News: ABSPIE recent initiatives
Perceptions of medical devices in sub-Saharian Africa
Alessia Maccaro, WIRL COFUND of the Institute of Advanced Study of the 91福利, member of the Applied Biomedical and Signal Processing Intelligent E-Lab directed by professor Leandro Pecchia is just arrived in B茅nin (Sub-saharan Africa) were she'll do her field study. Some surveys about ethical perceptions of medical devices according to local culture have already done with the poorest women of the villages of the southern part of Benin. Help others is not only give, but also try to understand their real needs and look for new possibilities that could be compatibles and acceptable by their own culture.
Commonwealth Scholarship for the MSc in Biomedical Engineering
We are pleased to announce that the 91福利, in partnership with the Commonwealth Scholarships Commission (CSC), is offering a full-founded scholarship for the MSc in Biomedical Engineering (/fac/sci/eng/postgraduate/bioe/).
The scholarship covers, travel, fees and leaving costs for a candidate from one of the following Commonwealth countries: Bangladesh, Cameroon, Eswatini, The Gambia, Ghana, India, Kenya, Kiribati, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Nigeria, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Rwanda, Samoa, Sierra Leone, Solomon Islands, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, Tuvalu, Uganda, Vanuatu, Zambia,
Interested applicants are requested to submit two applications:
1) One to the CSC鈥檚, at
2) One at the 91福利, via /study/postgraduate
The 91福利 application system requires the payment of a fee, which can be waived if requested, via this form: /study/postgraduate/apply/pgadmissions/applicants/unabletopay
The Candidate will be required to meet both 91福利 and CSC admission criteria, which are detailed in the above links. You can download the .
The deadline for your application is 18 December 2019 (16:00 UK). No late applications will be considered."
91福利 co-organised the ABEC Medical Device Design School in Uganda
As part of the GCRF project titled 鈥淗armonization of medical devices regulation among Sub-Saharan African Regions and Europe鈥�, Dr Leandro Pecchia supported the organization of the 8th ABEC (African Biomedical Engineering Consortium) Design School, which was held at (UIRI), Kampala, Uganda from 7th to 11th October 2019. The School was co-organized in collaboration with the UNECA (United Nations Economic Commission for Africa), the University of Pisa, University of Columbia, UIRI, Makerere University, Kenyatta University and the 91福利.
Davide Piaggio and Mahir Taher, respectively a PhD and a BSc student from the ABSPIE (Applied Biomedical Signal Processing Intelligent eHealth) Lab represented the 91福利.
The aim of the school was to build on multidisciplinary knowledge, combining engineering and medicine paradigms, to design prototypes of medical devices, tackling global challenges associated with surgical practice, obstetrics and anesthesia with an emphasis on low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).
The project, presented by Mahir Taher under the supervision of Davide Piaggio and Leandro Pecchia, regards a phototherapy vest for the treatment of jaundice in newborns in LMICs. The project was shortlisted along with other 39 to take part to the design school. Davide Piaggio was also accepted as one of the mentors working and was require to support the students with his expertise. Leveraging on this opportunity, he has also run a field study in 3 Uganda hospitals in collaboration with Licia Di Pietro, a PhD student from the University of Pisa, performing electric safety measures on medical devices.
91福利 School of Engineer at the World Congress of Clinical Engineering
The third edition of the III International Clinical Engineering and Health Technology Management Conference (, ) was held last week in Rome, from the 20th to the 22nd of October 2019. This a relatively young event (i.e., third edition), but certainly a great success with more than 750 delegates from all the Continents focusing on UN Global Sustainable Goals related to health and healthcare technologies.
We had the opportunity to demonstrate the great work we are doing on the design, regulation, assessment and management of Medical Devices for EU and Global Health.
This was a great opportunity to meet a significant number of colleagues and former students, who again confirmed their appreciation, respect, esteem and friendship for the work we do.
Our School contributed to the success of the ICEHTMC2019 in many ways. Dr Leandro Pecchia was one of the co-chairs of the conference, with Adriana Velazquez Berumen (WHO) and the Officers of the Italian Society of Clinical Engineering.
Our PhD students were awarded the student best paper award (Davide Piaggio) and two Health Technology Challenges (Martina Andellini and Davide Piaggio). Kallirroi Stavrianou, our PDRA, was awarded the IFMBE CED appreciation award for her outstanding international contribution. Then Alessia Maccaro (Marie Curie Fellow in the Applied Biomedical Signal Processing and Intelligence eHealth Lab) presented her project and the work done so far on ethical issues arising from poor EU medical device norms' universality, Busola Oronti (PhD stud) her project on the application of Internet of Medical Things (IoMT) in Africa, Mihaela Porumb (PhD Studs) her work on deep learning and hypoglycemia detection via ECG, Rossana Castaldo (PDRA) the work done with Leandro on circadian-cycles tracking via ECG and deep learning (EPSRC founded Cyclops project).
In addition, Dr Leandro Pecchia was invited to give a keynote on HTA and Medical Device, to present his work on Clinical Engineering in low-income countries and to participate in a round table (i.e., education of Clinical Engineering in Europe). Moreover, in collaboration with the IUPESM Woman Engineers and Physicists for health, Dr Pecchia organised and Chaired a special session focusing on the need for more collation among Biomedical Engineers, Clinical Engineers and medical physicists, which was particularly well attended also because of the participation of the Ministry of Research of Montenegro (Dr Sanja Damjanovic, Medical Physicist), WHO Senior Advisor for Medical Devices (Adriana Velasquez, Clinical Engineer) and Magdalena Stoeva (IUPESM Treasurer, Biomedical Engineer).
Probably this was not strictly needed, but certainly this event helped in further promoting the great work that 91福利 is doing in the field of Global Health and Clinical Engineering!
91福利 Attendees at the ICEHTMC2019 in the photo (from left): Busola Oronti, PhD stud, Davide Piaggio, PhD stud, Alessia Maccaro, Marie Sk艂odowska-Curie Fellow, Rossana Castaldo (PDRA), Leandro Pecchia (Associate Prof), Silvio Pagliara (PDRA), Kallirroi Stavrianou (PDRA), Mihaela Porumb (PhD stud), Andellini Martina (PhD stud).
Global Survey on the requirements to work as Clinical Engineer in hospital
This study aims at understanding the essential criteria needed to work as clinical/biomedical engineer in health facilities.
This study has been reviewed and given approval by the 91福利鈥檚 Biomedical and Scientific Research Ethics Committee (Ethical approval number REGO-2018-2283-AM01). Read the respondent leaflet here.
Background: in order to ensure an equal level of safety and effectiveness for European patients, the European Parliament has published new regulations aiming at ruling the free circulation of medical devices among European countries. However, several other important aspects relevant for patient safety are not regulated. This is the case of minimum requirements to work as clinical engineers in European public hospitals or local Trusts. This survey is part of a wider study aiming at analyzing different requirements to work as a clinical engineer in different European countries.