prof.dr.ir. G.J.M. Tuijthof (Gabriëlle)

One-stop breath analyser

Decreased deployment of medical resources by applying the one-stop breath analyser in vulnerable patients with chronic diseases

Early diagnosis of chronic diseases in children and elderly is crucial to improve treatment and prognosis. Non-invasive analysis of exhaled breath has shown potential for improved diagnosis and management and our TRL4 lab prototype breath analyser with carbon nanotube sensors is further developed for this purpose into a TRL6 prototype.

The State of the Cartilage (START)

Marco van Basten’s case is puzzling: why does a healthy, active teenager end up with a lasting disability from ankle osteoarthritis just a few years after a simple ankle sprain? To prevent this from happening again, we are developing a new tool that can measure whether there is damage to the ankle and how severe it is immediately after the injury. In a large-scale study, we want to find out if this damage gets worse, leading to osteoarthritis. With this tool and what we learn, we hope to be able to treat osteoarthritis before it reaches the point of no return.

Dynamic smart implant to permanently correct scoliosis

DYNACURE

Scoliosis is a deformation of the spine that affects 2-5% of teenagers. When severe, the spine is fixed with rods, which limits trunk motion. The aim is to correct the scoliosis without limits. As basis, we use our pre-existing implant that already allows for growth and motion. This implant is made smart by integrating a mechanism that adjust its loading to the invidual patient situation. The level of adjustment is determined with a computer model that predicts optimal loading for correction over time. The novel implant ultimately permantly corrects scoliosis. Together with UMCU, TU Eindhoven, Cresco Spine and InSpine we will work on this important topic for the coming years

ResilientIS

The coronavirus pandemic, floods and cyberattacks have shown how quickly hospitals can reach their limits. Often, it is not large pieces of equipment that are lacking, but small yet vital components such as adapters that connect ventilators to tubes. If such a part fails, a patient cannot be ventilated. Smaller hospitals are particularly affected, as they have fewer stocks. These problems affect both Germany and the Netherlands. Differences in procedures meant that mutual assistance took time, which is something that is in short supply during crises. The ResilientIS project ensures that hospitals in the Germany-Netherlands border region are reliably supplied even in times of crisis. To this end, a network is being established in which hospitals, universities, businesses and public authorities work together. Together, the key components are identified and standardised templates created so that these can be produced on-site under location-specific conditions in the event of shortages. Hospitals can thus produce a tested replacement part themselves within hours, rather than waiting weeks for deliveries. Trials are being conducted in selected clinics to test how the procedures can be applied in day-to-day operations and in the event of a crisis. Training ensures that the knowledge is disseminated and does not remain confined to individual sites. This creates a resilient network. German and Dutch partners jointly develop and apply rules, share capacities and access the same data, without replacing each other’s respective responsibilities for production and application. This means that rural facilities can respond as quickly as large centres. Treatments remain predictable, patients are not transferred unnecessarily, and healthcare provision becomes more stable across the entire Germany-Netherlands border region. ResilientIS creates structures that have a lasting impact and make a direct contribution to a more resilient healthcare system in Germany and the Netherlands.

Towards advanced 3D leg malalignment correction utilizing dynamic movement analysis

Mal-alignment of the lower limb can cause excessive stress on knee structures during movement. Traditionally, an osteotomy is performed to neutralize unbalanced forces, but is planned using alignment angles on a static radiograph taking no dynamic force aspects into account that occur during activities of daily living (ADL). Therefore, we aim to expand the target of a corrective osteotomy from a statically aligned limb to normalized internal loads within the knee occurring during various dynamic activities. Eventually, this approach will allow for movement-induced personalized alignment corrections, thereby reducing knee cartilage wear, anterior cruciate ligament re-rupture rate and failed return-to-sport.

Double Spring Reduction system

Non-fusion scoliosis correction implant (TTT Voucher)

In this project, we aim to develop the current prototype (TRL5) further to make it ready for a pilot study in humans. The redesign is targeted to the fixation system as the screws that were used are no longer available on the market. With the redesign, Medical Device Regulation documents are generated as well as the IMDD to acquire METC permission. In the future, after successful clinical testing, a start-up company will bring the system to the market.

Waterjetdissection

TTT Voucher to explore valorization

The potential of waterjet dissection for targeted orthopedic surgery has been proven by a consortium of TU Delft, Amsterdam University Medical Centre, Maastricht University and University of Twente (UT) via a TRL 5 demonstrator. Lead by Maastricht Instruments and UT we explore its application and associated design changes in a business case to allow optimal execution of arthroplasty and revision surgery

H3D- VISIOnAiR

Head-worn 3D-Visualisation of the Invisible for Surgical Intra-Operative Augmented Reality

During surgery surgeons must identify vital anatomical structures (nerves and lymph nodes) to prevent unnecessary healthy tissue damage. Correct intraoperative identification by normal eyesight remains enormously challenging due to natural variation. Therefore, surgeons require high-tech intra-operative imaging for reliable high-resolution visual discrimination of critical anatomical structures. H3D-VISIONAIR offers a breakthrough and disruptive head-worn augmented reality (AR) system for surgeons to see beyond normal eyesight. It consists of two multi-spectral cameras (combining visual range with NIR visualization), a belt computer with real-time data processing, and a high-end stereoscopic head mounted display with wireless connection to the operating room infrastructure. The spectral signature of specific annotated tissues form input to develop machine-learning based models to allow automatic segmentation. The models are used to generate the AR-overlays on top of the normal surgical field of view.