NEW TECHNOLOGY FOR 1 MICRON RESOLUTION BIOMEDICAL IMAGING

ongoing

"The 1MICRON project can bridge the gap in image quality between today’s digital x-ray detectors and histopathology. We will integrate CMOS electronics circuits directly into the sensor, employing an edge-on ""deep silicon"" geometry for monolithic sensors that ensure high efficiency. This breakthrough promises a remarkable order of magnitude improvement in spatial resolution, all the way down to 1 micron. Such a high-resolution sensor will make phase contrast imaging much more practical and efficient, and as a secondary effect this will dramatically increase the contrast in the images. Today’s pathology analysis takes weeks and when cancer cells are found at the margin or in sentinel nodes the patient is called back for corrective surgery and treatment is delayed, decreasing survival chances. The 1MICRON imaging technology can be used directly in the operating room, providing a digitized 3D volume for immediate feedback on cancer margin. The new method can save >100 000 surgical treatments per year only in Europe, saving the corresponding cost for the healthcare system. The technology could also be implemented in new markets such as developing countries, where today pathology laboratories are not accessible. A secondary objective is to provide a proof-of-principle for a new sensor for next-generation CT, coping with high x-ray flux and having low enough power consumption for a future implementation in a clinical modality. The high resolution can provide a “3D virtual biopsy” as an alternative to today’s invasive needle biopsies. Our team includes leading European experts in medical imaging, phase-contrast imaging, monolithic sensor design, pathology, radiology, surgery, and industry positions us uniquely to undertake this ambitious project. Our success can trigger a paradigm shift in both pathology and clinical x-ray imaging corresponding to the most significant advancement in decades. "