The European Patent Office has honored Dutch product manager Jan van den Boogaart, 57, from Siemens Healthineers, and his Austrian research colleague Prof. Oliver Hayden, 45, with the 2017 European Inventor Award for the method they developed together for the automated identification of malaria. Thanks to their patented method, it could be possible to perform malaria tests using the Advia 2120i hematology system as part of a complete blood count in the future.
"The method starts by analyzing volumes of data already in hand," says van den Boogaart. "I firmly believe we can make full use of this potential to identify more by hematological means than we could ever have imagined previously." A malaria infection leaves traces in the blood. To detect those traces, specific parameters are measured as part of a CBC. Van den Boogaart compared blood samples from non-infected blood specimens with malaria-infected specimens from South Africa. Van den Boogaart compiled the data in a big Excel file and also listed the measurement data put out by the Advia 2120i hematology system. He and Hayden, who also worked for Siemens Healthineers for ten years, were then able to identify a combination of parameters that define whether a patient has malaria. From those, they developed the method for the Advia 2120i hematology system.
As is normal with medical products, the development phase will now be followed by comprehensive clinical studies. Even that doesn't mean the end of the research process. "We are currently gathering more samples to investigate whether this method could be applied to other pathogens in principle," adds van den Boogaart. Automated malaria detection offers an insight into what might still be possible. The Inventor Award and the people's choice award are the EPO's way of recognizing committed individuals who drive technological progress forward with their new ideas and dedication. Dr. Torsten Niederdränk, head of the Siemens Healthineers Technology Center, also knows how important this kind of recognition is: "Inventions like these demand a lot of creativity and passion, and of course a lot of work besides. Committed employees who are dedicated to research over and above their regular areas of activity are what drive our innovations forward."
Siemens Healthineers looks back on a 120-year-old history of innovation. Around 7.660 employees, 17 percent of the entire company, work in research and development (R&D). A leader in medical technology, Siemens Healthineers is constantly innovating its portfolio of products. Last fiscal year, the company invested one billion Euros in R&D and 1,600 new inventions were announced. Globally, the company has over 12,500 granted patents. To help customers succeed in today's dynamic healthcare marketplace, Siemens Healthineers is championing new business models that maximize opportunity and minimize risk for healthcare providers worldwide.
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https://www.epo.org/learning-events/european-inventor/finalists.html
About Siemens Healthineers
Siemens Healthineers is the separately managed healthcare business of Siemens AG enabling healthcare providers worldwide to meet their current challenges and to excel in their respective environments. A leader in medical technology, Siemens Healthineers is constantly innovating its portfolio of products and services in its core areas of diagnostic and therapeutic imaging and in laboratory diagnostics and molecular medicine. Siemens Healthineers is also actively developing its digital health services and enterprise services. To help customers succeed in today's dynamic healthcare marketplace, Siemens Healthineers is championing new business models that maximize opportunity and minimize risk for healthcare providers.
In fiscal 2016, which ended on September 30, 2016, Siemens Healthineers generated revenue of €13.5 billion and profit of over €2.3 billion and has about 46,000 employees worldwide.