Menu
MapConnectionsTopicsBulgariaThe Night (K-TRIO)Marie Skłodowska-CurieFor studentsFor teachersMethodologySurprise me
HEDoctoral network2024–2028

MetacMed · Acoustic and mechanical metamaterials for biomedical and energy harvesting applications

Horizon Europe — Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions

Duration
2024-03-01 → 2028-02-29
EU contribution
€2,023,236
Participants
14
Scheme
HORIZON-TMA-MSCA-DN

Lines connect the coordinator with its partners. CORDIS does not always give exact coordinates for projects before 2014. These points are placed at city or country level.

Results in brief

Acoustic and mechanical metamaterials for biomedical and energy harvesting applications

MetacMed addresses a major gap in Europe’s innovation ecosystem: the translation of advanced acoustic and mechanical metamaterials (MMs) from laboratory research into practical solutions for healthcare, energy harvesting and noise reduction. The project combines metamaterial design, numerical modelling, artificial intelligence, additive manufacturing and biomedical engineering to develop new technologies for ultrasonic imaging, implant monitoring, rehabilitation, smart orthopaedics and sustainable energy harvesting. On top of that, AI is used to accelerate the discovery of new metamaterial designs and functionalities. Clinically, current technologies such as X-rays and MRI face issues of radiation exposure and imaging limitations, while conventional implants do not replicate the complex mechanics of biological tissues. The need for real-time monitoring of bone healing is critical, given that osteoporosis causes ~3.4 million fractures annually in Europe, costing over €30 billion. The project also explores sustainable energy harvesting from daily activities (e.g. walking) to power medical devices. A core component is the training of 12 Doctoral Candidates with interdisciplinary expertise in physics, engineering, AI and entrepreneurship. The impact pathway relies on a network of eight academic institutions, three research centres and three SMEs, ensuring alignment between science and industry. The project supports Horizon Europe priorities in Health and Digital/Industry clusters. Expected impacts include improved ultrasonic imaging and biomimetic materials (scientific), MM-based devices approaching patent stage (economic), and improved diagnosis and recovery (societal). Social Sciences and Humanities (SSH) integration is ensured via ethics, gender equality and transferable skills, led by Skills4Science, supported by training in e.g. well-being and project management.

Data: CORDIS, © European Union

Project objective

MetacMed aims to link basic research on acoustic and mechanical metamaterials (MMs) to health and well-being issues. MMs have some remarkable properties, though to make them properly applicable to the targeted applications, their design must be carefully tailored. This will be achieved by bringing together a range of supervisory expertise and creating a network of 10 doctoral candidates (DCs), some of whom will work in the industry. The team includes beneficiaries and associated partners who, if working separately, would not be able to make the planned advances in research and innovation. DCs will each consider ways in which human health can be improved using MMs, e.g. improvement in the resolution of biomedical ultrasound imaging for e.g cancer diagnostics, the design of better spinal implants, monitoring of bone healing, the use of insoles to aid human walking. Another area of interest is to develop MMs that can be used for energy harvesting, to better power e.g. medical devices and reduce reliance on conventional power sources. These are all backed up by fundamental studies into the MMs themselves to provide the background to achieve these tasks. The balance of the network has thus been carefully considered in terms of basic science and applications, with input from industry in areas such as MMs fabrication and exploitation. Associated with the above is a strong set of training events, where the basic features of acoustic and mechanical MMs and their applications will be considered, together with soft-skills training such as writing, presenting, entrepreneurship, gender balance issues, stress management. Regular meetings of the DCs at various member locations will foster collaboration, and this will be reinforced by a carefully-selected set of secondments. A proper management system for both running the network effectively and properly monitoring and supporting PhD progression is built into the proposal, ensuring that successful outcomes are achieved by DCs.

Original text from CORDIS.

Participants

  • UNIVERSITA DELLA CALABRIA · ARCAVACATA DI RENDECoordinatorItaly
  • AMAZEMET SP. Z O.O. · WarszawaPoland
  • CENTRE NATIONAL DE LA RECHERCHE SCIENTIFIQUE CNRS · ParisFrance
  • ECOLE POLYTECHNIQUE FEDERALE DE LAUSANNE · LausanneSwitzerland
  • EIDGENOSSISCHE MATERIALPRUFUNGS- UND FORSCHUNGSANSTALT · DubendorfSwitzerland
  • INSTYTUT MASZYN PRZEPLYWOWYCH IM ROBERTA SZEWALSKIEGO POLSKIEJ AKADEMII NAUK - IMP PAN · GdanskPoland
  • InnoSpina SA · CourrouxCity levelSwitzerland
  • OrthoSens SA · CourrouxSwitzerland
  • POLITECNICO DI BARI · BariItaly
  • Sofia Maria Facal BelliSpain
  • UNIVERSITA DEGLI STUDI DI MESSINA · MessinaItaly
  • UNIVERSITE DE LILLE · LilleFrance
  • UNIVERSITY OF LEEDS · LeedsUnited Kingdom
  • UNIVERSITY OF WARWICK · COVENTRYUnited Kingdom

Links

Data: CORDIS, © European Union