In 2008, Prof. Dr. Peter Osypka – the founder of high-frequency catheter ablation – established an endowed professorship for biomedical technology, showing to not only be a generous sponsor, but also great partner of the Offenburg University of Applied Sciences. He created the basis for the founding of the medical technology degree programme. On his initiative, the Peter Osypka Institute for Pacing and Ablation was set up in June 2011. Its director Prof. Dr. rer. nat. habil. Bruno Ismer came with an extraordinary commitment, many years of experience in university cardiology, provision of large quantities of high-quality medical devices and numerous contacts to industrial and clinical partners. He brought research to life and shaped an emphatically practical education environment.

The goal of the institute focused on the development of medical technology, as well as methods for the diagnosis and therapy of heart diseases, especially in the areas of clinical electrophysiology, electrostimulation and ablation. Examples being the development of a special external pacemaker for the treatment of life-threatening tachycardia in babies, pilot studies for a novel catheter set for the ablation therapy of ventricular tachycardia, and a computerised model to didactically convey the electrical excitation propagation in the heart during arrhythmias and pacemaker therapy.

The Institute's expertise in these areas was applied in numerous trainings for doctors, medical staff and employees of medical technology companies. In addition to theory, these always offered intensive practical training, coming true to the motto of "studying by watching, touching and adjusting". The applied teaching concept for pacemaker and defibrillator therapy, as well as high-frequency catheter ablation was awarded with a fellowship for "Innovations in University Teaching" by the Baden-Württemberg Foundation.

To create adequate working conditions at the institute, Osypka AG donated the construction of a research building on the university campus in 2012. This new building - handed over in 2017 - included separate room concepts for specialised learning environments in four laboratories, enabling multifunctional use for research and teaching at the institute. Until 2020, two former medical technology Master's graduates of the university and one institute staff member used this environment to complete their doctoral degrees. Close cooperation with our clinical, academic and industrial partners was essential. They guaranteed the transfer of up-to-date knowledge and technology of research into teaching. The close cooperation with Prof. Melichercik from the nearby MediClin Heart Centre in Lahr/Baden, Prof. Haas from the Ludwig Maximilian University Hospital in Munich and Prof. Bitzer from the Freiburg University of Education in particular proved extensive value.