Zurich engineer designs a ‘vacuum’ device for improved skin exams
The device, called Nimble, has a small round suction or vacuum head that lifts the skin by a few millimetres.
ETH Zurich / Daniel Winkler
Bettina Müller, a biomechanical engineer at the federal technology institute ETH Zurich, plans to bring to market a new tool that for the first time can measure changes in patients’ skin structure.
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ETH Zurich/swissinfo/gw
Dermatologists rely on palpation – grasping a fold of skin and seeing how much it gives when it’s pulled – to examine how well scars are healing. But the effectiveness of this technique depends on the practitioner’s skill. With palpation, It’s also difficult to observe small changes over time, which is especially critical in severe injuries such as burns, where scar tissue can undergo pathological alteration, cause pain and limit mobility.
Using a measurement method already established by a team of researchers at the ETH Zurich, Müller came up with a small tool that is flexible, easy to use and can reach every part of the body.
The device, called Nimble, makes changes in skin structure measurable for the first time, thanks to a small round suction or vacuum head that lifts the skin by a few millimetres.
“From a medical perspective, the device’s added value is undisputed,” says Müller, who conducted clinical trials, including one on burn patients at the Zurich Children’s Hospital. She hopes the tool will also help doctors to diagnose skin diseases.
The engineer recently received a Pioneer Fellowship from the ETH Zurich that will allow her to focus on bringing Nimble to market within two years.
“I’m aware that there’s no guarantee the start-up will succeed,” says Müller, “but it’s precisely because the measurements work so well that I’m highly motivated to bring this device to market.”
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Start-ups delivering cutting-edge healthy food, skin tech and engineering solutions dominated the top three places in the 100 Swiss Startup Award ceremony held late Wednesday.
Planted Foods – a company making vegan meat alternatives without chemical additives – nabbed first place. CUTISS, a biotech company making customized human skin grafts, came second; engineering startup 9T Labs, which manufactures hardware and software solutions from carbon composites was picked third by jurors.
“The last year has not been easy, but the Swiss startup ecosystem has shown that it is resilient and thrives under pressure. Celebrating the TOP 100 is celebrating all entrepreneurs in these turbulent times,” said Jordi Montserrat, managing partner at Venturelab, which organized the 11th edition of the award ceremony along with partners Credit Suisse and Swiss Venture Club.
The winning start-ups are on average, three years old, have created over 140 new jobs, and have raised CHF 80 million in investment. They are all based in canton Zurich.
Switzerland’s start-up scene has been on the upswing despite the coronavirus pandemic. In 2019 and 2020, just over CHF2 billion ($2.2 billion) were invested in Swiss startups on an annual basis for the first time, Swiss startups raised this amount by July 2021 and are heading for an impressive record high, according to a media statement on Wednesday's event.
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