Implantable medical devices: current status and future developments within the healthy-aims project.

: This paper describes the current situation concerning medical implants and suggests why the number of available devices is so limited. It then goes on to describe how a consortium was established from an EU network focussing specifically on Medical Devices. This consortium was successful in obtaining EU funding for the development of a range of medical implants that will help patients with specific disabilities relating to the nervous system, including deafness, blindness, lack of limb motion and urinary incontinence.