The work will be conducted within a number of groups at MIT including the Research Lab of Electronics (RLE), Microsystems Technology Laboratories (MTL) and the Institute for Medical Engineering and Science (IMES).
Healthcare is a significant socio-economic challenge, particularly as life expectancy increases, but while achieving personalised treatment through tailored monitoring of vital signs and biomarkers is seen as essential in addressing these challenges, it has proved difficult to deliver. Recent progress in semiconductor technology, however, has brought the concept much closer to being realised.
Imec and MIT researchers are looking to combine their leadership in nanoelectronics and semiconductor technology and the agreement just signed formalises their commitment to address common healthcare challenges by uniting pioneering researchers within the semiconductor and life sciences ecosystem.
The collaboration aims to develop nanoelectronics-based, minimally invasive diagnostic devices capable of monitoring biomarkers and vital signs in clinical, point-of-care, or home settings. When combined with AI, these data enable the creation of an individual’s digital biological profile that can facilitate detailed clinical monitoring. This provides clinicians with powerful tools for therapy, diagnosis, and prevention of diseases.
The collaboration between these two institutes will leverage and expand their collective expertise and infrastructure, including imec’s semiconductor fab in Belgium.
“We believe that by integrating cutting-edge semiconductor technology and AI, our collaboration with MIT has the ability to revolutionise healthcare,” said Veerle Reumers, head of health strategy & portfolio at imec USA. “With MITs healthcare and microsystems expertise, and imec as the gold-standard for transferring novel technologies to industry, this partnership combines decades of complementary experience. We are excited about improving healthcare through technology solutions for personalized medicine and the potential impact on people’s quality of life.”
”We are committed to make future health care more personalised and affordable through a new generation of microsystems that close the loop between advanced sensing and actuation,” added Tomás Palacios, the Clarence J. LeBel Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at MIT, and Director of the MIT Microsystems Technology Laboratories.
“I'm tremendously excited by the transformative, real-world impact our partnership could yield," concluded Alex K. Shalek, Director of the MIT Institute for Medical Engineering and Science (IMES), and the J.W. Kieckhefer Professor of IMES & Chemistry. "Together, we'll be able to realise minimally invasive medical devices and computational strategies that could transform how we monitor and intervene to improve human health and wellness."
