Innovative Biomedical and Engineering Projects

Clinical Condition

• Lung cancer is the most common cancer globally, with >1.82 million new cases and 1.59 million deaths annually.
• Stage 1 diagnosis survival rate: 50%; Stage 4 diagnosis survival rate: 1%.
• Early diagnosis improves survival but is challenging due to small tumor nodules.

Current Practice

• Large bronchoscopes are used to image and collect biopsy samples from the airways.
• Peripheral lung biopsies are performed blindly, risking misdiagnosis.
• Bronchoscopes cause discomfort and expose patients and doctors to radiation.
• Advanced training for doctors is challenging.

Solution

• EndoRo™ uses EM guidance to automatically navigate biopsy catheters to the lung periphery.
• Working prototype of EndoRo™ v1.0 tested on bench model; provisional patent filed in July 2018.
• Medical robotic surgery market predicted to reach $16.74 billion by 2023 at a CAGR of 21%.
• Unique, unlike existing manually operated endovascular robots.

Clinical Condition

• Tumors and other solid organs develop high internal solid stress (SS), compressing blood vessels and hindering (chemo)therapy.

Current Practice

• SS is treated with angiotensin II receptor antagonists.
• No existing device to monitor SS.

Solution

• Catheter-based tumor microsensor system to measure tumor solid stress levels in situ.
• Proprietary biocompatible lead-free piezo-electric material technology.
• PCT filed a national US patent application in 2018.
• Applicable for other biological pressure measurements (intraocular pressure, compartment syndrome).