Kerstin Ramser

Optical fibre probe NIR Raman measurements in ambient light and in combination with a tactile resonance sensor for possible cancer detection

First measurements on a combined instrument with a thin fibre optic Raman probe mounted inside a hollow tactile resonance sensor have been performed in ambient light on porcine tissue. The ambient fluorescent light was removed successfully from the spectra. The stiffness and the biomolecular composition of the tissue were analysed.

Biomedical Engineering Research Improves the Health Care Industry

The health care industry is dependent on new innovations for its survival and expansion. Health care innovations are also important for improving patient care. Through activities at the centre for biomedical engineering and physics (CMTF) we have generated growth both in academia at the universities and in the industry in northern Sweden. Fruitful cooperation was generated between 26 research projects and about 15 established companies in the field of biomedical engineering. The established researcher-owned company for business development of the research results from the CMTF, CMTF Business Development Co Ltd, has so far launched three spin-off companies and has 10 new business leads to develop. The activities have also increased the interest for commercialization and entrepreneurship among the scientists in the centre. So far a total of nine spin-off companies have resulted from the CMTF-research since the year 2000 that has improved the health care market in northern Sweden.

Hypoxia on a chip - a novel approach for patch-clamp studies in a microfluidic system with full oxygen control

A new approach to perform patch-clamp experiments on living cells under controlled anoxic and normoxic conditions was developed and tested. To provide an optimal control over the oxygen content and the biochemical environment a patch-clamp recording micropipette was integrated within an oxygen tight poly-methyl methacrylate (PMMA) based microchip. The oxygen content within the microfluidic chamber surrounding patch-clamp micropipette was maintained at 0.5-1.5 % by a continuous flow of artificial extracellular solution purged with nitrogen. The nerve and glial cells acutely obtained from the male rat brain were trapped by the optical tweezers and steered towards the patch-clamp micropipette through the channels of the microchip in order to achieve a close contact between the pipette and the cellular membrane. The patch-clamp recordings revealed that optical tweezers did not affect the electrophysiological properties of the tested cells suggesting that optical trapping is a safe and non-traumatizing method to manipulate living cells in the microfluidic system. Thus, our approach of combining optical tweezers and a gas-tight microfluidic chamber may be applied in various electrophysiological investigations of single cells were optimal control of the experimental conditions and the sample in a closed environment are necessary.

From biomedical research to spin-off companies for the health care market

Through research at the centre for biomedical engineering and physics (CMTF) seven new companies have been established in Northern Sweden. The activities have generated growth both in academia at the universities and in the industry in Northern Sweden. Cooperation was built up between the 23 research projects and more than 20 established companies in the field of biomedical engineering. A researcher-owned company for business development of the research results from the CMTF has been established, CMTF Business Development Co Ltd, and has launched its first spin-off company in the autumn 2009. It has also increased the interest for commercial and entrepreneurship questions among the scientists in the centre. So far seven spin-off companies have resulted from the CMTF-research.