VirtaMed into the final of the Swiss Medtech Award

The three finalists of the Swiss Medtech Award 2020 have now been determined, as revealed in a press release issued by the industry association Swiss MedTech and VirtaMed. Alongside the simulator manufacturer from Schlieren in the canton of Zurich, Aleva Neurotherapeutics and Rheon Medical have also made it into the final, beating off competition from 24 other firms. On September 21, 2020, the winner will be announced as part of Swiss Medtech Day in Bern. The Lichtsteiner Foundation, Straumann Group and Ypsomed are sponsoring award for the third time, with a prize of 50,000 Swiss francs also up for grabs.

Aleva Neurotherapeutics, based in Lausanne, entered the competition with its system for deep brain simulation (DBS), while Rheon Medical, another Lausanne-based firm, presented its approach for the treatment of green stars. VirtaMed develops simulators that can used in the education and training of doctors. The press release explains that the doctors are provided with the opportunity to fine-tune their surgical proficiency using a virtual reality (VR) platform in a safe environment. “All three of the nominated companies have already enjoyed success on the market with their products”, comments Peter Biedermann, CEO of Swiss Medtech.

The selection of the finalists was determined by a jury chaired by Mirko Meboldt, who works as a professor at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich (ETH). The key criteria included patient benefit, contribution to the improvement of healthcare, technological pioneering spirit and entrepreneurial achievement.