Medical Device Forum                     

Lero the Irish Software Engineering Research Centre was represented at the Science Foundation Ireland/Irish Medical Devices Association (SFI/IMDA) forum in Galway on October 1^st by scientific director Mike Hinchey and Fergal Mc Caffery. The purpose of the event was to expose the Irish medical device and diagnostics industry to the work being done by the various SFI-funded research organizations.

The forum was introduced by Frank Gannon of SFI who introduced the minister of state for science, technology, innovation and natural resource, Conor Lenihan. Once the formalities were over, the remainder of the day was devoted to presentations by the various SFI-sponsored research organizations.

So there was Chris Dainty from NUIG’s Applied Optics Group and Timothy O’Brien from REMEDI – the Regenerative Medicine Institute – that, like Lero, is a centre for science, engineering and technology (CSET). After a break, Paddy Prendergast from TCD’s Centre for Bioengineering gave an overview of its work, followed by detailed technical presentations from its researchers, including one from CRANN, a CSET based in TCD.

The afternoon sessions consisted of insights into the Tyndall Institute, the Biomedical Diagnostic Institute (another CSET), the Precision Strategic Research Cluster, the Network for Excellence in Functional Biomaterials and Digital Signal Processing for Mobile Digital Health.

Lero had the last slot of the day with Mike Hinchey giving an overview of Lero and Fergal detailing his existing work and future plans for software process definition in the regulated industries like medical devices. His new Regulated Software Research Group is based in Dundalk at DkIT and is primarily focused on the development of an international software process improvement framework for the medical device industry to set the standard for best practice for the sector. 

Dr Fergal McCaffrey and Professor Mike Hinchey at the SFI/IMDA forum.