lack of spatial resolution of the assays, resulting in the inability to screen single
distributed over 16 wells, and offers multiparametric analysis. Each of the 1,024 electrodes in a well can detect intracellular action potentials, aside from the traditional extracellular signals. Further, imec’s chip is patterned with microstructures to allow for a structured cell growth mimicking a specific organ. “By using grooves, heart cells can for example grow into a more heart-like tissue. In this way, we fabricate miniature hearts-on-a-chip, making it possible to test the effect of drugs in a more biologically relevant context. Imec’s organ-on-chip platform is one of the first systems that enable on-chip multi- well assays, which means that you can perform different experiments or – in other words – analyse different compounds, in parallel on a single chip,” explained Veerle Reumers, project leader at imec. “This is a considerable increase in throughput compared to current single-well MEAs and we aim to further increase the throughput by adding more wells in a system.”
DIGITAL GLASSES Digital glasses that offer optimal comfort and age-defying vision are now a reality. The age-related condition called presbyopia, that effects almost everyone over the age of 40 is being met head on with this latest technology. EYEco eyeCO is one of the first company’s to combine classic eyewear with display technology to create what it describes as, glasses that offer an unprecedented level of visual comfort. The EYEco eyeCOautofocal glasses are described as a revolutionary alternative to multifocal glasses. These digital autofocal glasses electronically switch visual correction from near to far in the blink of an eye. This is activated across the whole of the lens, offering a broad and comfortable field of vision.
imec
www.imec-int.com e:
info@imec.be
/ ELECTRONICS
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