Project partners celebrate Optogenerapy’s first year meeting at INSERM facilities
Paris, 23rd February, 2017 – Optogenerapy’s consortium has met in Paris at INSERM facilities for the project’s third meeting, marking one year after the start of the project. At the meeting, partners reviewed the advances in each of the work packages and planned and prepared upcoming milestones and tasks.
During the first year of the project, partners addressed the design and development of the implant, including the selection of materials and components to comply with the mechanical, optoelectronics, wireless, biocompatibility, and minimal invasiveness requirements of the new device.
Optogenerapy partners have also evaluated the compliance of the identified design parameters with the manufacturing process and fully functional 3D-printed prototypes were assembled and tested by ETHZ. Protocols for in vitro biocompatibility assessments of the biomaterials and the implant have been reviewed. First steps to implant performance assessment in vitro have been done.
On the other hand, a first draft of the regulatory strategy has been created and the future development of the implantable device will be supported by Boston Scientific’s Product Life Cycle Process, based on which the best design and regulatory approaches were identified.
A risk analysis is continuously being monitored, having in mind both safety and security regarding the future use of the implantable and associated external components.
A cost-effectiveness analysis is already in progress and the scope of the systematic literature review, associated with the disability and quality of life assessment, has been defined. Upon the completion of this review, the preparations for the cross-sectional survey of Multiple Sclerosis patients will start.
For the following months, partners aim at increasing dissemination activities presenting the project in international congresses such as LOPEC and continuing to publish peer-reviewed papers in open-access journals.