Case Study: Wearable Systems - Developing Biomedical Devices: Design, Innovation and Protection - page 71

Now two case-studies are described: one spin-off and one start-up both imple-
menting wearable biomedical systems.
4.4 Wearable Monitoring Systems. Case Study 1:
SXT—Sistemi per Telemedicina s.r.l
In the first phase, the research carried out in the SensibiLab focused on the devel-
opment of electronic technologies for wearable biomedical systems: the goal was
to find innovative unconventional solutions for the acquisition and processing and
transmission of vital signs that can be obtained through wearable sensors.
The outcome has been an innovative analog front-end for the detection of
bioelectric signals, characterized by remarkable performance in terms of speed
of response, quality and stability of the signal. This innovation has been pat-
ented by the Politecnico di Milano: the patent has been internationally granted
(Fig. 4.3 ).
Then, the University had to decide the strategy of exploitation together with
the inventors. Two opportunities were selected: (a) licensing, (b) direct exploita-
tion by founding a spin-off company. This second option was chosen for two main
reasons: (1) the opportunity for the inventors (researchers and PhD fellows) to
be directly involved in the industrial exploitation of their work, (2) the possibil-
ity to create new jobs for young researchers of the University to keep them close
to university (even if outside of it) together with the important skills they have
developed and that can be of possible interest for future research initiatives. This
proximity also allows the rapid transfer of new know-how that ongoing research
is continuously developing. With this solution, research can also take advantage
of an industry that supports the research itself and at the same time the industrial
implementation of the new services and products.
SXT—Sistemi per telemedicina Srl was born as a spin off of the Politecnico di
Milano in June 2006.
In the same period it won a Business Plan competition of the Lecco Province
for the support of technological innovation of SMEs and in the development of
new business initiatives in the Province Area: the proposed Business Plan envis-
aged the creation of a set of monitoring devices for the exploitation of telemedi-
cine which is strategic for the Lecco Province, whose territory is geographically
complex. Thus SXT was proposing to be the technological partner for telemedi-
cine developments thanks to the industrial production of the latest innovations in
the context of wearable biomedical technologies. This funding has provided the
financial resources needed for the first-year activity.
In the company, one senior assistant professor and three young researchers
who obtained their Ph.D in Biomedical Engineering at the Politecnico di Milano
decided to participate in the SXT adventure. They worked in the Laboratory where
the development of the know-how in WBS took place, and now they are leading
the porting of such technological expertise into the products and systems of SXT.