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Proceedings of the 12th European Conference on Knowledge ...

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6.1 A) Detecti<strong>on</strong><br />

Manel G<strong>on</strong>zález-Piñero et al<br />

In a first phase, we would need to know which technologies are mostly thought out, or in a developed<br />

state <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> research. Those developed technology would be in optimal c<strong>on</strong>diti<strong>on</strong>s to be transfer to <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />

market, because <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>y have been got over <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>oretical phase to arrive to <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> industrial<br />

implementati<strong>on</strong>.<br />

University has a huge technology stock most <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> time not pr<str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g>itable for <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> market. Traditi<strong>on</strong>ally, <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />

technology transfer <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> university to <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> market has been c<strong>on</strong>centrated basically in collaborative<br />

agreements with industries to solve ad hoc necessities.<br />

Nowadays in our universities remain a lot <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> developed technologies ready to be exploited<br />

commercially. Our university has lately detected a large number <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> technologies thanks to <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> new<br />

grants <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g>fered by our regi<strong>on</strong>al Government <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> Catal<strong>on</strong>ia, which goal is <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> valorizati<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> technologies<br />

created in <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> core <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> research centres, like universities, hospitals or technology centres in order to<br />

transfer <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>m to <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> Catalan industry to make <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>m internati<strong>on</strong>ally more competitive (G<strong>on</strong>zález-<br />

Piñero, 2009).<br />

A first development <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> bi<str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g>eedback was developed under <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> petiti<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> a Catalan SME that<br />

detected <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> market opportunities <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> this new medical device. Two divisi<strong>on</strong>s <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> Biomedical<br />

Engineering Research Centre (CREB) <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> Technical University <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> Catal<strong>on</strong>ia (<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> Biomedical<br />

Signals and Systems Divisi<strong>on</strong> and <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> Instrumentati<strong>on</strong> and Bioengineering Divisi<strong>on</strong>) are <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> leaders <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />

this project in which also <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> Hospital Clínic de Barcel<strong>on</strong>a would be part <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> project as a<br />

resp<strong>on</strong>sible <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> validati<strong>on</strong> process at <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> hospital.<br />

6.2 B) Selecti<strong>on</strong><br />

We must c<strong>on</strong>sider that not all <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> technologies satisfy <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> optimal commercial parameters to be<br />

exploited. That is <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> reas<strong>on</strong> to evaluate <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> technology detected and to do a “Pro<str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> c<strong>on</strong>cept” if we<br />

want to c<strong>on</strong>tinue in <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> value chain. This evaluati<strong>on</strong> c<strong>on</strong>sist in two aspects: <strong>on</strong>e related with marketing<br />

and science-business, and ano<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>r that evaluate <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> technology quality. The first evaluati<strong>on</strong> is d<strong>on</strong>e<br />

for experts in marketing and business in <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> university, and <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> sec<strong>on</strong>d evaluati<strong>on</strong> for a Scientific<br />

Committee.<br />

In our case, we have studied all <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> possibilities that currently are implanted in <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> market. It will be<br />

helpful to define our strategy to achieve an innovative methodology and final prototype.<br />

There are lot devices in <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> market for bi<str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g>eedback treatment, <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> most part <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>m are from USA,<br />

where exist a great demand. We have included <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> devices than can be applied, as specified by <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />

manufacturer, in <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> treatment <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> urinary inc<strong>on</strong>tinence.<br />

The instruments have been divided into three categories according to <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>ir use:<br />

Computer based: They are not intended for home use. Its use is restricted to practiti<strong>on</strong>er c<strong>on</strong>sult.<br />

Normally <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>y are bulk devices. They can record different signals (EMG, pressure, temperature,<br />

skin c<strong>on</strong>ductivity, etc.) and <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> user interface is build around a PC. Table 17 summarizes <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> main<br />

characteristics for several manufacturers. Prices range from 3000 $ to 8000 $ and <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>ir use is not<br />

oriented specifically for urinary inc<strong>on</strong>tinence treatment.<br />

Portable: They are intended for home use and <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>ir main characteristics are easy operati<strong>on</strong>,<br />

simple user interface (normally a bar led and 1 or 2 butt<strong>on</strong>s) 1 or 2 EMG channels. Table 18<br />

summarizes <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> main characteristics for several manufacturers. Due to <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> differences in<br />

specificati<strong>on</strong>s between manufacturers prices range from 300 $ to 1300 $.<br />

Portable with computer interface: They are intended for home and ambulatory use and <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>ir main<br />

characteristics are easy operati<strong>on</strong>, user graphical interface (normally a bar led and a LCD display)<br />

2 EMG channels and an interface link to c<strong>on</strong>nect to a PC where a specific s<str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g>tware can be used<br />

for m<strong>on</strong>itoring <strong>on</strong>line, download recorded data or program different protocols. Table 19<br />

summarizes <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> main characteristics for several manufacturers.<br />

After this process, <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> final specificati<strong>on</strong>s <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> a bi<str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g>eedback system for urinary inc<strong>on</strong>tinence have been<br />

defined and we have started <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> R&D process under this assumpti<strong>on</strong>. The validati<strong>on</strong> stage has been<br />

developed at <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> Hospital Clinic, under <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> supervisi<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> doctors and <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> researchers <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> CREB.<br />

337

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