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Collaboration with Reha Rheinfelden to be expanded
17.02.2021 Bern University of Applied Sciences (BFH) and Reha Rheinfelden are expanding their collaboration in the field of practice-oriented research and teaching. The collaboration that began more than ten years ago between the Institute for Rehabilitation and Performance Technology (IRPT) and Reha Rheinfelden is now opening up to other institutes, divisions and departments, and will include broader forms of cooperation.
The main objective of clinical collaborations between BFH and Reha Rheinfelden is to deploy and assess new technical devices and applications in studies involving patients with neurological issues. These include technical validation studies, clinical pilot and feasibility studies, and randomised control trials. The research results are generally made available to stakeholders in industry, society and culture via an effective and application-oriented knowledge and technology transfer.
The collaboration’s secondary objective is to offer BFH students a variety of clinical activities during their studies. This is achieved through joint projects, bachelor’s, master’s and PhD theses, and clinical visits and lectures. The courses most closely involved in this are the Microtechnology and Medical Technology, Medical Informatics, and Medical Engineering bachelor’s degrees and the Engineering, Biomedical Engineering, and Physiotherapy master’s degrees.
‘The connection between scientific research and practical issues is an important consideration at our clinic,’ says Prof. Dr med. Thierry Ettlin, Physician-in-Chief and Medical Director at Reha Rheinfelden. ‘BFH is an ideal partner with a strong practical orientation.’ Lukas Rohr, head of the Department of Engineering and Information Technology, also emphasises how well-balanced the partnership is: ‘Reha Rheinfelden offer us direct access to patients, which is extremely valuable in developing new technologies and products. The clinic also has a strong scientific department that complements us perfectly.’
In the past, the two institutions have worked together on projects such as ‘Cardio Robot’, which assessed the use of new robotic rehabilitation technologies in improving physical performance and recovery after a stroke.
Reha Rheinfelden
As a leading rehabilitation centre for neurology, orthopaedics and geriatrics, as well as internal, oncological and psychosomatic rehabilitation, Reha Rheinfelden sees its primary duty in guiding patients back into everyday life, family, society and work using state-of-the-art therapies. Reha Rheinfelden celebrates its 125th anniversary in 2021.
