The aim of a research and development team consisting of the company Murrplastik Medizintechnik, the Chemnitz-based company SITEC Industrietechnologie and the company ConnCons as well as the Technical University in Dresden is to make cancer and dialysis therapy safer. The first contact and the idea of working together came about in 2022 at Medica, the world’s largest medical technology trade fair in Düsseldorf. The vision is as follows: In future, cancer treatment drugs will be administered via an intelligent infusion pump. This should be able to recognize whether the patient is receiving the right medication. This is only possible thanks to digitalization. For example, imagine the following case: “You have three cancer patients with the surname Müller on a ward in the same period. The risk of a mix-up of medication is high.”
The medication bags in which the medicines are filled by pharmacies will be fitted with a chip that is equipped with a digital signature. The intelligent infusion pump is then able to recognize this and react accordingly if the wrong medication is administered by the nursing staff.
The software for this is being developed by a team of six from Thuringia. In addition, the infusion tubes also have a data line and thus an intelligent connection to the pump. The 20-strong team started development in November last year.
Six months later, the first functional samples have been presented to Saxony’s Minister President Michael Kretschmer together with District Administrator Thomas Hennig and Member of Parliament Sören Voigt (all CDU) during the visit. Kretschmer was positive about the success story of Murrplastik Medizintechnik. “It takes an entrepreneurial personality and committed colleagues,” he said during the presentation of the project.
“Many people will benefit from this development,” said the Minister President. The project is funded by the Free State of Saxony, as this is not something that medium-sized companies can manage on their own.
However, it will probably be another four to five years before the technology reaches clinics. This project will enable Murrplastik Medizintechnik to create 12 to 15 new jobs in the future.
