Smart Implants for Life Enrichment

Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) e.g. osteoporosis, osteoarthritis, joint & ligament wear, frailty fractures and associated complications in elderly are a severe threat frequently leading to a permanent decline of the patient’s general health and autonomy. NCD prevention is highly relevant to reduce the need for long-term care. The economic burden is expected to increase by 65% from 2020 to 2040 with a strong negative impact on patient’s quality of life. SmILE will provide a cross-sectoral, early risk detection methodology by holistic analysis of elderly patients’ health data. Co-creation with end-users and consideration of diverse needs, mental and physical abilities, living and socio-economic conditions as well as life-situation of older people are implemented. This includes training and enhanced stream of information to patients and other stakeholders. It will offer an AI-based patient analysis, incl. integration of smart wearables and medical devices incl. implants to support monitoring of general health status. Our approach will disrupt the cycle of frailty by minimizing physical decline and risk of re-fractures. To enhance the AI functions, new data sources will be established by instrumenting medical devices, mainly implants, to augment them into monitoring and actively supporting devices.

SMILE will:
(1) develop an integrated platform to collect, centralize, manage, analyze and share multimorbid geriatric patient data using technology such as AI & machine learning;
(2) establish a pan-European bottom-up model of good governance of health data being patient-centered and patient-controlled in line with current regulations; and
(3) establish a solution driven by the needs of citizens and patients of old age. SMILE will establish a new approach of outcome-monitoring to provide patient centered, personalized and integrated treatment of elderly NCD patients to improve quality of life, enable real empowerment and ease the financial burden in an ageing society.

Coordinator:

Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Förderung der angewandten Forschung e.V.

Project Partners:

Austria
MINDS & SPARKS GmbH

Belgium
Interuniversitair Micro-Electronica Centrum

Czech Republic
Betthera s.r.o.

Germany
IMTE – Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Förderung der angewandten Forschung e.V.
BGKH – BG Klinikum Hamburg gGmb
HAESC – AESCULAP
AGBST – Bosch Sensortec GmbH
EURICE – European Research and Project Office GmbH
INNO – Innoproof Gmb
HMOC – ONCARE GmbH
SIGE – Swemac Innovation (Germany) GmbH (affiliated entity)
UKSH – Universitätsklinikum Schleswig-Holstein
UzL – Universität zu Lübeck (affiliated entity)
UMR – Universitätsmedizin Rostock
UdS – Universität des Saarlandes
UROS – Universität Rostock
ZeMA – Zentrum für Mechatronik und Automatisierungstechnik gGmbH

Croatia
RISE – Research and Innovation Services d.o.o. za usluge (affiliated entity)

Italy
UNIBS – Università degli Studi di Brescia

Luxemburg
LIH – Luxembourg Institute of Health

Portugal
FhP – Associação Fraunhofer Portugal Research

Spain
CIBER – Consorcio Centro de Investigacion Biomedica En Red M.P.
EUT – Fundación Eurecat

Sweden
SIAB – Swemac Innovation
ABRBSW – Robert Bosch Aktiebolag (affiliated entity)

Switzerland
CSEM – Centre Suisse d’Electronique et de Microtechnique SA (associated partner)