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Digital simulation accelerates innovation in Medtech and Biotech

Switzerland is a world leader in the medical technology sector. It boasts a dense R&D network, supported by renowned universities, ultra-specialized SMEs, historic know-how in micro-mechanics and powerful international groups.

Simulation for medical devices and Medtech

Medical devices play an increasingly important role in medicine and patient care. Their rapid development supports the challenges of outpatient medicine, an ageing population, chronic disease management and a certain democratization of access to care.

There is a constant trade-off between cost management, benefit/risk issues, the spread of innovation and the desire to improve preventive rather than curative care.

daes simulation numerique secteur technologie medicale

From bandages to medical imaging, implantable devices to revolutionary technologies such as the “artificial heart”, connected objects and medical robotics, medical devices are taking on a whole new dimension. Players need to accelerate the development of new products in line with regulatory standards, and demonstrate their benefits. To achieve this, it is crucial to develop safe, high-quality products that take into account patient interactions, including reliability, durability and fatigue. Laboratories and medical companies must accelerate the development of new products in line with regulatory standards, and demonstrate their benefits.

Numerical simulation is a valuable tool in the development of medical devices and biotechnology products. It allows you to :

– solve complex problems

– optimize designs, improve product quality and safety, minimize regulatory risks

– reduce costs

– accelerate the development and marketing of new products

DAES teams contribute to the development of Medtech products through numerical simulation and data analysis.

Our expertise

We support you by integrating simulation and the validation of new development methods at the heart of your product design.

Whether you need to prepare a regulatory dossier and associated documentation, or optimize the performance of your product, our teams take charge of simulation and participate in working groups to design and specify the system. Digital models, like virtual laboratories, provide an intrinsic vision of product performance!

A few examples of how digital simulation is applied in medtech

Musculoskeletal modeling enables us to recalculate the muscular forces required to perform a precise movement. In medtech, for example, this type of modeling can be used to predict the forces exerted on implants during walking or running, which are very difficult to measure in the laboratory. Implant designs can then be fine-tuned to withstand realistic load cases.
The design of running shoes has evolved enormously in recent years, and numerical simulation makes it possible to predict the effects of new materials or geometric changes on performance. To do this, it is necessary to create numerical models whose results will be correlated with the way athletes feel in the field; musculoskeletal modelling is also a major asset for better understanding performance gains, by estimating the metabolic costs associated with different products.
Nitinol-type SMAs (shape memory materials) enable stents to function properly. Subject in particular to pressure variations, numerical simulation can take into account both materials and existing loads. The performance of these components can thus be studied in all possible configurations. The necessary non-linear structural calculation can also be coupled with a CFD analysis that takes blood flow into account.
Prosthesis design is faced with a number of challenges: while the prosthesis must not break under static loads, it must also withstand shocks and “accidental” loads during its life cycle, and must also resist wear and tear and remain functional over time. All these effects can be studied using numerical simulations, either implicitly or explicitly. Numerical simulation can thus be integrated into all stages of the design process, whether for checking compliance with normative requirements or for specific issues such as wear or impact resistance.
CFD calculations of blood flows can be used to estimate local conditions and better consider the loads to be applied to components such as stents. By means of a coupled structure/fluid calculation (FSI), the effects of the pressure field linked to the flow can act on the displacements of the solid under consideration (vein wall, medical component) and vice-versa.
The use of digital analysis is not limited to components inside the body. Numerous medical devices (syringes, wheelchairs, spectacles, etc.) can be studied using these methods, to ensure their robustness and/or performance.
Digital simulation even applies to the tools used to manufacture these medical components. For example, tablet transport on conveyor belts can be modeled using DEM methods, enabling the production line to be optimized.
In the research phase
Development of mathematical models and numerical methods that can also be correlated with measured data, mathematical and technical analysis of numerical models, development and validation of scientific computing methods.
In the design phase
Our teams work closely with product managers to develop PoCs, anticipate and simulate future conditions of use, and assess the impact of design changes (strength, comfort, topological optimization, fatigue, wear, etc.).

Process simulation for global control to meet the challenges of Biotech

Biotech is a constantly evolving field, with new discoveries and technologies emerging regularly. It plays an important role in medical research and the pharmaceutical industry, as well as in sustainable food production and environmental protection.

DAES teams help bring innovative biotechnologies to market by offering an extremely precise product design process.

Mastering complex biotech production processes requires the best technical resources: digital simulation is obviously the answer. This makes it possible to ensure the right level of oxygen, the right temperature or the right amount of heating in a production system. This mastery of physical parameters and the right conditions is essential if we are to achieve our objectives.

A few examples of simulation for Biotech

A mixer must ensure the homogeneity of liquids. Using a CFD calculation, this homogeneity can be estimated after an “infinite” time of propeller rotation (stationary calculation) or after a few seconds (transient calculation). Both the spatial and temporal performance of the mixer can thus be validated.
In the case of gas injection, or where phase changes (cavitation) occur during propeller rotation, a multiphase calculation of the mixture can be performed. Depending on the physics involved and the injection conditions, bubble size and distribution can be studied to improve mixer performance.
By means of a CFD calculation, the performance of the propeller and therefore of the mixer can be studied. Optimization can thus be implemented, also taking into account structural conditions through uni-directional or bi-directional coupling.
Thermal studies of reactors can be carried out to estimate losses and thus assess the need to insulate the reactor, and, if necessary, estimate the thickness of insulation required. Depending on the physics involved, these thermal studies can be included in a CFD calculation (CHT) to take account of the convection cells created.
Whether it’s a mixer or a reactor, supplying the device involves complex loop systems including pumps, valves, etc. These systems can be studied using transient 1D numerical simulations to check their behavior in all cases, from system start-up and shutdown to incidental or accidental conditions.

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