The paper addresses the delicate issue of spin-off of the techniques develo
ped for the Vertex Detectors, applied in fields outside high-energy physics
. Several examples of applications to imaging techniques in the biomedical
fields are presented and critically reviewed. Emphasis is given to the desc
riptions of the steps needed in order to achieve a fruitful spin-off. (C) 1
999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.