On April 19, Koenraad H. Nieboer (Hans), Professor, MD, University Hospital Brussels held a speech on a MedTechLabs seminar. We asked him about his research and why Spectral CT is getting much attention.
Hi Hans, You just held a well visited seminar for MedTechLabs on clinical implementation of spectral imaging. Over 100 professionals signed up for the event! Why is this such a hot topic?
I think it is a hot topic because, at this moment, all prominent CT vendors finally have the opportunity to deliver high-quality spectral imaging with different techniques. Because they can provide these high-quality techniques, they put it to the attention of the radiologists. Nevertheless, spectral CT has been available for over ten years. Still, it takes a lot of time to go from first adaptors to general implementation. It has to fit in the radiologist’s workflow, and they have to see the benefit over time / financial investment. Nowadays, spectral CT can optimise image information and diagnostic accuracy, so we should use it and learn the radiological and medical community because it stays with a bright future in photon-counting CT.
What expectations do you have for your own research the coming year?
There are two topics in spectral imaging that have my particular interest: non-contrast brain IQ and contrast volume reduction in low keV reconstructions for vascular CT. But I keep my eyes and mind open for all possible diagnostic and technical evolutions.
You are a fellow and treasurer of the European Society of Emergency Radiology (ESER). What is the current scope of the organisation?
The ESER is a sub-society of the European Society of Radiology (ESR). The ESER’s primary goal is to advance and improve the radiologic aspects of emergent patient care and to advance the quality of diagnosis and treatment of acutely ill or injured patients by means of medical imaging and to enhance teaching and research in Emergency Radiology. This training includes new technologies like spectral CT. During this pandemic, it is challenging for younger societies, like ESER, to keep their financial balance because we can’t organise physical meetings. Like all societies, we have to make a difference in the online approach, but this is a big challenge. But we stay optimistic as always.
Meeting with the MedTechLabs researchers, what is your reflection of the centre?
This seminar was my first “physical” encounter with MedtechLabs, and it was an enjoyable experience. From my interests, I was, of course, well informed about the acquisition of Prismatic Sensors by GE Healthcare. I am curious how this cooperation will determine the future of (spectral) CT. Hopefully we are able to meet in person soon and have some more profound discussions!
Clara Hellner, director of research and innovation for Region Stockholm and chairman of Medtechlabs, talks about her career and the challenges in her current roles.
Recently the GE Healthcare acquisition of Swedish Prismatic Sensors, a spinoff from KTH Royal Institute of Technology, was disclosed. The technique is presumed to revolutionize the CT-area and also shows the potential that collaboration between academia, healthcare and industry has for Swedish medical technology.
The founder of Prismatic Sensors, professor in physics Mats Danielsson, is also one of the initiators of and research leader at MedTechLabs, an interdisciplinary centre for medical technology, run by KTH Royal Institute of technology, Karolinska Institute, KI and Region Stockholm.
– The acquisition is a recognition not only of the research from KTH but also of that the region holds world class in the area of medical technology. This is probably the biggest event within computer tomography since the technology came into use in the 70ies, says Mats Danielsson.
Together with the KI-researcher and physician Staffan Holmin, Mats Danielsson also leads the area “medical imaging and minimal invasive methods” at MedTechLabs, where some of the clinical tests of the new technology has been conducted.
– This technology brings many advantages to the healthcare. It will be easier to distinguish between different tissues and materials. Tumors in early progress and inflammatory conditions will be easier to detect. Larger richness of details could make some invasive interventions possible to avoid and we hope to be able to diagnose stroke in the cerebellum and the brain stem more effectively, Staffan Holmin explains.
He adds that lower doses of radiation are of importance for all patients, not least when examining children. Staffan Holmin also means that the result is a school example of how Swedish basic research and collaboration between medical and universities of technology could drive innovations to great benefit for both patients as well as the healthcare and the industry.
– This is also the underlying strategy for MedTechLabs, where researchers from KTH and KI are able to examine patients in a hospital environment with capabilities for advanced care at close hands. Researchers, industry companies and hospitals from other countries are very curious on our setup, since most places in the world lacks similar infrastructure to study medical technology in collaboration with tehnical and medical universities, industry and healthcare, says Staffan Holmin.
In the 1970-ies, GE Healthcare was first in the world to introduce a commercial CT-scanner and since then it has continued to develop the technique. In 1979, Allan M. Cormack and Godfrey N. Hounsfield was awarded the Nobel Prize in physiology/medicine for the research leading to computer tomography.
Through the acquisition of Prismatic Sensors, the company has increased its presence in the medical technology cluster of Stockholm-Uppsala, where it is a large employer with approximately 250 people employed across research, manufacturing, sales and administration. With the acquisition of Prismatic Sensors, GE Healthcare welcomes the company’s highly skilled researchers and strengthens its’ position within imaging.
– Our Molecular Imaging team in Uppsala is a strategic part of GE Healthcare with both technical development and manufacturing playing a central role in our portfolio. Now, with the acquisition of Prismatic Sensors and the further development of next generation photon counting CT technology, our Swedish-based GE Healthcare teams will continue to contribute to the health of millions of people worldwide, says Wei Shen, global general manager for Premium CT at GE Healthcare.
Already before the acquisition of Prismatic Sensors, GE Healthcare had collaborated several years with Mats Danielsson. It started with informal contact in 2015, after which goals were set for the development work. GE Healthcare also lent out the CT-scanner that Mats and his team later modified with their technology, which uses silicon-based detector materials instead of those based on cadmium. Unlike cadmium, silicon-based detectors have the potential to provide superior spectral resolution while maintaining a high spatial resolution.
– The Karolinska Institute is also already an important partner to GE Healthcare. There are several areas of collaboration on going not only in CT, but in MR, as well as Molecular Imaging.
Wei Shen says that it is with great interest that her company is following the build-up of the patient-oriented research infrastructure that MedTechLabs has started in connection to the new Karolinska University Hospital in Solna.
See also press release from GE Healthcare:
www.ge.com/news/press-releases/ge-healthcare-pioneers-photon-counting-ct-with-prismatic-sensors-acquisition
Birgitta Janerot Sjöberg is Professor of Medical Technology at KI, the Department of Clinical Science, and member of the MedTechLabs Board. She is also one of the forces behind the joint KTH-KI PhD programme in Medical Technology and chairs the Programme Board.
What does it imply that the joint programme is renewed?
It’s really great that those in charge of the doctoral studies at both KI and KTH have chosen to support the existence of the programme. The programme is utterly important to minimise any negative sideffects from Stockholm having “One-faculty universities”, but also to make use of already successful initiatives deriving from the cooperation. The renewal will hopefully mean a boost for both supervisors, alumni, current and former doctoral students, as well as for the discipline as such. Medical Technology is developing fast, and the programme is spread across all the Schools and Institutions at KTH. We believe that an increased collaboration between the disciplines and universities also will favor the attractivity and the development of medical technology in the Stockholm region. That the students get to take with them two different university research cultures is something quite big. The following up of the Alumni is exciting!
What have been the drivers behind the programme and its’ renewal?
There is a strong tradition of collaboration within medical technology in the region. In the 1960s, KI was the first Swedish university to establish a Professor´s chair and Institution in Medical technology – a technological and natural science discipline to solve medical challenges. Early on there was a collaboration established with KTH where professors from KI taught biomedical engineers before medical technology became a separate programme at KTH. KI is still in charge of certain courses at the KTH programme.
When the “twin Professor chairs” within the discipline was established at KI and KTH in 2010, both of us newly appointed professors wanted to enhance and formalise the research collaboration, in order to contribute to the renewal of the discipline and the attractiveness of the region. Together we pursued the idea of a joint degree PhD programme and got support from the then existing School for Technology and Health at KTH and also CLINTEC at KI. Supported by enthusiastic colleagues , this eventually made it possible to start this programme, that leads to a medical doctoral exam from KI and a doctoral exam in biomedical engineering from KTH.
The evaluations were good, but administrative considerations, in combination with a diminished inflow of applications, lead to a pausing of the programme for a review after five years. However, the programme was sought after by both supervisors and students, and both KI and the hospitals saw an increasing demand for medical-technical competence. Now, with simplified and more coordinated administrative processes, the programme is once again ready to accept students.
Birgitta Janerot Sjöberg have been chairperson of the board since the formation and start of the programme, leading the work of two teachers from each university, appointed by the presidents, administrators and student representatives from each academy. Read more about the programme here.
(This interview text earlier had errors due to wrong translations).
Johan Schuber, KTH, and Staffan Holmin, KI, has been appointed new Executive Director and Vice Director for MedTechLabs.
The former Director for the centre, Peta Sjölander, chose to leave her assignment this summer. MedTechLabs is very thankful for her efforts.
The mission for the new management is to foster collaboration for world class research and clinical environments with MedTechLabs as a whole. The Executive Director will be in charge of operations and administration including budget, annual activity plan and also to foster regional collaborations. Johan Schuber, MSc Physics, is Senior Research Advisor for the Strategic Research Areas (SRA) at KTH. Over the years Johan has worked successfully to establish a number of innovative collaborations at the IVA and at KTH, including MedTechLabs. Staffan Holmin is Professor in Clinical Neuroimaging and Scientific Director for the MedTechLabs Research area Imaging and minimal invasive methods. Staffan is also consultant at the department of Neuroradiology at Karolinska University Hospital.
Interview with Peder Olofsson. “It is fascinating that in the treatment of inflammation, it can be enough to send a few minute-long electrical pulses per day to achieve a long-term effect."
Peder Olofsson is a physician and researcher at the Department of Medicine, Solna, at Karolinska Institutet, and at MedTechLabs.
His research at MedTechLabs focuses primarily on mapping out the signal transfer between nerves and immune cells at the molecular level, and on finding out which parts of the large vagus nerve that communicate with the immune system.
Read the full article by Felicia Lindberg, first published in Swedish in the magazine Medicinsk Vetenskap No 2/2020.
Clara Hellner has been appointed new Chairperson for MedTechLabs. She entered the position as Director for Research and Innovation in Region Stockholm in June this year. Clara Hellner is an Adjunct Professor at the Institution for Clinical Neuroscience (CNS) at KI.
1. Hi Clara Hellner, congratulations to the new assignment. Why did You accept the position as new chairperson for MedTechLabs?
Thank You! Stockholm will be one of the world’s leading regions within life science, where medical technology is an important part. Being the R&D Director for Region Stockholm it is also natural for me to lead the work of MedTechLabs. The Centre is creating opportunities for researchers at KTH and KI to work close to the clinical operations within the healthcare, thus speeding up the pace for research results to benefit the patients. MedTechLabs also contributes to the regional ecosystem for start-ups and regions attractiveness for global corporations.
2. MedTechLabs is in a state of rapid growth. When and how will the results from the centre reach the patients?
The results from our first research program, Spectral CT-imaging and Endovascular Techniques, has continued to develop. Hopefully employees at the Karolinska University Hospital will soon provide patients suffering from acute stroke with finer diagnostics than ever before and better treatment. The technology is efficiently shared to other hospitals within Region Stockholm through the new online education “Acute stroke treatment within 24 h – decision making with perfusion”. Also, a new endovascular method for heart biopsy has been developed and is currently under clinical assessment in cooperation with the Sahlgrenska University Hospital Transplant Institute. Our second research program, “Breast Cancer Imaging powered by Artificial Intelligence Diagnostics”, has just started and a clinical study is under planning. Here AI and machine learning will be used that hopefully increases the accuracy within image diagnostics of breast cancer in a radical manner.
3. What will be your top priorities for MedTechLabs during the coming Year?
I would like to see that investments such as ScilifeLab and others within the region benefits from the collaboration that MedTechLabs is gradually starting with clinical operations. We are building the first model with Karolinska University Hospital at BioClincium, which then will be ready to spread to our other hospitals. It shall be easy for researcher and companies to conduct clinical studies as part of research projects. The coming year we will create the foundation for this infrastructure within MedTechLabs.
With the help of image analysis and artificial intelligence researchers and personel from KTH Royal Institute of Technology and Karolinska University Hospital at MedTechLabs will assess X-rays to improve the caregiving.
The lungs are severly affected by the new Corona virus. At the same time healthcare and researchers experience a difference between what the X-rays show and how the patient feels.
– Studies show that AI may separate between covid-19 from other types of pneumonia. Our goal is to enhance the diagnostic accuracy further, says Mats Danielsson, Professor in Medical Imagineg at KTH Royal Institute of Technology and researcher at MedTechLabs in an articel at the university newswebsite.
Read the full news article (in Swedish).
For several years, RIKEN – Center for Integrative Medical Science in Yokohama, KI and SciLifeLab have been organising a series of symposia, alternating between Yokohama, Japan and Stockholm. The 6th symposium was held in Yokohama, addressing biomedical data for artificial intelligence.
The purpose of the symposium was to produce a White Paper detailing the biomedical/life science areas for which RIKEN, Karolinska Institute and SciLifeLab see a large potential for AI contributions to life science, and also to generate biomedical/life science reference datasets to attract AI researchers and open these datasets at the RIKEN and SciLifeLab Data Centers.
– A huge and rather wonderful co-creation session produced some insights that probably could not have been arrived at in any other room in the world, the competence and engagement from the participants was amazing to witness, says Magnus Bohman.
MedTechLabs financed the participance of six researchers from Karolinska Institutet, KTH Royal Institute of Technology and SciLifeLab:
Erik Aurell (KTH Royal Institute of Technology, also speaker)
Magnus Boman (KTH Royal Institute of Technology, also speaker)
Andreas Lennartsson (Karolinska Institutet, also speaker)
Elisabet Einarsdottir (KTH Royal Institute of Technology, SciLifeLab)
Alma Andersson (KTH Royal Institute of Technology, SciLifeLab)
Ludvig Bergenstråhle (KTH Royal Institute of Technology, SciLifeLab)
A core group of authors from the symposium has been continuing working on the White Paper with the goal to publish in an international peer-reviewed journal in 2020.
For more information, please contact: carsten.daub@ki.se
Three quick questions to Peta Sjölander.
1. How has the corona pandemic affected MedTechLabs?
– MedTechLabs carries on as normal – those of us who can are working from home. But the research, education and support activities continue as before.
2. What long term consequences can you see for the centre?
– Of course, no one wishes for this situation, but it has prompted collaboration opportunities across our three programmes. For instance, chest CT-imaging is of great importance in COVID-19 diagnosis, and AI solutions could improve early detection and therefore outcomes.
3. What do you do at MedTechLabs to keep up the energy?
– There is a lot of energy amongst scientists right now, worldwide. MedTechLabs has much to contribute.