Bio-Inspired-Microbiopsy-Device – BIMoDe

Project summary

Annually, 18 million new cancer cases are diagnosed globally, with the Netherlands recording 120,000 in 2022, a steady 30-year rise. Nearly all patients require biopsies, often burdensome and costly, and prone to complications. Enhanced, less invasive biopsy tools could reduce complications, streamline healthcare, and improve patient outcomes and healthcare economics.

Plethora of medica treatments with cancer being a prominent exponent hinge on precise biopsy-based tissue analysis for diagnosis, therapy initiation, and prognosis. However, accessing hard-to-reach (cancerous) tissues poses challenges with conventional tools, affecting treatment plans and delaying personalized therapies. The BIMoDe project addresses this by developing minimally invasive micro-biopsy devices. These advanced tools, utilizing submillimeter catheter technology, aim to efficiently navigate and sample both primary affected tissues, and in the case of cancer spread metastatic cells in lymph nodes or other tissues, regardless of anatomical complexity. By analyzing and integrating various information sources, supported by tailored AI modalities, we aim to redesign biopsy techniques, enhance safety and accuracy, and improve patient outcomes in cancer treatment.

BIMoDe Consortium is aiming at the following goals:

1)         MRI-guided bio-inspired flexible ultrathin microbiopsy device suited for image guided maximal tissue sampling gain with minimal collateral damage

2)         BIMoDe digital module for workflow support & analysis is an AI-driven analytical module capable of advising on surgical workflow and instrumental design