The “feeling prosthesis” – Winner of the OE-A competition 2022
Let’s Talk 
LOPEC, translating into Large-area, Organic & Printed Electronics Convention is the leading international event for printed electronics. We have made a habit of not only attending it, but also participating in the OE-A competition (which is hosted within the frame of the event) -LOPEC is organized jointly by the OE-A (Organic and Printed Electronics Association, of which we are regular members) and Messe München GmbH.
This is where great minds in the world of printed electronics come together and, to everyone’s satisfaction and relief, this year, also face-to-face again. And this year again, our competition demonstrator seduced the jury, and we left the venue as winners in the category Best Prototype/New Product.
What about the demonstrator?
The winning demonstrator that we presented together with and thanks to one of our closest customers, Saphenus Medical Technology, is a feeling prosthesis, helping amputees “feel” the ground. That’s right: Suralis, as it is called, disposes of a unique, truly ground-breaking technology including sensors which improves the lives of those who lost their limb(s) by giving them back the sensation in a similar way a “real” leg does. Our smart footwear sensor transmits ground contact information to vibrators stimulating nerves in the upper leg. This means increased walking stability, confidence, and comfort, as well as reduced risk of phantom pain, of which most amputees suffer.
“For a medical product, it is very important to have a high-quality standard, not least because it must comply with various regulations,” says Rainer Schultheis, CEO at Saphenus. “Helping patients with phantom pain was our main motivator and we partnered with the right people who contributed to delivering this world-class technology.”
Why LOPEC?
Alain Schumacher, our CTO, who is also Vice Chair Europe within the Board of OE-A, appreciated that LOPEC is “the place to be for everyone who has a name in the printed electronics world, be it developer, organization, start-up, research institution, industrial. It is amazing what one can do for people by combining sensors with advanced medical technology. We have always been at the crossroads of various industries, supporting universities and customers with a fully customized service, from idea to mass production, going through solid research. This is how outstanding products such as “Suralis” come to life.
Our company won OE-A’s recognition in the same category for the ActiSense Smart Footwear System in 2020.