Glossary

The definitions we use:

Artificial Intelligence: any device or software that perceives its environment and takes actions that maximize its chance of successfully achieving its goals

Big data: methods to process & analyze high volume of data. Big Data has been defined with the 3V’s :

1- Volume : Big Data are measured in at least hundreds of Terabytes of Data

2- Variety : Big Data can have different nature (social media, videos, articles, audio) 

3- Velocity : Big Data is difficult to process. Several solutions exists, either in batch, in real-time or near real-time

Biomarker: a measurable indicator of the presence/severity of a defined physiological state, disease or condition

Biomaterials: advanced materials that have been engineered to be compatible and interact with biological tissues for a medical purpose

Biotechnologies (Biotech): any technological application that uses biological systems, living organisms, or derivatives thereof, to make or modify products or processes for specific use, notably in medicine, agriculture or industry.

Deep learning:  subdomain of Machine Learning based on neural network algorithms used for image or sound recognition. Deep learning often works with Big Data to be fully efficient. 

Digital health: the use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) products, services and processes combined with organisational changes in healthcare. It encompasses a wide range of fields including computer sciences, healthcare, engineering, social sciences, artificial intelligence, public health, health economics and management

Health condition: any state which is not within the range of normal human variation. It includes disease, illness or injury

Health technologies (HealthTech): any technology used in healthcare to improve global health

Implantables: any object, device or tissue that can be inserted, embedded or grafted surgically within the body

In vitro (of biological processes or reactions): made to occur outside the normal biological context in an artificial environment, such as a test tube or culture medium

In vitro diagnostic systems: non-invasive assays of biological samples by analyzing biomarkers of pathologies

In vivo (of a biological process or reactions): occurring or made to occur within a living organism or natural setting

Internet of things (IOT): technology where a given product collects data that are ultimately analysed to improve customers’ experience

Machine learning: field of study that gives computers the ability to learn without being explicity programmed (by Arthur Samuel – 1959)

Medical devices: products intended to perform a therapeutic or diagnostic action on human beings by physical means

mHealth (Mobile Health): practice of medicine supported by mobile devices (i.e. mobile communication devices, such as mobile phones, tablet computers and wearable devices such as smart watches)

Nano materials: materials of which a single unit is sized (in at least one dimension) between 1 to 100 nanometres (10−9 meter), the nanoscale

Nanomedicine: the application of nanotechnologies to healthcare

Nanotechnology: science, engineering, and technology conducted at the nanoscale

Pathology: the structural and functional manifestations of a disease

Photonics: all sciences and technologies that involve light: optics, vision, laser, telecom, etc. It regroups the study and manufacturing of components allowing light generation, detection and manipulation

Public procurer: organizations that are contracting public authorities and entities according to the definition of those terms in the EU directives

Regenerative medicine: the field of medicine described as the creation of tissues that provide, repair, replace or restore structures and functions absent or lost due to congenital defects, ageing, disease, or damage

Robot: an automated device capable of executing operations following a fix or adaptable program

Robotics: the branch of engineering and science that deals with the design, manufacturing and use of mechanical and virtual robots

Smart drug delivery: a method of delivering medication to a patient in a manner that increases the efficiency of the medication, its concentration in some parts of the body relative to others and/or decreases its toxicity

Smart medical devices: medical devices coming with software that enhances their capacity to treat, transfer and use data collected directly in-situ

SME (Small and Medium-sized Enterprises): Enterprises whose personnel numbers and annual balance sheet fall below certain limits. In the European Union, the category SMEs is made up of enterprises which employ fewer than 250 persons and which have an annual turnover not exceeding 50 million euro, and/or an annual balance sheet total not exceeding 43 million euro