IMAGINE takes off

Treating patients with cancer faster and more effectively using the latest minimally invasive techniques. And at the same time relieve the continuing pressure on the healthcare industry. That's what IMAGINE is striving for. NWO (Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research), public and private partners are investing a total of 54 million euros in this world-leading innovation lab for image-guided interventions. This will significantly improve the lives of and care for people with cancer. The computational imaging group at CWI will contribute to IMAGINE with the development of faster and more accurate medical imaging methods using advanced mathematical and computational methods.

Medical imaging and image-guided interventions are playing an increasingly important role in the treatment of cancer patients. For example, the MR-Linac scanner allows much more targeted radiation therapy and fewer sessions are needed to treat prostate cancer patients, for example. Previously, people with limited-risk prostate cancer, for example, had to be irradiated 20 times, while the standard treatment now consists of five sessions with the MR-Linac.

To accelerate the realization of medtech inventions such as these but also to make them more compatible with and introduced into everyday hospital practice, the open innovation lab IMAGINE for image-guided interventions is being launched. Here, companies, research and educational institutions come together to work jointly on image-guided innovations such as the MR-Linac. This combines the latest mathematical, AI and data technologies with image-guided techniques and interventions.

Less invasive

Image-guided treatment is a method by which patients can be treated in a more targeted and less invasive manner. In fact, imaging equipment (such as MRI, CT, X-ray and ultrasound) is used to map tumors very precisely during the intervention. In this project the computational imaging group at CWI will contribute to the development of faster and more accurate medical imaging methods using advanced mathematical and computational methods.

These types of techniques allow doctors to better see what they are treating, making cancer treatments more precise and efficient. As a result, patients also suffer fewer side effects because surrounding healthy tissue is spared. Furthermore, image-guided treatments are often less stressful for patients than surgery, for example.

Nico van den Berg, professor of computational imaging at UMC Utrecht: “Medical technology is never finished, it can always be improved. A revolution is currently taking place in AI, mathematical modeling and smart sensors. By incorporating these into image-guided interventions, we can provide even more effective care with less manual intervention required from care staff; thus reducing the burden on care staff. Within IMAGINE, we are looking for cooperation with new knowledge partners who can help us with this, such as the Center for Mathematics & Computer Science (CWI) and Eindhoven University of Technology.”

Side by side

The participating public and private parties will work side by side in the open innovation lab IMAGINE. There, mathematicians, AI developers, image scientists, methodologists, innovation experts, engineers and doctors will share their expertise, resources and ideas with medtech companies to invent the latest imaging and image-guided technologies.

Because all of this takes place in a hospital setting, patients and patient data are close at hand. As a result, innovative image-guided treatments can be safely and quickly researched and deployed in people with cancer (with patient consent, of course). The participating hospitals, in addition to UMC Utrecht, are the Antoni van Leeuwenhoek Hospital, Radboud UMC and Catharina Hospital.

Several parties are also participating in IMAGINE in order to provide more focused training for the healthcare professional of the future. This not only involves radiolaborators or other healthcare personnel, but also, for example, engineers and other technicians needed to invent or improve equipment and software, for example. The laboratory technician program at Fontys University of Applied Sciences and the HBO-V program at The Hague University of Applied Sciences are participating in IMAGINE. And from Hogeschool Utrecht, two professorships specializing in practice-based research around AI and Life Sciences and Smart Systems are participating.

Open innovation is a relatively new concept for healthcare and this will be guided from the department of innovation sciences at Utrecht University. The participating companies are Philips, Elekta, KALCIO Healthcare and Tesla Dynamic Coils. They are contributing substantially to this initiative both financially and through resources.

Healthcare relieved

With IMAGINE, the partners hope to make an important contribution to relieving current pressures in the healthcare system.

Image-guided treatments are minimally invasive, or even completely non-invasive. As such, they require far fewer operating rooms and intensive care units, which are required for conventional surgical treatments. The treatments take place on an outpatient basis, so that a day admission or a short visit is sufficient for patients.

This is obviously nicer for the patient, but also ensures that more people can be better served in less time. Result: fewer long waiting times.

Getting started

Soon, the partners and NWO will sign their cooperation agreement. Together, NWO and the partners will invest a total of about 54 million euros (spread over ten years) in IMAGINE. Several research projects within IMAGINE are already underway. The partners are not yet working together in one location, but preparations for that are already being made. Philips already has a physical presence in UMC Utrecht.

Who participates in IMAGINE?

UMC Utrecht collaborates within IMAGINE with Antoni van Leeuwenhoek Hospital/Nederlands Kanker Instituut, Catharina Hospital, Centrum Wiskunde & Informatica (CWI), Elekta, Fontys Hogeschool, Hogeschool Utrecht, De Haagse Hogeschool, KALCIO Healthcare, Lygature, Philips, Radboud UMC, Technische Universiteit Eindhoven, Tesla Dynamic Coils, Utrecht University and Utrecht Inc.