The University of Dundee and NHS Tayside have launched TayMed Connect, a MedTech ecosystem, bringing together a unique cadaveric embalming method, advanced angiography and imaging technology, to provide medical device and procedure testing as well as staff training facilities1.
At the heart of the TayMed Connect Hub is its flagship key resource, the University’s Image Guided Therapy Research Facility (IGTRF), where real medical procedures are simulated using human cadavers instead of live patients. This process allows researchers to test and refine medical devices, aided by the newly installed ARTIS icono ceiling angiography system from Siemens Healthineers.
TayMed Connect is a unique partnership between the University of Dundee and NHS Tayside, aiming to turbocharge medical innovation and act as a front door to key resources and expertise across both institutions. The TayMed Connect team ‘connect’ entrepreneurs, clinicians and industry – anyone with a good idea – to their vast pool of key facilities and expertise. The co-location of experts from NHS Tayside, the Health Informatics Centre, advanced medical imaging, and access to Thiel-embalmed cadavers from the University of Dundee drives innovation through its network between industry and academia.
The facility is home to experts in medical device testing who work with leading clinicians, ideally positioned to bring new products through the regulatory pathway. Enabled by on-site prototype creation facilities and the ARTIS icono in a simulated catheterisation laboratory, a range of medical devices can be taken from prototype to testing, training and approvals.
Considered the UK’s leading Thiel facility, the Centre for Anatomy and Human Identification (CAHID) at the University of Dundee was the first UK centre to adopt the Thiel soft-fix embalming method. The technique is now key to enabling the work taking place at IGTRF. The realistic flexibility of the Thiel-embalmed cadavers, combined with a large donor population, supports a wide range of clinical and surgical education, research, and training across the University. The flexibility makes it possible to see how medical devices such as stents might act in the human body, and when combined with perfusion and simulated breathing, IGTRF creates a realistic training experience without the need for a patient.
The innovative equipment at the University of Dundee supports training for life-changing procedures and upskilling of clinical staff. The ARTIS icono is the newest addition to the facility's portfolio of equipment, and has already been used for training of thrombectomies, carotid and peripheral stenting and ACL repair. Providing submillimetre accuracy and consistently high image quality, the ARTIS icono ceiling enables training for a wide procedure mix and is due to be employed in upcoming projects, training NHS radiologists responsible for launching stroke and thrombectomy services.
“Our commitment to working hand in hand with NHS Tayside through the launch of TayMed Connect is grounded in a shared goal: better care for patients,” a TayMed Connect spokesperson said. “There are few moments in medicine where the past, present and future come together so powerfully. Using cadavers with advanced imaging allows us to learn from the human body itself while shaping the tools and techniques of tomorrow. Investment in the ARTIS icono ceiling angiography system from Siemens Healthineers strengthens our ability to train clinicians, refine innovations, and generate the evidence needed to bring life-saving devices safely to patients. This is where science meets purpose.”
Dr Michelle Cooper, operations support manager, IGTRF, University of Dundee School of Medicine, adds: “The image quality from the ARTIS Icono from Siemens Healthineers is exceptional - clear, intuitive and optimised for clinical decision-making. Whether we’re assessing vessel size, or conducting complex analysis, the system offers the precision we need. It’s particularly well-suited to cardiac, vascular and neuro work, where accuracy is everything. This technology brings real-world clarity to simulated environments.”
“The University of Dundee and NHS Tayside are the first research and teaching facility to receive the ARTIS icono ceiling in the UK, where the symbiotic collaboration of expertise, techniques and imaging equipment create a platform for growth and innovation,” states Giovanni Accardo, business lead for advanced therapies at Siemens Healthineers Great Britain and Ireland. “The ARTIS icono ceiling was designed to enable a wide procedure mix in a single interventional suite and in this setting, is well placed to support a diverse mix of training and testing applications.”
