The partnership will advance the development of a flexible, scope-agnostic endomicroscope fitted with an edge-AI platform to detect cancerous lesions.
Monash University has partnered with digital imaging company Optiscan to design and produce AI-powered flexible endoscopes, capable of detecting cancerous and pre-cancerous lesions in real-time during GI endoscopic examinations.
Under the new agreement, announced today, researchers at Monash University’s AIM for Health Lab will collaborate with Optiscan and its partners, Design & Industry and the University Medical Center Mainz in Germany, to advance the project’s edge-AI enabled engine to automatically identify and analyse abnormal cells captured with sub-cellular resolution by the miniaturised, digital endomicrosope.
“[The system] will allow clinicians to conduct real-time GI endomicroscopy examinations and initiate immediate medical intervention if abnormalities are detected,” lead researcher of the project’s AI component and AIM for Health Lab director Associate Professor Zongyuan Ge said.
“[This] will significantly reduce cancer screening times, increase the chances of successful treatment and improve the prognosis of patients,”
According to Optiscan CEO and managing director Dr Camile Farah, the new endomicroscope will also be designed as a scope-agnostic system capable of integrating with biopsy channels of commercial endoscope manufacturers, not only to facilitate wider uptake among hospitals with existing systems in place but also to broaden the scope for commercial arrangements with major manufacturers.
“We are thrilled that Monash University has agreed to partner with Optiscan in the development phase of our innovative GI endomicroscope and next generation AI technology,” Dr Farah said.
“The ‘blue sky’ packaged up in this project is immense. Optiscan’s imaging system has the potential to revolutionise GI diagnostics, not only for GI cancers, but also for improving accuracy and speed in detecting conditions such as Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, and irritable bowel syndrome.
“The targeted advantages of our next-gen flexible endomicroscope are not just related to delivery of better medical outcomes.
“This endomicroscope is also being specifically designed as a stand-alone medical imaging system agnostic to the commercial endoscope manufacturers.
“This will make adoption of our imaging platform easier for clinicians and hospitals already invested in their preferred endoscope system, while also providing flexibility to strike commercial arrangements with a wider range of endoscope manufacturers such as Olympus, Fuji, Pentax, Karl Storzand Ambu.”
Funding for the project has been provided by the Australian Department of Industry, Science and Resources through its Cooperative Research Centres Projects (CRC-P) grant, with nearly $1 million received to date to progress development of the AI-powered endomicroscopy technology.
Other partners involved in the project include Design & Industry and the University Medical Centre based in Mainz, Germany.