Project description
Giving endoscopes a sense of direction
Endoscopy is a routine part of diagnosing and treating conditions in the colon, bladder, or larynx. However, today’s endoscopes are effectively navigating blind. They have no real spatial awareness of the cavities they explore. With this in mind, the EIC-funded EndoCartoScope will use video-based simultaneous localisation and mapping (VSLAM) to create real-time 3D maps of internal cavities. It will be able to pinpoint the endoscope’s position within them, using only standard video. This breakthrough will alllow to quantify the extent of the mucosa surface that has been inspected. The project is progressing towards clinical validation and commercialisation, with plans to launch a spin-off to bring this smart, map-savvy endoscope technology to market.
Objective
Endoscopes traversing cavities, such as the colon, larynx or bladder, are routine in diagnostic and therapy. However, today endoscopes have no geometric understanding of the explored cavities. The unique EndoCartoScope value is a real-time intraoperative 3D cartography for endoscopy, i.e. a per-patient 3D map of the cavity simultaneous to the localization of the endoscope within the map, using only the video from a standard endoscope. In the short term, EndoCartoScope unlocks the detection of missing areas (coverage), AR navigation to improve coverage and measurements of polyps or stenoses. In the long term, it will be the key component for autonomy in any robotized endoscopic device.
Our core technology is VSLAM: Video-based Simultaneous Localization and Mapping. Our starting point are the medical VSLAM key components developed by the UNIZAR team in the previous FET EndoMapper, that reached TRL3. These components will be assembled in a working system at TRL4 to provide the base technology for coverage, navigation and measurement. To reach TRL5, IISA will lead the clinical validation of these applications, using as benchmark the standard metrics used in clinical practice. We will achieve TRL6 for coverage with an extensive test on ODIN vision’s commercial cloud system for endoscopy.
From a business perspective, out-of-body VSLAM is a rapidly growing market. However, there are no commercial applications of medical VSLAM. Now is the right time to pioneer medical VSLAM and secure a strong position in this highly promising market. We will develop the business model and identify the regulatory environment for commercialization. By the end of the second year, the UNIZAR team will create a spin-off company with the technological know-how and exclusive IP rights, to start the path to the market. After the project, the company will take over the goal of transforming standard endoscopes into smart 3D intraoperative devices at TRL9.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
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CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
This project's classification has been validated by the project's team.
Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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HORIZON.3.1 - The European Innovation Council (EIC)
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Topic(s)
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Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Funding Scheme
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Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
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Call for proposal
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Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) HORIZON-EIC-2024-TRANSITION-01
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50009 ZARAGOZA
Spain
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