Press Releases

To prevent testing on animals and create even more precise ways of testing therapeutics, the pharmaceutical industry is increasingly turning to human immune cells. However, the availability of cells like these has been limited to date. Now, Fraunhofer researchers have succeeded in scaling the production of customized immune cells from laboratory up to industrial level.

Energy is scarce – and like all scarce things, it comes at a price. That is why Germany needs to greatly reduce its energy consumption. There is significant potential for this in the area of heating and cooling energy which accounts for a large proportion of Germany’s energy consumption. Innovative materials that can be programmed to control heat transition can be a valuable tool in this scenario. The use of materials like these could, for instance, save up to 40 percent of the energy used to cool single-family homes.

Producing infection control clothing requires a lot of energy and uses lots of material resources. Fraunhofer researchers have now developed a technology which helps to save materials and energy when producing nonwovens. A digital twin controls key manufacturing process parameters on the basis of mathematical modeling. As well as improving mask manufacturing, the ProQuIV solution can also be used to optimize the production parameters for other applications involving these versatile technical textiles, enabling manufacturers to respond flexibly to customer requests and changes in the market.

In the human body, electrolytes play a key role in maintaining water balance and distribution of fluids. All charged particles dissolved in the blood interact with each other. If a disturbance to their complex equilibrium is suspected, the concentration of a variety of these microminerals will be analyzed. Researchers from the Fraunhofer Institute for Telecommunications, Heinrich-Hertz-Institut, HHI and partners from a variety of disciplines have joined forces as part of the optION project. The project goal is to develop a device concept that uses a photonic sensor solution to significantly reduce the amount of blood needed for analysis and make the testing process significantly easier for all those involved.

Rather than being released into the atmosphere and exacerbating the problem of climate change, CO2 can also be used as a raw material for substances required in industrial processes, such as formic acid or methanol. The conversion of CO2 has already been investigated in detail in laboratory studies, with nanodiamonds serving as an environmentally friendly photocatalyst. Researchers from the Fraunhofer Institute for Microengineering and Microsystems IMM are now working with partners to turn this reaction into a contin-uous process – bringing it much closer to real-world application.

The remobilization of finger joints that have been damaged by illness or injury is an emerging market in the field of demand-driven patient care. The FingerKIt consortium, which brings together five Fraunhofer institutes, uses AI to develop personalized 3D-printed joint implants so that these delicate finger parts can be replaced when necessary.

The things that amaze us in everyday life, such as when our cars take control of the parking process, are often the result of countless series of expensive and lengthy trials. At electronica, Booth B4/258, Fraunhofer researchers will demonstrate how virtual prototyping can be used for simulations to detect errors and problems in complex electronic control systems at an early stage as well as to shorten development times and significantly reduce costs.

Minimal vibrations, temperature differences and even light can be used to generate power for small electronic systems. At Booth B4/258 of the electronica 2022 trade show, Fraunhofer researchers will demonstrate how 5G radio modules with higher energy consumption can now be powered autonomously through energy harvesting — without the use of batteries and cables.

A team of researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Technology and Advanced Materials IFAM in Dresden is developing resorbable pacing leads that can significantly reduce risk factors after cardiac surgery. In collaboration with the Faculty of Medicine Carl Gustav Carus – TU Dresden, the institute’s researchers are adopting this novel approach in the project “Resorbable Molybdenum Temporary Cardiac Electrodes,” or “ReMoTe CarE” for short. The joint Fraunhofer booth (Hall 8a, Booth G10) at this year’s COMPAMED trade show in Düsseldorf will showcase the very first demonstrators.

PCR processes are the diagnostic gold standard when it comes to identifying coronavirus infections. Unlike rapid antigen tests, they function even in the case of a low viral load and detect the pathogen with a high level of accuracy. The disadvantage of standard PCR tests is that they are not currently suited to mass, ad hoc, on-the-spot testing, where the greatest possible ease-of-use, rapid results and reasonable costs are required. Fraunhofer researchers are currently developing a scalable, open and digitalized PCR test system that will produce results in just 15 minutes. The compact demonstrator system will be on display from November 14 to 17 at the joint Fraunhofer booth (Hall 8a, Booth G10) at the COMPAMED trade show in Dusseldorf.