Description du projet
Imagerie mammaire hautement spécifique grâce à une approche multimodale
Les programmes de dépistage du cancer du sein basés sur l’imagerie médicale par mammographie ont amélioré la détection, les résultats cliniques et la survie des patientes. Cependant, la mammographie est sujette à des résultats faussement positifs, qui peuvent conduire à des procédures invasives inutiles. Pour remédier à cette limitation, le projet SOLUS, financé par l’UE, rassemble des experts universitaires, cliniques et industriels afin de développer un système d’imagerie innovant pour un diagnostic précis du cancer du sein. Le consortium développera des concepts et des composants photoniques avancés afin de créer un système d’imagerie multimodale (ultrasons et optique) peu coûteux et non invasif, d’une spécificité sans précédent. Ce système avancé permettra une caractérisation complète du tissu mammaire, améliorant ainsi le diagnostic du cancer du sein et bénéficiant aux femmes dans l’ensemble de l’Europe.
Objectif
SOLUS is a trans-disciplinary 54-month project bringing together 9 partners: industries (4), academic and clinical institutions from 5 countries (engineers, physicists and radiologists) representing cutting-edge expertise in their fields, to develop an innovative non-invasive, point-of-care, low-cost, easy-to-operate, multi-modal imaging system (diffuse optics and ultrasounds/shear wave elastography) for high-specificity diagnosis of breast cancer, the most common female cancer in Europe. Mammographic screening is effective in reducing mortality, however the 10-year cumulative false-positive risk is 50-60%, leading to needless additional invasive procedures (e.g. biopsy). The project addresses the unmet clinical need for higher specificity in breast cancer imaging following screening by fully combining photonics with non-photonics techniques, developing and clinically validating innovative and previously unthinkable photonics concepts and components: time-domain small source-detector distance optical tomography, miniaturized picosecond pulsed laser sources, high-dynamic-range time-gated single-photons detectors to achieve unprecedented sensitivity and depth penetration. For the first time, this allows a comprehensive quantitative characterization of breast tissue including composition (water, lipids, collagen), functional blood parameters, morphologic information and mechanical parameters (stiffness). This innovative multi-parametric characterization will significantly improve the specificity of breast screening, with great impact on the quality of life of millions of European women every year, and huge savings for the healthcare systems. The strong involvement of leading industrial players at all levels in the value chain will push the European innovation process and make a significant contribution to ensuring Europe’s industrial leadership in the biophotonics healthcare market, while addressing one of the largest societal challenges in health and well-being.
Champ scientifique
- natural sciencescomputer and information sciencessoftwaresoftware applicationssystem software
- medical and health sciencesclinical medicineoncologybreast cancer
- natural sciencesphysical sciencesopticslaser physicspulsed lasers
- engineering and technologymedical engineeringdiagnostic imaging
- natural sciencesphysical sciencesacousticsultrasound
Programme(s)
Thème(s)
Régime de financement
RIA - Research and Innovation actionCoordinateur
20133 Milano
Italie