A smart and easy platform to facilitate ultrastructural pathologic diagnoses

Purpose and goal

The aim was to develop a smart and easy to use platform based on the recently developed MiniTEM instrument to simplify ultrastructural pathology. The main goals were to add 1) novel image analysis methods for user guided and automated search for objects of interest, 2) an integrated database for secure information handling, and 3) automated report generation functionality. Goals 1 and 2 were fulfilled while goal 3 will be integrated in the platform shortly. It was replaced with visual overview and navigation functionality after discussions within the project and its reference group.

Expected results and effects

The platform is expected to lead to increased usage of TEM for clinical diagnostics through faster and more objective analyses and automation. It is also expected to broaden the market for the MiniTEM, (co-) developed by the coordinating project partner. The expected effects and outcome are difficult to evaluate so soon after the project´s end date. The added functionality and the new methods have, however, created a lot of interest and potential new customers in the clinical segment for Vironova.

Planned approach and implementation

The project consortium with partners from industry (Vironova), academia (Centre for Image Analysis, UU) and two health care end user representatives (KI and UAS) worked excellent. The competences and expertise within the different partners complemented each other well, while the whole project was small enough to be effective. The time spent on the different project tasks was modified somewhat since it turned out that the integration of a database and the project handling structure within the platform took more time and effort than anticipated.