TÜV SÜD Product Service consolidates cardiovascular expertise

TÜV SÜD Product Service consolidates cardiovascular expertise

The Clinical Affairs (IMC) department of TÜV SÜD Product Service GmbH, headquartered in Munich, has consolidated its expertise. By recruiting Dr Bassil Akra, the department has further strengthened its know-how in the cardiovascular field. TÜV SÜD Product Service is the only Notified Body with a special department for clinical evaluation made up of surgeons, medical specialists and biologists.

Dr Bassil Akra took up his position at the Clinical Affairs department of Munich-based TÜV SÜD Product Service at the beginning of August 2011. Before joining TÜV SÜD, the biomedical engineer spent five years as project and group leader in the field of tissue engineering, focusing on cardiac valve tissue engineering, at the department of Cardiac Surgery of the Ludwig-Maximilian-University (LMU) under the renowned cardiac surgeon Prof Bruno Reichart.


Dr Akra completed his studies in physics engineering, majoring in biomedical engineering, at the Aachen University of Applied Sciences. He then embarked on a Master's Degree in Medical Engineering at the Technical University of Munich (TUM) which he received in 2006. Between 2005 and 2006, while studying towards a Master degree in medical engineering, Dr Akra worked as a research assistant at Hepa Wash GmbH, focusing on laboratory trials aimed at optimization of a new cell-free extracorporeal liver assistance method. In 2010, he received his doctorate degree in biomedical engineering with a doctoral thesis on "Heart valve tissue engineering".

Dr Bassil Akra has played an active role in the development of several cardiovascular implants and devices, especially bioreactors in the field of tissue engineering and regenerative medicine that have seen significant growth in the recent years. He has applied for European and international patents for many of these devices and implants. The biomedical engineer was one of the winners of the Medical Engineering Innovation Award 2010, funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research. The accolade was awarded for the innovative tissue engineering project on "Seeded synthetic transcatheter valves".

Support with global approval procedures

TÜV SÜD Product Service GmbH as Notified Body offers support with medical devices approval to manufacturers throughout the world. The especially trained doctors, natural scientists and engineers are familiar with the approval procedures of the individual markets and the legal directives, requirements and provisions associated therewith. Offering their expertise and experience, the 250 medical devices experts at TÜV SÜD Product Service ensure compliance with the required safety and quality levels, smooth and successful completion of the required testing procedures and reduction of cost-intensive time to market.

Further information about the testing and certification of medical devices is available on the Internet at www.tuev-sued.de/mhs. Contact for all questions regarding the certification of cardiovascular implants is Dr Bassil Akra, E-Mail:

Note for editorial staff: The photo of Dr Bassil Akra can be downloaded in printable resolution from the "Current Press Photos" category www.tuev-sued.de/pressefotos.

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