Project description
Innovative ultrasound device for monitoring childbirth labour process
Caesarean section (CS) births are costly and expose the mother and foetus to four times higher mortality risk. Up to 50 % of CS procedures are unnecessary, mostly due to errors in labour events monitoring, as the available ultrasound devices provide qualitative, subjective information. The Italian company AMOLAB has developed and validated a novel ultrasound device with proprietary software for quantitative and objective monitoring of childbirth events. The device will allow assigning CS procedures only to those cases that need it. Its reliability has been validated in over 400 labours. The EU-funded SensUS project aims to evaluate the technical, commercial, and financial aspects of the device market introduction.
Objective
Today the obstetrics sector is registering an increase in the C-Sections (CS) performed worldwide. Over 50% of CS are unnecessary, placing mother & baby under unnecessary risk. Unnecessary CS cause an extra cost of €750 million per year to the healthcare system in Europe. Although the WHO recommends not to exceed a rate of 15% of CS, Europe alone shows a rate of 29%. Most of the extra CS performed are due to errors during the monitoring of labour events. The few ultrasound devices available to monitor the labour timeline provide qualitative subjective information, depend on the operator skills, and some involve invasive procedures. Thus, new solutions are needed to help doctors take better informed decisions. In response to this need, we at AMOLAB have developed, patented and validated SensUS, a unique ultrasound device for quantitative & objective monitoring of childbirth events. This device contains our proprietary software, which measures selected validated parameters of the labour process. SensUS offers doctors objective details to support and guide their decisions during childbirth monitoring. In turn, it will allow to assign CS only to those cases that need it, reducing risks, costs and enhancing healthcare quality. After validating the reliability of SensUS on over 400 labours, we now want to take SensUS to market maturity. This project aims to finalise its technological development and secure its commercial aspects. To accomplish these goals, in Phase 1 we aim to evaluate the main milestones of the project from a technical, commercial and financial point of view, and prepare the most suitable strategy to achieve them. Once the project is completed and SensUS reaches the market, our technology will bring significant benefits to the obstetrics sector, as well as for the wellbeing of mothers and babies. In turn, AMOLAB will see its growth secured as a company, expecting to hire new 17 people and gain a Return of Investment of €4.69 from this project in 5 years.
Fields of science
Programme(s)
- H2020-EU.3.1. - SOCIETAL CHALLENGES - Health, demographic change and well-being Main Programme
- H2020-EU.3.1.4. - Active ageing and self-management of health
- H2020-EU.2.1.1. - INDUSTRIAL LEADERSHIP - Leadership in enabling and industrial technologies - Information and Communication Technologies (ICT)
- H2020-EU.2.3.1. - Mainstreaming SME support, especially through a dedicated instrument
- H2020-EU.3.1.6. - Health care provision and integrated care
Funding Scheme
SME-1 - SME instrument phase 1Coordinator
73100 LECCE
Italy
The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.