Health Tech

Health Tech

Technology & Life Sciences

Technology has become an intrinsic part of our lives and increasingly allows holistic, preventive and not least integrative solutions. The focus is on people themselves - not only in their role as patients or athletes. At the same time, the available technological and information technology options have developed rapidly and the acceptance of their use in medicine, health and sports is increasing.

The research focus Health Tech is dedicated to the challenge of combining innovative technologies with trends in medicine, health care, sports and related fields and to develop products and services from them in cooperation with partners from industry and research or to support their further development. The overriding goal is to maintain and/or restore people's health on the one hand, and to promote sport in society through the use of technology and help athletes in top-level sport to achieve first-class performance on the other.

Prof. Bernhard Hollaus, PhD | Health & Sports Technology Bachelor's program Medical-, Health- and Sports Engineering
Prof. Bernhard Hollaus, PhDHealth & Sports Technology

If you have any questions regarding this research area, please contact us: healthtech@mci.edu

Sports Technology

Sport as part of our health is experiencing a technological boom. At the same time, highly monitored athletes are already a reality in elite sports. Data acquisition and data analysis play a central role here and are increasingly being transferred to mass sports. The research focus is already supporting many partners in industry, science and associations both in the application of new technologies in elite sports and in the transfer of these technologies to mass sports. Topics such as artificial intelligence, digital twins or virtual reality play a key role in sports and reflect the competencies of the research fields.

Robotics in Health

Medicine has relied on the use of robotics and telemanipulators in surgical applications for quite some time. This trend is continuing throughout the healthcare sector, with service and care robots becoming increasingly important. Another growth area is therapy robots, which allow therapy at home and thus enable rehabilitation away from the daily clinical routine.

Medical Devices

Medical devices are a fascinating success story at the interface between medical and technological professionals that focuses on improving people's quality of life. One goal of the research focus is to support this field in translational research from the idea to the market-ready product. In particular, the focus is on the development of methods that can improve the efficiency of the development process in this highly regulated field. Digital twins for the product development of technology-based and individualized therapies are as important as technologies for the training of medical professionals and the improved data-driven development of technologies with the involvement of medical professionals in the development process.

Team
Prof. Bernhard Hollaus, PhD | Health & Sports Technology Bachelor's program Medical-, Health- and Sports Engineering
Prof. Bernhard Hollaus, PhDHealth & Sports Technology
 Manuel Berger, BSc MSc PhD | Lecturer Bachelor's program Medical-, Health- and Sports Engineering
Manuel Berger, BSc MSc PhDLecturer
Dipl.-Ing. Dr. Eva Graf | Medical, Health and Sport Engineering Bachelor's program Medical-, Health- and Sports Engineering
Dipl.-Ing. Dr. Eva GrafMedical, Health and Sport Engineering
Prof. Yeongmi Kim, PhD | Medical Devices & Control Engineering Bachelor's program Medical-, Health- and Sports Engineering
Prof. Yeongmi Kim, PhDMedical Devices & Control Engineering
Dott. Mag. Yunus Schmirander, BSc | Teaching & Research Assistant Bachelor's program Medical-, Health- and Sports Engineering
Dott. Mag. Yunus Schmirander, BScTeaching & Research Assistant
Prof. Dr. Dipl.-Ing. Daniel Sieber | Head of Department & Studies Bachelor's program Medical-, Health- and Sports Engineering
Prof. Dr. Dipl.-Ing. Daniel SieberHead of Department & Studies
 Gerda Strutzenberger, PhD | Lecturer Bachelor's program Medical-, Health- and Sports Engineering
Gerda Strutzenberger, PhDLecturer
 Simon Winkler, BSc MSc | Teaching & Research Assistant Bachelor's program Medical-, Health- and Sports Engineering
Simon Winkler, BSc MScTeaching & Research Assistant
Projects

Identifikation Verletzungspräventionstechnik im Sport – KFV

PLG_RESEARCH_DAUER:
2024

PLG_RESEARCH_PRMITARBEITER:
FH-Prof. Bernhard Hollaus, PhD

PLG_RESEARCH_BESCHREIBUNG:
Technology is playing an increasingly important role in injury prevention in sport. Modern methods help to identify risks at an early stage, control strain and optimise individual training. One key area is analysing movement using camera systems, sensors and artificial intelligence. This technology makes it possible to identify incorrect loads and unfavourable movement patterns before they lead to injury. Wearables such as smartwatches and sensors in shoes or clothing record parameters such as step frequency, load and muscle activity in real time. Strength and fatigue diagnostics also play a crucial role. Dynamic force plates, electromyography (EMG) and other biomechanical tests help to recognise muscular imbalances or overloads and counteract them in a targeted manner. Another important aspect is data analysis using artificial intelligence. AI systems analyse large amounts of data and help to determine individual risk factors. This enables trainers and sports physicians to take more precise preventative measures. Finally, regeneration technology also makes a significant contribution to injury prevention. Methods such as cold and heat treatments, compression systems and electrical muscle stimulation (EMS) support recovery and reduce the risk of injury. By using modern technologies, injuries in sport can be avoided in a targeted manner, performance can be improved and the risk of injury can be minimised.

RESPIT - Prävention von Ertrinkungsunfällen

PLG_RESEARCH_DAUER:
2021 - 2022

PLG_RESEARCH_LEITER:
FH-Prof. Yeongmi Kim, PhD

PLG_RESEARCH_BESCHREIBUNG:
The aim of this project was to reduce the drowning risk of children who just learned to walk. The risk is substantial as they can usually not swim yet. This results in the fact that drowning is one of the main causes of accidental deaths for children. To tackle this problem, a device that monitors respiration as soon as the child wearing it is in the water was developed. By using a stretch sensor sewn into casual swimwear, respiratory movement is measured and processed. To detect respiratory distress and the onset of drowning, two different approaches have been developed. One is based on processing the signal's slope and the other one on a convolutional neural network. To send an alarm in case of detection, an underwater wireless communication system was developed which is based on ultrasonic acoustic waves. The receiver of the system is then emitting an acoustic and visual alarm signal to minize time to rescue.

Tenodese ML

PLG_RESEARCH_DAUER:
2023 - 2025

PLG_RESEARCH_LEITER:
Jasper Volmer, MSc
FH-Prof. Bernhard Hollaus, PhD
Lea Ludwig, M.A.

PLG_RESEARCH_BESCHREIBUNG:
The anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is instrumental in stabilizing the knee. To this end, it prevents forward sliding of the lower leg, as well as disproportionate rotation of the lower leg relative to the thigh. Thus, a cruciate ligament injury impairs the proper range of motion. A tear of the anterior cruciate ligament represents a very common ligament injury at the knee joint. To restore stability, cruciate ligament reconstruction is performed in most cases. However, 25% of patients suffer a re-injury (Vavken et al., 2012). With the help of an additional surgical procedure, lateral tenodesis, the risk of re-injury can be reduced (Chen et al., 2021, Getgood et al., 2020) by distributing the load between the graft and the repositioned tendon (Marom et al., 2020). On the other hand, this procedure is associated with additional OR time, implant cost, and morbidity (additional access, increased pain). This project aims to improve and simultaneously automate the decision-making processes in cruciate ligament surgery using advanced AI-based algorithms. The system is primarily aimed at optimizing the decision as to whether a tenodesis is necessary or not. In concrete terms, an improved version of the tendodesis score is to be determined from the patient data entered. For this purpose, a program is trained on the basis of artificial neural networks, which subsequently evaluates and weights the risk factors when the data of new patients are provided, and subsequently arrives at a better assessment.

BeSensHome

PLG_RESEARCH_DAUER:
2024 - 2026

PLG_RESEARCH_LEITER:
FH-Prof. Bernhard Hollaus, PhD

PLG_RESEARCH_PRMITARBEITER:
Sandro Tobias Müller, BSc

PLG_RESEARCH_BESCHREIBUNG:
The aim of the BeSENSHome project is to study and implement the implementation and development of innovative advanced systems and smart sensor networks to ensure environmental comfort within residences, day care centres, workplaces and facilities accommodating people with neurocognitive disabilities. In order to achieve this innovative goal, such systems must allow for (i) accurate customisation based on the needs of the occupants, defining a strategy that puts individuals at the centre, and (ii) control of the built environment.Thanks to artificial intelligence (AI), coupled with the sensor network, the environment will be able to learn the preferences or requirements of the occupant, identifying stressful conditions, adjusting environmental conditions and alerting possible caregivers in case their intervention is needed, before any potentially dangerous conditions can occur. The integration of such a sensor network with the furniture of the rooms will be architecturally detailed to ensure its inclusion in existing environments. To achieve these objectives and make the system as useful and user-friendly as possible, a participatory research approach will be applied throughout the project. https://besenshome.units.it/ The BeSENSHome project is co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund as part of the Interreg VI-A Italy-Austria 2021-2027 cooperation program.

The OpenEar Project

PLG_RESEARCH_DAUER:
2016 - 2024

PLG_RESEARCH_LEITER:
FH-Prof. Dr. Dipl.-Ing. Daniel Sieber

PLG_RESEARCH_PRMITARBEITER:
Lea Ludwig, M.A.

PLG_RESEARCH_BESCHREIBUNG:
An Open Science project for the creation of high-fidelity models of the human anatomy library for the temporal bone as a basis for research and development in image guided surgery, virtual reality surgical training and more. Models are based on multimodal 3D reconstructed fusion imaging including color images from micro-slicing as well as Cone Beam Computed Tomography images and resulting segmented voxel based, as well as triangulated models.

PLG_RESEARCH_PROJEKTLINK:
https://doi.org/10.1038/sdata.2018.297

PLG_RESEARCH_PROJEKTPARTNER:
Medizinische Hochschule Hannover, Klinik für Hals-, Nasen- und Ohrenheilkunde
Universitäten Ausland
Rigshospitalet Copenhagen, ENT Department
Universitäten Ausland

PLG_RESEARCH_PUBLIKATIONENLITERATUR:
Sieber D, Erfurt P, John S, Ribeiro dos Santos G, Schurzig D, Sørensen MS, Lenarz T. The OpenEar library of 3D models of the human temporal bone based on computed tomography and micro-slicing. Nature Scientific Data (2019). https://doi.org/10.1038/sdata.2018.297

VRodel

PLG_RESEARCH_DAUER:
2022 - 2024

PLG_RESEARCH_LEITER:
FH-Prof. Bernhard Hollaus, PhD

PLG_RESEARCH_PRMITARBEITER:
Jonas Kreiner, BSc

Maximilian Gallinat

David Mikulic, BSc

PLG_RESEARCH_BESCHREIBUNG:
Luging has been steadily increasing in popularity for several years. This has also led to a significant increase in the number of luging accidents, some of which are fatal. Therefore, the VRodel project was created to learn the basic luging techniques in a virtual world to make luging safer in the real world.


Publications

  • Frithioff, A., Weiss, K., Frendø, M., Senn, P., Trier, P., Sieber, D., Sørensen, M.S., Pedersen, D.B., Andersen, S.A.W. 3D‑printing a cost‑effective model for mastoidectomy training. 3D Printing in Medicine, 9:12 (2023). DOI: 10.1186/s41205-023-00174-y
  • Sieber D, Andersen SAW, Soerensen MS, Trier P. OpenEar image data enables case variation in high fidelity virtual reality ear surgery. Otology & Neurotology (2021). DOI: 10.1097/MAO.0000000000003175
  • Sieber, D., Timm, M.E., Weller, T., Suhling, M., Lenarz, T., & Schurzig, D. The Dependency of Cochlear Lateral Wall Measurements on Observer and Imaging Type. Otology & Neurotology (2023). DOI: 10.1097/MAO.0000000000003991
  • Hollaus, B., Raschner, C., Mehrle, A. (2020, June). Development and Verification of a Highly Accurate and Precise Passing Machine for American Football, Proceedings of the 13th Conference of the International Sports Engineering Association 2020, 49, 94, doi:10.3390/proceedings2020049111
  • Hollaus B, Heyer Y, Steiner J, Strutzenberger G. Location Matters—Can a Smart Golf Club Detect Where the Club Face Hits the Ball? Sensors. 2023; 23(24):9783.
  • M. Panny, I. Nagiller, M. Nagiller, and Y. Kim, Home rehabilitation system for the upper extremity focusing on technology-aided assessment of spasticity, Current Directions in Biomedical Engineering
  • Hollaus B, Volmer JC, Fleischmann T. Cadence Detection in Road Cycling Using Saddle Tube Motion and Machine Learning. Sensors. 2022; 22(16):6140. https://doi.org/10.3390/s22166140
  • M. Preiss, A. Walder, and Y. Kim (2022), Haptically enhanced VR surgical training system. Current Directions in Biomedical Engineering, 8(2), 737-740.
  • K. Wolf, A.Mayr, M.Nagiller, L. Saltuari, M. Harders, Y. Kim; PoRI Device: Low-Cost In-Home Hand Assessment and Rehabilitation After Stroke, at - Automatisierungstechnik, doi.org/10.1515/auto-2022-0037
  • Hollaus B, Reiter B, Volmer JC. (2023) Sensors: Catch Recognition in Automated American Football Training Using Machine Learning, 23(2), doi:10.3390/s23020840

Lectures

  • Käferböck, A., Hayotte, M., Sieber, D., Pillei, M., Wald, M. (Oktober 2024) Innovative Zukunft in der Neugeborenenbeatmung: Unterstützungstechnologien zur effizienten Beatmung in der klinischen Erstversorgung, 62. Jahrestagung der Österreichischen Gesellschaft für Kinder- und Jugendheilkunde (ÖGKJ) 2024, Bregenz
  • Hollaus, B., Heyer, Y., Strutzenberger, G. (2024) Motion Data and Machine Learning Tells Golfers How To Improve, (2024) FFH Krems, Austria
  • Hollaus, B. (2024) Sports Technology in Winter Sports - Invited Session; ÖSG Congress, 2024, Innsbruck
  • Käferböck, A., Hayotte, M., Sieber, D., Pillei, M., Wald, M. (June 2024) Tiny Lungs, Big Dreams: Enhancing Immediate Newborn Care with Ventilation Support Technologies, The European Society of Paediatric and Neonatal Intensive Care (ESPNIC) 2024, Rome
  • Moll, C., Schmirander, Y., Zenzmair, C., Ince, A., Sieber, D. (2024) Virtual Reality Training zum Verhalten im Operationssaal. Markt der Möglichkeiten, Lernwelten 2024, Innsbruck
  • Kreiner, J., Hollaus, B. (July 2023) Photogrammetry and how to Make Backcountry Skiing Safer, ECSS 2023, Paris
  • Hollaus, B., Volmer, J.C., Fleischmann, T. (July 2023) Measuring Cadence in Road Cycling Based on Machine Larning and Seat Post Motion, ECSS 2023, Paris
  • Enzenberg, M., Winkler, S., Kim, Y. (2023). Patient Tailored Hand Exoskeletons - A 3D-Printable Concept for Force Transmission and Feedback. In: Tarnita, D., Dumitru, N., Pisla, D., Carbone, G., Geonea, I. (eds) New Trends in Medical and Service Robotics. MESROB 2023. Mechanisms and Machine Science, vol 133. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-32446-8_39
  • Kim, Y. (2024) A personalized hand exoskeleton to assist during the activities of daily living, SMARTER LIVES, Austria
  • Kim, Y. (2024) Empowering Lives through Robotics: Enhancing Rehabilitation, and Assisting the Elderly, Robotics in AAL & Healthcare, Austria

Patents
  • Patent Nr. EP2629737B1

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