BioPixS’s contribution for this project is to significantly accelerating the system prototyping process by defining and executing a set of standardization protocols for multi-level (components, modules, prototype) standardized testing of system. A multilevel (components, modules, prototype) phantom verification protocols will be introduced by carefully considering the project specifications.
These procedures will be in line with broadly adopted European protocols for performance assessment of newly developed diffuse optical systems: MEDPHOT (system assessment on optical properties of homogeneous phantoms), BIP (verifying key parameters of system components) and NEUROPT (verifying capability to measure localized absorption changes).

VASCOVID project, funded by European Union’s programme Horizon 2020, aims at developing a medical devices meant to be used at Intensive Care Units (ICU) in hospitals, to assist COVID-19 patients in terms of endotelial function evaluation and evaluation of cardiopulmonary interaction interactions that personalizes conservative ventilation strategies in order to avoid ventilator-induced lung injury and readiness to wean from the ventilator. VASCOVID will deploy and mature a portable, non-invasive and real-time health monitoring platform for this purpose. This platform combines two bio-photonics technologies, time-resolved nearinfrared spectroscopy and diffuse correlation spectroscopy.
VASCOVID will adapt the platform to meet the needs of a typical ICU dealing with COVID-19 and other patients requiring ventilation, as well as to leverage large-scale testing of new treatment procedures and therapies aimed to address microvascular impairment and to reduce extubation failure on ICU patients weaning out of mechanical ventilation life-support.

Partners involved in VASCOVID project:

BioPixS has a central role in the project to test and validate the TinyBrains platforms and to provide protocols and phantom-kits for exploitation. A multilevel (components, modules, prototype) phantom verification protocols will be developed by carefully considering the TinyBrains prototype specifications. These procedures will be developed in line with broadly adapted European protocols for performance assessment of newly developed diffuse optical systems: MEDPHOT (specified for measuring optical properties of homogeneous phantoms), BIP (identifying low level key parameters of system components) and nEUROPT (for the assessment of the capability to measure localized absorption changes).

TinyBrains will develop a neuro-imager and focus on congenital heart-defects (CHD). CHD is the most prevalent congenital malformation with about a million births worldwide annually. Advances in surgical techniques and perioperative management have dramatically reduced mortality rates with more than 85% surviving to adulthood. However, significant neurodevelopmental problems are observed in about 50% due to brain injury. It being so prevalent and also having accepted accionable points in its care and therapy, TinyBrains chose CHD as its target to provide a research platform to improve the understanding of the cellular origin of the brain injury by enabling the assessment of the link between energy demand and oxygen supply. To do so, we will combine advanced biophotonics technologies and electroencephalography into a disruptive research tool enabling research into new brainoriented therapies and management strategies.
TinyBrains will measure cerebral hemodynamics, oxygen metabolism and electrophysiology simultaneously. In vivo imaging in three- dimensions, i.e. tomography, will greatly increase the brain specificity and penetration as well as, for the first time, providing spatial resolution to this class of measurements. This plethora of information will enable us to carry out pre-clinical animal and clinical studies in infants with and without CHD to gain a peek at the cellular origins of brain injury. By bringing together academia, clinics and industry, TinyBrains further seeks to create the path for exploitation.

Partners involved in TinyBrains project: