What are the next big research frontiers in medical technology? What role will engineers play?
One trend is toward more biological medicines. Plants to produce these drugs can cost $500 million and will pose many process engineering challenges. I see an enormous need for engineers to solve these challenges and move therapeutic cells from research to practice. In the area of diabetes management, there’s a big effort to create an artificial pancreas. This will require mechanical engineers to develop small pumps and chemical and materials engineers to make sensors. Q: How can research institutions and corporations collaborate in the field of medical technology? A: By understanding what each other does well, by grasping the realities of shared risk and shared rewards, and by aligning goals, practical relationships, leveraged opportunities and access between patients and technologies. Universities do the early research. They communicate how their areas of expertise can be leveraged. Companies communicate their needs. This provides the basis for collaboration. For example, Lehigh and
