MedTechLabs has granted SEK 35 million for research in two new areas. One research team will focus on technologies to enable individualized treatment of fatal forms of stroke and carotid artery disease. The other will combine imaging technologies to detect the onset of epileptic seizures and thus provide better conditions for surgical treatment.

“In this call for proposals, the number of applications peaked and the two projects that have now been granted funding for five years aim to improve diagnostics in important disease areas: peripheral vascular disease and epilepsy. In addition to a clear link to clinical application, the projects have great potential to contribute to better treatment of broad patient groups both in Sweden and internationally”, says Clara Hellner, MedTechLab’s Chair and until recently Director of Research and Innovation, Region Stockholm.

“Improving health care in peripheral vascular disease: from population-based to individualized decision-making“

Research leaders are Ulf Hedin, KI and Christian Gasser, KTH. Granted amount: SEK 4.5 million per year 2025 -2029.

Stroke disease from carotid atherosclerosis, aortic aneurysm rupture and aortic rupture account for a significant proportion of cardiovascular disease mortality with major consequences for both individuals and society. Today, these diseases are managed with strategies based on population studies where the choice of treatment is based on algorithms that optimize treatment outcomes for many, but far from all, patients. New technologies for molecular, morphological, biomechanical and imaging analyses make it possible to profile patients to individualize their risk assessment and treatment.

The new project is based on a translational research platform in collaboration between the Vascular Surgeon at Karolinska University Hospital, Karolinska Institutet (KI), SciLifeLab and the Department of Materials and Structural Mechanics, KTH Royal Institute of Technology. Initially, the researchers will develop molecular markers in blood, biomarkers, through advanced protein analysis for patients at high risk in each disease. In the next step, high-resolution imaging will be implemented to characterize in detail molecular, morphological and biomechanical features for risk assessment of disease expression. With this approach, patients with established clinical risk factors for unfavorable disease progression can be stepwise risk assessed and efficiently selected for appropriate treatment. This optimizes both individual survival and the use of health care resources.

“Imaging the Epileptic Brain using Multimodal Quantum Sensors”

Research leaders are Daniel Lundqvist, KI and Val Zviller, KTH. Granted amount: SEK 2.5 million per year 2025 – 2029.

Epilepsy affects millions of people worldwide and for 30%, medication does not work, causing them to have severe and frequent seizures. For these patients, surgery is often the best option, but it requires precise identification of the area of the brain that causes the seizures – called the Seizure Onset Zone (SOZ). Current methods to find the right zone where seizures start include medical imaging techniques such as MRI, PET and EEG, but these techniques sometimes don’t give a clear picture, especially when there are no obvious abnormalities in the brain. The granted project therefore combines two innovative techniques: superconducting nanowire single photon detectors (SN-SPD) and optically pumped magnetometers (OPM-MEG).

The first technique detects small changes in brain metabolism, while the second measures the magnetic field generated by brain activity – with incredible precision. By combining the techniques, the researchers hope to create a uniquely detailed picture of where and how abnormal brain activity occurs in the patient. This would not only help to more accurately pinpoint where seizures start, but also provide new insights into how seizures start and spread throughout the brain. The benefit lies in providing surgeons with better maps of where to operate. If successful, the project could therefore lead to more effective treatments and a better quality of life for people with epilepsy.

Research at both programs is expected to be up and running by January 2025.

MedTechLabs is a multidisciplinary center for patient-oriented research that will contribute to breakthroughs in the development of medical technology with relevance to the important challenges of healthcare and our major public diseases. In all programs, researchers and clinicians with both technical and medical expertise always collaborate. The center is jointly run by KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Karolinska Institutet and Region Stockholm.

For more information, please contact:
Liz Adamsson
Executive Director MedTechLabs
Phone: 08-790 60 84
E-mail: lizad@kth.se
Website: www.medtechlabs.se

Professor Mats Danielsson, a key figure at MedTechLabs, has been honored with the prestigious KTH Innovation Award for his pioneering contributions to medical imaging. The award, which includes a prize of 500,000 SEK (€43,400), recognises his exceptional achievements in advancing the field.

As a driving force behind the establishment of MedTechLabs, Professor Danielsson played a crucial role in fostering collaboration between KTH, Karolinska Institutet, and Region Stockholm. He has served as the research leader for the Spectral CT Imaging and Endovascular Techniques program and remains closely affiliated with the center.

From the Award Committee’s Motivation:
The 2024 recipient of the KTH Innovation Award has developed technology that has helped patients and doctors across the world. As the founder of several medical technology companies and contributor to over 100 patents, Mats Danielsson has developed and implemented solutions enabling earlier detection of tumors and inflammatory conditions. Mats Danielsson receives the KTH Innovation Award for his contributions to the field of physics of medical imaging, his creativity, grit and courage in going from research to impact, and his endless pursuit improving lives as well as the medical system.

Read an interview with Mats Danielsson on the KTH Innovation website here

Welcome to a MedTechLabs seminar on Crystal Growth and Characterization of CdTe for Radiation Detectors with Professor Roman Grill, Charles University, Prague on Tuesday, August 27, 15.00-16.00.

When: Tuesday Aug 27, 15.00-16.00
Location: Seminar room FA32, Albanova Main building, 3rd floor,
Roslagstullsbacken 21, Stockholm
Videoconference: https://lnkd.in/dQAneyz9

About: CdTe-based semiconductors are the best materials for preparing room temperature spectrally sensitive detectors of high energy radiation. They are used in various medical applications, security, non-destructive testing, space research, etc. In this talk, Professor Roman Grill reports on the achievements and knowledge he and his colleagues have gathered during more than 30 years of CdTe research at the Institute of Physics, Charles University. Basic principles of operation of radiation detectors are presented and the required material properties are defined to meet strict criteria set for high-quality detectors. The entire production line is commented on, starting with the growth of single crystals followed by after-growth annealing, material characterization, detector manufacture, and testing. Theoretical concepts describing all processes will be outlined. Throughout the talk, Roman Grill will emphasize problems unsolved so far that critically limit the production yield and cause the high price of detectors. Particularly, the talk encompasses the following topics: CdTe phase diagram, point defect engineering and self-compensation, chemical diffusion, contactless resistivity mapping, bias- and light-induced space charge formation and sensor polarization, transient current technique, and specific contact designs in sensors.

Since 2023, MedTechLabs organises a hybrid course in acute stroke, diagnosis, and treatment. The course is Lipus-certified and is aimed at residents and specialists who are interested in learning more about stroke and cerebral ischemia. One of them is Kristoffer Linder, a specialist in neurology at Capio S:t Görans Hospital, in Stockholm.

Hi Kristoffer, why did you choose to take our course?

I thought it sounded like an interesting approach, it was not like any course I had taken before. I got a tip about it via an email from a colleague. I thought that when you work in an acute hospital that receives a lot of acute stroke cases, it might be valuable to attend. In the hospital where I work, we take care of almost 1,000 patients with stroke or TIA every year. I also saw that there were many interesting names as lecturers as well, such as Håkan Almqvist, Åsa Kunze and Mikael Mazya. Trusted and knowledgeable course leaders give high credibility.

What do you think about the course organisation?

I think they have chosen a good division and balance between the radiology and the clinical parts of the stroke panorama, including a review of trobectomy. For me, it was good and important that you can take the course at your own pace. You watch the videos when you have time and can pause and go back through the material as needed. Otherwise, it can be difficult to get through longer course sections when you are busy at work.

What has the course given you?

The part where you had X-rays available and the opportunity to look at them yourself was very valuable to me. You can’t get that any other way. Of course, there are many databases and websites with X-rays, but here you could scroll through the material and at the same time get the necessary information about the symptoms, how long it’s been since the illness and so on. I have been a specialist for two years and have been working with stroke patients since I became a doctor more than ten years ago, but it was very good to be able to get this refresher course. The investigation and treatment of stroke has changed a lot in recent years but it’s also good to go back to basics, which this course also addresses.

Who do you think should take the course and why?

Can I answer everyone? Primarily those who are in training or already working as doctors. Both residents and specialists who have been working for a while can benefit greatly from the course. The course is good for updating your knowledge. I think it is also valuable for medical and radiologists working with stroke cases.

We talked with Patrik Jarwoll and asked him to introduce himself, why he joined MedTechLabs, and how he will contribute to the board.

Hi Patrik, what is You background?

I have a PhD from Chalmers Technical University and have worked for Varian inc. and Agilent Technologies in service, sales, marketing and RND before I started as an MR physicist at KERIC, Karolinska Experimental Research and Imaging Center at the Karolinska University Hospital.

And what do you do now?

Today I’m the head of KERIC, a Core Facillity situated in BioClinicum that supports research from academia as well as companies. KERIC is a preclinical facility that supports everything from surgical training to imaging in small animals with a special focus on translational research projects. We want to take projects from vitro or even earlier stages into clinical research in a safe way that will not risk any patient health. In many ways we can act as a bridge of technology to medical science. I am also Operations and Business manager at CIR, Centre for Imaging Research – a centre for world-leading imaging, jointly formed by Karolinska University Hospital, Karolinska Institutet, and Region Stockholm. CIR supports academic, clinical and industry users with access to imaging facilities and related services at the highest international level. CIR offers an exceptional and unique collection of core facilities for cutting-edge structural, functional, and metabolic in vivo imaging of all organs, in humans, non-human primates, large, and small animals. 

What made You want to work with MedTechLabs?

I am very enthusiastic to support MedTechLabs and think it has an important role to link advanced technology such as AI, electronics, implants and material science to work in heath and clinical applications. An interesting condition, but also something that truly boast cross-disciplinary work, is the fact that you need a PI from both KTH and KI in all research at MedTechLabs. Another factor is that the project should reach clinical trials or clinical applications within 5 years. That really put the focus to projects that are applied and really can become a benefit to the public health within a reasonable timeframe.

How will You contribute to the board?

For me innovation and applied research has always been something I have had an interest and passion for. MedTechLabs is a bridge between KTH, KI and Karolinska University Hospital, which is important for innovation and progress in applied medical research. With my roles at KERIC and CIR and background from a more technical environment in academia as well as industry, I hope to contribute with supporting the work that can bridging technology with life science.

Welcome to an exciting seminar with Rolf Behling, one of the world's leading experts on x-ray sources for medical imaging and author of the book "Modern Diagnostic X-Ray Sources" (CRC press).

Title: Modern Diagnostic X-Ray Sources

Speaker: Rolf Behling, Department of Physics, KTH Royal Institute of Technology

Time: Monday June 3, 15.15-17.00, with time for questions afterwards

Location: FA32 (Albanova main building, third floor, opposite to the restaurant) and also on Zoom https://kth-se.zoom.us/j/63062020009

Abstract:
More than 100,000 diagnostic X-ray tubes are being newly installed or replaced year on year. Tubes for dental application, non-destructive testing and material analytics add to this number. This lecture will help to improve understanding the physics of X-ray production, in particular for “clinical” diagnostics. It will discuss functional principles of modern X-ray sources, design aspects, special features, radiation protection, and manufacturing technology. Why is vacuum technology not at all outdated? Will we find the X-ray LED, compact X-ray Laser machines or other alternative sources soon? Which breakthrough development is our group at KTH aiming at? The lecture may spark fascination for these vacuum electronic light sources off-the-mainstream.

The Centre has published it's annual report for 2023. Read about MedTechLabs research, results and impact on society, by downloading the report as pdf. 

MedTechLabs is an interdisciplinary centre for medical technology research that carries on this proud legacy to create better conditions for patient survival and improved quality of life for those with cancer, cardiovascular, and other non-communicable diseases. We create the conditions for healthcare to offer patients much more secure diagnoses and better treatment, at a lower cost.

Read the Annual Report directly on this page or download as pdf.

In Sweden, more than 18,000 people suffer an acute ischaemic stroke every year. With correct and rapid treatment of stroke, both lives are saved, and the affected person can avoid lifelong disability, something that both provides increased quality of life for the patient and saves big money for society. The new treatment options that have emerged over the past decade require more knowledge in healthcare, which is one reason for the new course offered through MedTechLabs.

The course “Acute stroke, diagnostics and treatment” organised by MedTechLabs started in October 2023. The course is aimed at residents and specialists who want to train in this area to better follow the national recommendations and guidelines for examination and treatment of stroke and TIA. The new course was offered to doctors in Region Stockholm as well as in other parts of the country and was quickly oversubscribed.

We spoke with Håkan Almqvist, senior physician and neuroradiologist at Capio St Göran, who is responsible for the course. Håkan has worked almost all his professional life with stroke, first at SÖS and later as a neuroradiologist at Karolinska and has followed the modern development of how to find and eliminate thrombi/embolisms since the late 90s.

Hi Håkan, can you tell us a bit about the course and why it is given?

“The course aims to provide knowledge about the benefits of acute reperfusion therapy within 24 hours in several patient groups, including those with relatively large established infarcts. The management and assessment of TIA is also included in the course. “The biggest problem with stroke care is still that patients come in too late, so it’s important that everyone in the community knows that help is available and picks up the phone if they have symptoms. But we in the healthcare chain also need to be on our toes and know what is needed for the patients. We must dare to be rational and inclusive, even if there is a low probability of stroke. Because it can be difficult to know whether your judgement is correct. Doctors need to see many cases to become skilled in their judgement and that takes time, especially in a smaller hospital.”

How do you deliver the course?

“In the first round, we offer it free of charge to 40 participants who receive around 30 video lectures and case study material with commentary, which we distribute using Collective Minds Radiology and their radiological imaging system. It is up to the student how much time they spend on that part, but I would say it is about two and a half days, at their own pace. In addition to this, we have a mandatory physical meeting in the form of a seminar in Stockholm where case studies are discussed. The knowledge check takes place at this seminar and active participation is required to obtain the course certificate.”

Who came up with the idea for this course?

“Many of us realised early on that there was a lack of continuing education for the new forms of examination and treatment that have emerged in the field. When MedTechLabs started, it was realised that there was a need for training in the region. Professor Staffan Holmin, together with KTH professor Mats Danielsson, saw an opportunity for the centre to contribute to and provide training. “As early as 2018, we started recording parts of the material that is now used in the course, along with new material in 2023. The pandemic and questions about which platform to use have meant that it has taken some time.”

What do you think has made the course so popular?

“The course only corresponds to a few days where you choose when for about 1 month. That certainly has an impact. But it is up to the student how much time they spend. I think long courses are becoming more difficult to attract. That we have a hybrid approach with self-study with lectures and being able to browse cases combined with a physical seminar with the teachers. A course must also be able to provide both a course certificate and an ST certificate. This is probably exactly what many doctors are looking for in terms of continuing education.”

When will you hold the course next time?

“This is the first time we have held it, and we will of course further develop it based on the feedback we receive from the course participants. Then we will see how many times a year is reasonable. It is also a question for Region Stockholm, which this time allowed doctors from other regions to attend free of charge. But hopefully we will also organise the course in 2024.”

MedTechLabs has granted SEK 35 million for two new medical technology research programmes. The first will develop a new method for monitoring fetal oxygenation during labour. The second programme will develop a new method for early diagnosis of brain diseases using MR elastography.

This year’s call from MedTechLabs was launched in the spring and the decision to adopt two new research programmes was taken by the centre’s steering committee in early October. Johan Schuber, Executive Director of MedTechLabs, says that the approved programmes strengthen the centre’s focus on conducting clinically relevant research.

Current fetal monitoring methods have weaknesses and the researchers in this new programme aim to improve them to reduce the risk of organ failure in the baby during delivery. This is an important area of research that affects many patients and maternity services, not only in Sweden but also worldwide.  

The programme ‘Continuous lactate measurement and prevention of fetal hypoxia during delivery’ is led by Malin Holzmann, Karolinska Institutet (KI), and Saul Rodriguez Duenas, Royal Institute of Technology (KTH). Malin Holzmmann is a senior physician at the Unit for Pregnancy and Childbirth at Karolinska University Hospital in Solna, Sweden, and an associate professor at KI. Saul Rodriguez Duenas is a senior lecturer at the Division of Electronics and Embedded Systems at KTH. The goal is to achieve continuous lactate measurement during labour, which would represent a completely new technology in healthcare with the potential to fundamentally change fetal monitoring.

The second research programme focuses on understanding how brain tissue changes when exposed to diseases such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, MS, or brain tumours. With the increasing availability of drugs to treat these diseases, early detection of the diseases in time is becoming more important to slow down disease progression as effectively as possible.

The programme “Clinical application of next-generation brain magnetic resonance elastography for neurodegenerative diseases and brain tumours” is led by Rodrigo Moreno, KTH and Tobias Granberg, KI. Rodrigo Moreno is Associate Professor and Senior Lecturer at the Department of Biomedical Engineering and Health Systems at KTH. Tobias Granberg is Senior Lecturer at the Division of Clinical Neuroscience at Karolinska Institutet. MR-Elastography (MRE) is already used today to diagnose liver diseases, but its complexity has so far hindered its clinical use for the diagnosis of brain diseases. The main objective of this multidisciplinary programme is to enable MRE to be performed also for the brain and to evaluate its clinical utility in neurodegenerative diseases and brain tumours. The project covers MRE technology from image acquisition and analysis to its use and evaluation in clinical trials. The goal is to enable clinical implementation in Region Stockholm within five years, thus contributing to better treatment for patients.

Research in both programmes is expected to start in January 2024.

MedTechLabs is an interdisciplinary centre for patient-oriented research that will contribute to breakthroughs in the development of medical technology with significance for the important challenges of healthcare and our major public diseases. In all programmes, researchers and clinicians with both technical and medical expertise collaborate. The centre is run jointly by KTH, Karolinska Institutet and Region Stockholm.

For more information, contact:

Johan Schuber
Executive Director of MedTechLabs

Phone: 08-790 67 64
E-mail: jschuber@kth.se

Website: www.medtechlabs.se

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/medtechlabsstockholm

SVT – the Swedish national broadcasting company – highlights the impact of research on AI for breast cancer detection in mammography, conducted by MedTechlabs researchers Kevin Smith and Fredrik Strand. Also, Lancet published a scientific article on the study conducted at Capio Sankt Göran Hospital in Stockholm.

What differences in cancer detection and unnecessary recalls are the results of various combinations of AI and radiologists? Lancet Digital Health has published the results of a prospective clinical trial conducted in Stockholm.

MedTechLabs researcher Fredrik Strand is surprised at how accurate the AI was and says that the potential for AI to handle most of the screen-reading is huge.

Karin Dembrower is chief physician and medical director of the Mammography Department at Capio S:t Göran’s Hospital where the clinical study was conducted. She is very satisfied with the results.

– We found slightly more cancer and recalled fewer women who turned out to be healthy, so we made fewer women worried. And we freed up time for the radiologists to do other diagnostics than looking at mostly healthy women’s images. We have managed to cut the queues considerably so we are a queue-free breast centre now, she says in the feature.

The AI-assisted breast cancer detection system has been operational since summer 2023 at St Göran’s Hospital in Stockholm.

– We have shown that our AI technology works on St Göran and their equipment. But that doesn’t mean that any AI will work on all equipment, so it’s something you need to check before introducing it, says Fredrik Strand in the same feature.

Watch the tv-feature here (in Swedish)

Read the Article in Lancet Digital Health here (full text)