FBI — Multimodal, Functional Bio-Photonic Imaging

Results in brief

Multimodal, Functional Bio-Photonic Imaging

FBI aims to train and educate 15 fellows on emerging multimodal imaging modalities, translating these modalities from laboratory to clinical settings. The training was undertaken by a consortium, comprising 5 universities and 4 companies, led by Technical University of Denmark and involved an outstanding group of academic and industrial partners, in the early stage researcher’s training and forming of their skills. Pillars of this action have been the interdisciplinary relations between industry, technical sciences and clinical end-users provided during the project, a focal point has been the high-quality training activities and the programme of intersectoral secondments to both industry and hospitals. The translation of technology into applications is specifically emphasised through the implementation of an entrepreneurship programme involving all ESRs and members, particularly SMEs. The goal is to promote innovation and entrepreneurship among the ESRs and provide novel instrumentation for society to the benefit of human beings. Optical imaging has potential to address unmet clinical needs by combining non-invasive and real-time capture of biomedical information; thus reduce costs, recurrence rates, and improve clinical outcomes. FBI targets to: *) develop light sources that either enable new imaging modalities or have the potential to disruptively reduce cost of the light source for existing modalities. Sources for multimodal imaging based on supercontinuum generation are developed. Integration of sources into small packages for high-resolution, high-speed imaging based on semiconductors are designed and developed. Addressing compactness, novel pump sources concepts involving semiconductor lasers are investigated, linked to development of tunable femtosecond lasers. *) integrate and validate several imaging modalities into a common platform, including endoscopy. Image and data analysis are integral parts of imaging systems. Novel deep learning techniques are developed in order to classify abnormal intestinal tissue located in the big bowel or colon. *) develop multimodal imaging that can image volumetric, metabolic, electrical and mechanical changes in living systems at the sub-cellular level label-free. FBI has the ambitious aim of transferring the research and development results into applications, preferably into commercialisation for the benefit the European industrial sector. Thus, the ESRs have received training through a novel programme emphasising innovation and technology transfer.

Data: CORDIS, © European Union

Project objective

FBI fosters education of ESRs on an emerging, multimodal imaging platform and its translation into clinical and biological applications. In FBI, 15 ESRs are trained at world-leading European academic institutions and companies, thus forming strong interdisciplinary relations between industry, technical sciences and clinical end-users.Optical imaging has huge potential to address unmet clinical needs by combining non-invasive and real-time capture of biomedical information; thus enabling earlier onset of treatment, reduced therapy costs, reduced recurrence rates, and improved clinical outcomes. Up to now, optical modalities were applied as standalone techniques each targeting one biomarker. Recently it has been shown that diagnosis is significantly improved by combining different contrast mechanisms simultaneously in a multimodal approach, i.e., staging and grading of lesions is feasible.FBI proposes to combine a selection of modalities depending on the targeted disease. Suspicious lesions are analysed with optical coherence tomography, optoacoustic tomography, multi-photon tomography, and Raman spectroscopy to provide morphological, label-free microangiography, and intrinsic biochemical information, respectively. An important issue is the need for endoscopy: combining said modalities into endoscopes is challenging due to the integration of different imaging concepts, scanning and detection methods, and laser sources. Accordingly, there is a huge need for effectively translating these technical solutions to industry and clinics, which traditionally is restricted by lack of understanding of applications or limited knowledge of new technology.All these barriers are addressed by FBI through research and development of novel photonic components and systems, through educating ESRs in understanding clinical, biological and commercial challenges, and through developing tailored technical solutions and efficient translation of technology within a strong network.

Original text from CORDIS.

Participants

DANMARKS TEKNISKE UNIVERSITET · Kongens LyngbyCoordinatorDenmark
ACADEMISCH MEDISCH CENTRUM BIJ DE UNIVERSITEIT VAN AMSTERDAM · AmsterdamNetherlands
ALBERT-LUDWIGS-UNIVERSITAET FREIBURG · FreiburgGermany
CARL ZEISS AG · OberkochenGermany
ECOLE POLYTECHNIQUE FEDERALE DE LAUSANNE · LausanneSwitzerland
EKSPLA UAB · VilniusLithuania
HAMAMATSU PHOTONICS A/S · BIRKERODDenmark
HIGH Q LASER GMBH · RANKWEILAustria
IMASONIC SAS · VORAY SUR L'OGNONFrance
ITHERA MEDICAL GMBH · MunchenGermany
MEDIZINISCHE UNIVERSITAET WIEN · WienAustria
PHILIPS ELECTRONICS NEDERLAND BV · EindhovenNetherlands
SMART PHOTONICS BV · EINDHOVENNetherlands
TECHNISCHE UNIVERSITAET MUENCHEN · MuenchenGermany
TECHNISCHE UNIVERSITEIT EINDHOVEN · EindhovenNetherlands

FBI · Multimodal, Functional Bio-Photonic Imaging

Results in brief

Multimodal, Functional Bio-Photonic Imaging

Project objective

Participants

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