M3i

Description

• Programme: BMBF Industry-in-Clinic Platform
• Period: 11/2016-10/2020
• Coordinator: Dr. Stefan Taing, M3i GmbH
• Website: www.m3i-muenchen.de

Long lead times, complex bureaucracy and communication difficulties: when companies wish to collaborate with clinics to develop new medical devices, they encounter many obstacles. The “M3i Industry-in-Clinic Platform” based at Munich University Hospital helps medical device manufacturers access clinical services and medical expertise quickly and easily.

M3i provides an interface between innovative companies and clinical expertise. The platform's aim is to improve cooperation between engineers and doctors and simplify access to clinical test infrastructures. In accordance with the funding initiative by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research, new medical devices should be developed in a more need-oriented fashion, more safely, effectively and economically, to ensure successful market access.

The three service packages offered by M3i – “InnoCheck”, “SimOP” and “MEDOSS” – are targeted at the product development process: “InnoCheck” provides early end-user feedback on the concept or a first prototype, providing clues about the feasibility and the technical, clinical and financial risks. In the “SimOP” process, the first functional models of a product innovation undergo rigorous usage tests. In one of Germany's largest simulation centres, located on the hospital campus right next to M3i, a wide range of clinical environments can be simulated, from the operating theatre and intensive care wards to outpatients, ambulances, etc. Finally, “MEDOSS” (Medical One Stop Shop) brings together all the clinical and laboratory resources needed for tests and (pre-)clinical studies, while also offering advice on topics such as certification, compliance and patenting.

This closer cooperation between development teams and users brings benefits to both sides: innovators receive detailed feedback on the entire product development process, while doctors and other clinical practitioners, acting as feedback providers and test users, can help shape the product according to their needs.