Preceyes

ESR 13 – Definition and validation of adaptive LCE-based instruments

Institution

Preceyes B.V. is a Dutch medical robotics company focused on ocular surgery. We develop, build and commercialize innovative robotic solutions to assist eye surgeons in performing the most demanding surgical tasks. Our first target is vitreoretinal diseases, which are the number 1 cause of visual impairment in developed economies. Our award-winning PRECEYES Surgical System enables the development of new, high-precision treatments and broadens access to the most delicate surgical treatments.

Location

Eindhoven is a municipality and a city located in the Netherlands. The city has a surface of 88,84 km² and a population of over 231.000, making it the largest city of the south. Eindhoven is centrally located in Europe and easily accessible via Eindhoven Airport (or three other airports within 1,5 hour drive).

Eindhoven is bursting with energy. And we are glad to share it with you. When you google innovation, it is no coincidence that the first images you find are light bulbs. Over 125 years ago, Philips brought light to Eindhoven. The company transformed the city into a vibrant industrial success story. Nowadays, Eindhoven is a bustling city in transition, with a constant flow of new developments in the fields of creativity, innovation, technology, design, and knowledge.

Supervisors

Supervisor:

Marc de Smet MD (Preceyes), https://www.linkedin.com/in/marc-d-de-smet-38867215/

Co-supervisor:

Maarten Beelen (Preceyes), https://www.linkedin.com/in/mbeelen/

Contact email address: maartenbeelen@preceyes.nl

Research project

This job includes participation as an Early Stage Researcher (ESR) in an Innovative Training Network (ITN) project. The project partners are developing new technology based on Liquid Crystals. Preceyes participates as an industry end-user. The recruited fellow will provide requirements for surgical instruments and facilitate experimental validation, via the following objectives:

Workflow breakdown of surgical tasks with surgical challenges;
Translation of user requirements into instrumentation requirements, based on an understanding of LCEs;
Verification of instrumentation requirements in bench tests, interface requirements such as biocompatibility and electrical safety, and business requirements;
Rating and selection of concepts;
Development of task-optimized eye models and test protocols, user validation of instrumentation prototypes in ex-vivo experiments.

The ESR will perform his activities at Preceyes and secondments will be performed at the Eindhoven University of Technology and the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) (Spain).

PhD programme – University: The ESR will not pursue a PhD title. He will, nevertheless, be exposed to the academic environment through secondments and full participation in STORM-BOTS’ network-wide training activities. Also, registration in TUe’s PROOF Programme (transferable skills for PhD students) is expected.

Requirements

Preceyes participates as an industry end user, providing a use-case for the project from an application point of view. The ESR does not require any previous knowledge in chemistry, LCEs or polymers. Focus is on understanding of the medical application, translation of this understanding in requirements and subsequent evaluation of concepts. We seek a candidate with a personality fitting the Preceyes team, targeting to strengthen the team’s knowledge. We intend to employ the candidate for the long term, also continuing after completion of the ITN project.

Qualifications

Internationally oriented with a willingness to travel
Affinity with customer interaction and end-users
Efficient, practical, solution-oriented and result-driven while dealing with deadlines and milestones
Having a mentality and work attitude matching a start-up environment
Affinity with project-oriented work, establishing a project’s roadmap and monitoring the progress
An independent attitude whilst being an excellent team player
Passion for work and flexibility in your working environment
Any nationality
English level: proficient in speaking and writing
Availability starting between June – September 2021

Responsibilities

Translating user requirements into product requirements
Validating components with end users via (non) clinical testing
Managing the accounts with customers that use the Preceyes technology in their research projects. Providing technical support in the field. Monitoring the use of Preceyes’ installed base, by regular contact with the users. Translating user requirements into product requirements such as new surgical instrumentation.

Two options are defined to further specify the candidate’s profile; (1) A Mechanical Designer, and (2) a Clinical Application Specialist. The candidate needs to satisfy one option only.

Option 1: Mechanical designer

Specific qualifications: Master of Science degree in engineering. Affinity with mechanical design, preferably fine mechanical design such as surgical instrumentation and/or optical engineering.
Specific responsibilities: Expanding and maintaining Preceyes’ range of surgical instruments. Participating in R&D projects, optionally also involving optical design tasks

Option 2: Clinical application scientist

Specific qualifications: Master of Science degree in a (bio)medical related field. Affinity with writing and executing protocols for nonclinical and/or clinical verification and validation
Specific responsibilities: Drafting and maintaining protocols for (non)clinical testing and managing measurable study endpoints. Participating in R&D products involving experimental application development, optimizing Preceyes’ technology for specific surgical procedures.