Minimum viable product for automated 3d imaging reconstruction of the bladder and the bladder cancer
AIR3D will validate the business potential of the automatic 3D imaging reconstruction software developed within the EDIT FET project. Such software allows performing fast, non-invasive 3D visualization of several information on the bladder in real-time with user friendly interaction with the operator. It combines pre-clinical information from Ultra Sound (US) and Photoacoustic (PA) imaging towards the early diagnosis of bladder cancer and monitoring of cancer progress during therapy and follow-up. Ultrasound (US) and PA imaging are non-invasive non-ionizing technologies, but imaging reconstruction methods are still time-consuming (in particular for high-volume organ as bladder), being manual or semi-manual processes and requiring well trained people.
Nowadays bladder cancer is the ninth most common malignancy globally, with an estimated 430.000 new diagnoses annually, while it has the highest lifetime treatment costs per patient of all cancers. The successful adoption of the software by the market will improve early diagnosis of cancer and better monitoring of the efficacy of ongoing therapies (more accurate and precise 3D images available immediately), as consequence the software will have both societal and economic impact, improving the quality of life of millions of people while reducing social costs and costs of care centres in image processing (no high-skilled personnel needed).
During AIR3D, owners of the EDIT software (LIME and OSR) will be supported by and advisory company (META) to define the best exploitation model for the commercialisation of the software and validate it through the use of the Lean Start up approach. Interaction with relevant stakeholders are foreseen for the validation of the pre-commercial prototype (testing at early adopters’ premises), raise the interest of potential clients (presenting the prototype at international events) and raise funding for scale up and clinical development (pitching in front of investors).