Grand Challenges - uGC2 - Silicon Meets Life
Thursday, September 04, 2008 9:30 am - 4:30 pm
Chancellors Hotel and Conference Centre
Chancellors Way
Moseley Road
Manchester, Lancs. M14 6NN
United Kingdom
| uGC2 - Silicon Meets Life |
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Supported by the Health Technologies KTN
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| The Electronics KTN introduces the third in our “Grand Challenges” Series of events. Having set the stage with the introductory event held back in March, the Silicon Meets Life event explores in detail the second of the four themes identified in the Grand Challenges report. |
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| The format of this event is very similar to that of the highly successful Batteries Not Included event that was held in southampton |
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Introduction
The objective of the Silicon Meets Life Grand Challenge is to develop advances in technology and design that will enable a seamless bi-directional interface between living organisms and electronic systems.
New - and remarkable - life-changing medical treatments will be brought about by tightly integrating microelectronics and biology. Devices such as cochlear implants are already in wide use today, delivering good-quality hearing to those with impairment. Deep brain stimulation via surgically-inserted electrodes is used to reduce tremors caused by Parkinson's disease. Research on brain-computer interfaces is providing hope of a communication route for locked-in patients. However, these pioneering applications are still in their infancy, and far more can be expected if we master the construction and understanding of tightly-coupled electronic/biological systems.
If an intimate, well-understood interface was available, so that information could be bi-directionally exchanged between an electronic system and a living organism, we could develop prosthetic devices allowing replacement or enhancement of any sensory or motor function. We could provide early diagnosis, through continuous monitoring of our health status. We could interface directly to our brains. We could
embed electronics in living organisms, or life in electronics, leading to a myriad of new, revolutionary applications in healthcare and beyond.
The required effort is clearly multi-disciplinary. In addition to research advances in medicine, biology and neuroscience that will lead to better understanding of cellular processes and neural information processing, the achievement of a well-behaved and easily usable silicon/life interface requires:
- The development of biocompatible materials
- The development and integration of new sensing/actuating technologies providing a physical interface between electronic currents and the ionic/chemical/molecular signalling of biological cells
- Advances in signal conditioning and analysis ! Further miniaturisation of electronic systems
- Effective management of power and communication.
Many of these challenges are firmly within the scope of the microelectronic design community, which will play a critical role in delivering the interface between silicon and life.
Learn and Network
Delegates at this free event will not only have the benefit of learning about state-of-the-art academic research in the UK into the areas mentioned above but will also have the opportunity with a wide selection of academics, technologists from SMEs and large companies, investors and government.
Delegates will be invited to participate in joint industry/academic interactive workshops aimed at identifying potential academic research projects that could further the UK's expertise in the field.
Delegates need not necessarily have the resources to fund, or even participate directly in academic research, but should have at least a moderate interest in understanding and influencing the outcomes of such research.
Desired Outcomes
By bringing together a representation from UK academia with a similar representation from UK industry, the Electronics KTN hopes to stimulate the identification of further academic research projects that could be funded by EPSRC. We also hope that the events may stimulate some industry-academia collaborations.
Building on the platform of these events we hope to establish a community of UK industry that has an interest in influencing the shape of research in this area and can ultimately provide a response to this project in the form of a set of “unmet needs” from an industry perspective. We will use these events to build that community and gather volunteers to participate in such a forum.
Find out more about the Grand Challenges programme and the other events in this event programme: http://www.electronics-ktn.com/pub/knowledge/themes/grand/Default.aspx
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Payment required before the event.
Free for members of the Electronics KTN, Health technologies KTN or DiagnOx
£50 (inc VAT) for non-members
Cheques or credit cards accepted.
Please make Cheques payable to:
Electronics Knowledge Transfer Network
and send to:
EKTN
10-12 Russell Square
London
WC1B 5EE
Hint:
Membership is free!
Goto http://www.electronics-ktn.com/ to register
NOTE: EKTN is now VAT registered.
VAT Registration Number: 922 8553 15
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