EBERS Medical Technology

EBERS was created in 2009 as a spin-off of the University of Zaragoza. Initially, the company focused its activity on the development and commercialization of advanced scientific instrumentation for cell, tissue, and organ culture for the academic market, a line of business that it currently maintains.

In addition, in parallel in 2016, the company diversified its activity, beginning to work on the development of medical devices for the ex vivo preservation of organs with applications in transplantation, which currently constitutes its second line of products.

The company has three business lines:

1. Medical devices for ex vivo solid organ preservation with applications in transplantation and solid organ regeneration.

EBERS has developed a portable normothermic perfusion system for ex vivo preservation of kidney and liver under physiological conditions. This technology improves the preservation conditions of organs for transplantation offering significant benefits compared with traditional organ preservation methods: extension of preservation times, enlargement of donor pool, better compatibility with suboptimal organs, objective assessment of organ function and viability. Furthermore, the same product can be used in organ regeneration applications, including de- and re-cellularization protocols, cell culture, organ maturation and function assessment tasks.

2. Laboratory equipment and plasticware for tissue engineering, 3D cell culture and biomaterials testing applications.

EBERS develops, manufactures and sells bioreactors and culture chambers for tissue engineering, 3D cell culture applications and biomaterials testing.

A wide range of bioreactors is available, based on the application of controlled flow profiles on the samples, mechanical stimulation conditions and electrical stimulation, among other stimuli. Our bioreactors are adapted to work with tissue and organ samples of variable size and geometry and we offer specific solutions for a wide range of applications, such as, e.g., bone, cartilage, tendon, ligament, blood vessels, skin, airway and large organs such as liver and kidney.

In addition, we also commercialize non-invasive optical oxygen sensors and microfluidic chips able to generate physiological environments involving flow, shear stress, gradients of chemicals and dissolved gases and epithelial-like conditions.

3. Medical device product development and consultancy.

We provide medical device product development services. Our input into the product and device development process ranges from simple advice on the selection of materials and joining technology, through to the design and development of new and prototype products, as well as business planning and process support. Due to the highly regulated nature of the medical device industry, we are also experts in the regulatory and compliance areas. Finally, we also cover the transfer to manufacture phase, by performing manufacturing line and process design, test development and validation for rapid production ramp up.

EBERS has workshop and warehouse facilities with a total area of 1000 m2, equipped with machine tools and mechanical assembly benches and a special electrostatic discharge (ESD) protected area for electronic assembly, equipped with electronic welding equipment. The company operates under a quality management system based on the ISO 13485 standard (manufacturers of medical devices), and has a manufacturer’s license for medical devices granted by the Spanish Agency for Medicines and Medical Devices (AEMPS).

In addition, EBERS has an R&D department made up of 12 engineers, who cover the mechanical, electronic, electrical, biomedical and control branches. For the design, we have state-of-the-art mechanical and electronic CAD design software. For the validation and testing of prototypes, the company has two laboratories:

• A verification and validation laboratory, which has a test bench that allows to carry out control tests of temperature, gases, pumping, pressure, static and fatigue mechanical testing machines, etc.
• A cell culture laboratory, specialized in the maintenance and proliferation of cells derived from plants, animals or humans under controlled conditions. This laboratory has a sample preparation and analysis room, a cell culture room, and a freezer room. In addition to having generic equipment and material for cell culture activities, there is specific equipment for performing three-dimensional cultures, including perfusion and mechanical stimulation bioreactors.