Treating patients with cancer faster and more effectively using the latest minimally invasive techniques. While at the same time relieving the continuing pressure on the healthcare system. That’s what IMAGINE is striving for. The NWO, 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.
Medical imaging and image-guided interventions are playing an increasingly important role in the treatment of cancer patients. The MR-Linac, for example, allows for much more targeted radiation, and fewer sessions are needed to treat prostate cancer patients. Previously, people with intermediate-risk prostate cancer had to receive radiation 20 times, while the standard treatment now consists of five sessions with the MR-Linac.
The MR-Linac is a successful example of an image-guided innovation that UMC Utrecht, together with Elekta and Philips, has realized and brought to patients. The machine is now being used in clinics around the world to treat patients in a more focused, faster and less stressful way.
To accelerate the realization of medtech inventions such as the MR-Linac but also to make them more compatible with everyday hospital practice, the open innovation lab IMAGINE for image-guided interventions is now being launched. Here, companies, research and educational institutions come together to work jointly on image-guided innovations. In the process, the latest mathematical, AI and data technologies are combined with image-guided techniques and interventions.
Less invasive
Image-based treatment is a method that allows patients to be treated in a more targeted and less invasive way. Imaging techniques (such as MRI, CT, X-ray and ultrasound) are being used to map tumors very precisely during treatment.
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 less affected. Furthermore, image-guided treatments are often less stressful for patients than, for instance, surgery.
Nico van den Berg, professor of computational imaging at UMC Utrecht: “Medical technology is always evolving, 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 healthcare staff. This way, work pressure of healthcare professionals is thus reduced. Within IMAGINE, we are seeking cooperation for this with new partners who can help us with their own specific expertise, such as the National Research Institute for Mathematics and Computer Science (CWI) and Eindhoven University of Technology.”
“Medical technology is always evolving, there is always room for improvement.”
Side by side
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 physicians 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 used to treat people with cancer (with patient consent, of course). The participating hospitals, in addition to UMC Utrecht, are Antoni van Leeuwenhoek Hospital, Radboud UMC and Catharina Hospital.
Several colleges of higher education are also participating in IMAGINE to provide future-proof training for healthcare professionals. This is not only meant for radiology technicians or other healthcare personnel, but also, for example, engineers, who are needed to devise or improve equipment and software. The laboratory technician program at Fontys University of Applied Sciences and the HBO-V (nursing) program at The Hague University of Applied Sciences are participating in IMAGINE. And from University of Applied Sciences Utrecht, two lectureships specializing in practice-oriented research around AI and Life Sciences and Smart Systems are participating.
Maarten van Kouwen, innovation officer at UMC Utrecht: “In hospital, we see the challenges related to keeping healthcare manageable by healthcare professionals but also the opportunities created by AI and image-guided interventions. By inviting companies and other institutes to an open innovation lab in the middle of a hospital environment, we can ensure that we collaborate in a focused way to address the biggest problems and opportunities, and consequently also help out other hospitals and regions.”
“We are working together in a focused way to address the biggest problems and opportunities in healthcare.”
Open innovation is a relatively new concept for healthcare, and this process will be guided by 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 the workload 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: waiting lists will be made shorter.
Healthcare professionals, such as nurses, will experience less workload at the same time, as fewer patients need to be admitted. As a result, healthcare costs will also be significantly reduced.
Getting started
Soon, the partners and the NWO (Dutch Research Council) will sign their cooperation agreement. Together, the 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 to do so are already being made. Philips already has staff working at UMC Utrecht.
Maarten: “The IMAGINE proposal came about through intensive collaboration with all partners, and preparations are in full swing. This intensified collaboration has already led to new insights and plans. We are looking forward to developing this project further over the next ten years, thanks to the additional stimulus from NWO.”
Who participates in IMAGINE?
UMC Utrecht cooperates within IMAGINE with Antoni van Leeuwenhoek Hospital/Netherlands Cancer Institute, Catharina Hospital, National Research Institute for Mathematics and Computer Science (CWI), Elekta, Fontys University of Applied Sciences, University of Applied Sciences Utrecht, The Hague University of Applied Sciences, KALCIO Healthcare, Lygature, Philips, Radboud UMC, Eindhoven University of Technology, Tesla Dynamic Coils, Utrecht University and Utrecht Inc.
IMAGINE’s mission
With IMAGINE, the partners would like to achieve that:
people with cancer will get faster access to the latest image-guided treatments.
they will receive minimally invasive treatment more often (instead of having to undergo surgery).
the healthcare system will be relieved because fewer operating rooms, intensive care units and healthcare professionals will be needed.
healthcare costs will be reduced (because medicines or hospitalizations are more expensive).
healthcare professionals will get a future-proof training in an inspiring work environment.
