By request of the dermatologists at VUmc, Ruud Verdaasdonk has developed a ‘UV-mirror’. It enables people to see whether UV-light has damaged their skin and helps them to assess their sunscreen application skills.
“The mirror is a very effective instrument for education and prevention purposes”, says Verdaasdonk, who is not only professor of Biophotonics and Medical Imaging but also heads the department of Physics and Medical Technology at VUmc. He developed the mirror by tweaking an existing digital camera and combining this with a safe UV light source. Showing the camera image on a regular flat screen computer monitor effectively results in a digital UV-mirror.
The set-up already generated lots of attention at public awareness events to which the VUmc hospital contributed. This spawned the idea to develop an integrated system for general use, for instance at beaches and in drugstores and pharmacies. Verdaasdonk is now pursuing product development in cooperation with an SME company. “Find a business partner as soon as possible, make a satisfying Intellectual Property agreement, and license the technology. That’s the fastest way to make your idea a reality”, is his advice.
AMC clinical physiologist Peter Sterk’s idea to explore the use of e-nose technology for diagnosis of lung disease has really payed off. His brand-new ‘SpiroNose’ breath analyser will shortly become available for hospitals and general practices. Sterk is confident about the clinical validation studies that are now underway: “The SpiroNose will be a formidable addition […]
What are the first steps when beginning a start-up? IXA sat down with postdoctoral researcher and entrepreneur Alexander Kostenko to obtain advice for starting academic entrepreneurs. Starting a company is “really hard,” explains Alexander Kostenko with a smile. Alexander found his start-up Photosynthetic in 2019 so he could build high-end 3D printers that make micron-sized objects […]
Talking on Dutch television about Optics11 and the collaboration with the Dutch Ministry of Defence, raising €5 million in funding for superior life science instruments and selling products worldwide: Vrije Universiteit spin-off Optics11 is scaling up. At IXA, we were curious to find out about their journey.