Translated by Hsuchuan
Edited by Elaine Chuang
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On January 24, 2024, Taipei Veterans General Hospital and National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University signed a memorandum of cooperation. The memorandum was endorsed by Dr. Wei-Ming Chen, President of Taipei Veterans General Hospital, and Dr. Chi-Hung Lin, President of National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, marking the initiation of collaboration between the Department of Medical Engineering and the Medical Device Innovation and Translation Center.

TVGH Collaborates with NYCU to Advance Innovative Medical Materials, Enhancing Healthcare Quality

National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University is the first university in the country to hold first- and second-level medical device licenses simultaneously, marking significant progress in medical equipment quality management. The university has successfully commercialized two products—medical software and assistive medical devices—both granted market approval by the Ministry of Health and Welfare.

Dr. Wei-Ming Chen, the president of Taipei Veterans General Hospital, highlighted that since 2017, the hospital has invested over ten billion NTD, completing projects such as the new outpatient building, new medical building, new surgical building, and the first Heavy Ion Therapy Center, ushering in a new era. Regarding research, collaboration with our esteemed neighbor, National Yang-Ming Chiao Tung University, is crucial.

Taipei Veterans General Hospital, boasting 3,000 beds, nearly 10,000 employees, and an annual revenue of 33 billion, stands out as the ideal hub for ventures in biomedicine, medical engineering, and various other fields.

TVGH and NYCU Join Forces for Clinical Validation to Accelerate the Implementation of Innovative Medical Materials

Superintendent Wei-Ming Chen emphasized that the procurement, maintenance, and innovative research and development of various medical materials and instruments demand a robust team. Taipei Veterans General Hospital has established the Department of Medical Engineering specifically to harness the medical center's scale and connect with the abundant R&D capabilities of Yang Ming Chiao Tung University. This strategic collaboration aims to blend clinical practice with medical engineering strength effectively, promoting cooperation in clinical verification to develop innovative medical materials.

The goal is to provide the optimal environment and resources, facilitating the progression towards the clinical implementation of innovative medical materials. This aligns with Taipei Veterans General Hospital's commitment to enhancing the quality of medical care through a twin-tower structure that integrates technology and intelligence.

President Chi-Hung Lin of Yang Ming Chiao Tung University also mentioned the longstanding and deep cooperation between the university and Taipei Veterans General Hospital across various fields, fostering a profound friendship. Recognizing industry as a driving force for progress, Yang Ming Chiao Tung University has established the Industry-Academia Co-creation Office to forge strong connections with the industry. The collaboration today with the medical and industrial sectors of North VTC serves as a testament to this commitment.

President Chi-Hung Lin emphasized the university's mission to leverage higher education's talents and R&D capacity to benefit the industry and society. The R&D of medical materials, closely tied to patients and the medical field is a priority. Through close cooperation with Taipei Veterans General Hospital, both parties aim to contribute to developing urgently needed medical materials for doctors and patients. This aligns with the NYCU team's commitment to fulfilling societal expectations and promises.

 

According to Wei-ling Chen of the Medical Engineering Department at Taipei Veterans General Hospital, contemporary clinical care must integrate a wide array of cutting-edge technologies in response to ever-evolving medical needs and technological challenges. Positioning itself as the preferred medical center for all, Taipei Veterans General Hospital is shifting away from traditional medical-industrial business models. Instead, it aims to develop capabilities beyond medical care, focusing on the intersection of medicine and engineering.

To bridge the gap between these two fields, the hospital will concentrate on linking innovative medical materials and translating the profound R&D capabilities of the Medical Device Innovation and Translation Center. This connection aims to optimize clinical cooperation, enhance the quality of medical technology development in Taiwan, and create health and well-being for all people. By leveraging the deep R&D capacity of the translation center, Taipei Veterans General Hospital strives to effectively utilize its medical value and capacity, contributing to advancing medical technology and fostering well-being within the community.

Professor Chun-Li Lin, Dean of the Department of Biomedical Engineering at Yang Ming Chiao Tung University and Director of the R&D Center for Innovative Medical Materials Translation, highlighted the Center's commitment to facilitating the commercialization of additional R&D results. The Center offers comprehensive one-stop services encompassing clinical validation, regulations, quality assurance, and commercialization.

Professor Lin expressed the hope that collaboration with the Department of Biomedical Engineering would tightly integrate the energy of clinical hospitals. This collaboration promotes cooperation in clinical trials and field verification, establishing various medical data databases to share clinical test information and data with Taipei Veterans General Hospital. The ultimate goal is to collaborate in the research and development of medical materials with high clinical demands, injecting new momentum into the realization of the clinical implementation of innovative medical materials.

With the signing of this Letter of Intent, the partnership between Taipei Veterans General Hospital and Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, each of which has its strengths in the medical field as well as in R&D in industry and academia, has formally begun a substantive relationship that will lead to the initiation of several clinical collaborations in the future. It is believed that the two sides will work together to promote the clinical implementation of innovative medical materials, making more valuable contributions to developing Taiwan's biotechnology and medical industry.