Partnership

RWTH Aachen
Helmoltz - Institute for Biomedical Technologies

Business activities

Since its foundation in 1971, the Helmoltz-Institute, which is affiliated with the Aachen University of Technology (Rheinisch-Westfälische Technische Hochschule, RWTH) operates as a bridge between the engineering and natural sciences and the medical disciplines. For this reason, the Institute was named after Hermann von Helmoltz (1821-1894), a scientific pioneer who introduced the exact sciences to physiology and medicine. The Helmoltz-Institute is an institute of the Medical Faculty and actively co-operates with the faculties of the RWTH. A number of joint research projects and jointly advised doctoral dissertations in medicine, engineering and the natural sciences have resulted from this co-operation.

The Helmoltz-Institute’s primary research activities focus upon the medical field and, in particular, aims to solve clinically oriented problems requiring an interdisciplinary approach. The Institute also provides technical assistance during the development and clinical testing of such projects. In addition, co-operation with industrial partners provides the Institute with the opportunity to address research and development as well as testing, integration and validation of new technologies and methods for clinical usage. Research within the Helmoltz-Institute is performed within four complementary work groups with the following topics: Biomechanics (Cardiovascular Engineering), Cryobiology, Biophysical Measurement Techniques and Surgical Therapy Technology.

The traditional research areas of the Cardiovascular Engineering Group are in the cardiovascular area. Basic researches as well as applied projects in the fields of blood pumps and heart valves are main foci.
Several of the Institute developments have already been successfully transferred into clinical application, while others are in clinical testing or shortly before. New research and development projects have been initiated as well under European as industrial grants. Besides the above mentioned, main research areas further activities are ongoing in the fields of flow- and material-induced blood damage as well as bio and hemocompatibility of Biomaterials.