Medical technology transfer: politicians’ dream—scientists’ nightmare

Since its formation in the early 1940s, in addition to its routine task of applying physical sciences to medicine, the Medical Physics Department at University College London has been active in the research and development of medical sensors and instrumentation. In the last 15 years an increasing amount of this development work has been commercially sponsored and the Department has been actively involved in the process of technology transfer from the health-care field to the medical equipment industry.