STRATUM – 3D Decision Support Tool for Brain Tumor Surgery

Full title: STRATUM – 3D Decision Support Tool for Brain Tumor Surgery

Short title: STRATUM

Funded by: European Commission (HORIZON-HLTH-2023 – Grant Agreement No. 101137416)

Grant awarded: €10,700,000.00

Duration: 5 years (01/12/2023 – 30/11/2028)

Participating partners: University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria (ULPGC), Spain (coordinator). Technische Universiteit Eindhoven (TU/e), Netherlands. Karolinska University Hospital – Region Stockholm (RS), Sweden. Barcelona Supercomputing Center (BSC), Spain. SAS UPMEM (UPMEM), France. Università degli Studi di Pavia (UNIPV), Italy. Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (UPM), Spain. Hospital Universitario 12 de Octubre – Servicio Madrileño de Salud (SERMAS), Spain. Rheinland-Pfälzische Technische Universität (RPTU), Germany. Fundación Canaria Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Canarias (FIISC), Spain. OPTOMIC España S.A. (OPTOMIC), Spain. European Citizen Science Association (ECSA), Germany.

Principal investigator: Dr. Gustavo Marrero Callicó (STRATUM Project Coordinator)

Researchers at SCS/FIISC: Yolanda Ramallo Fariña, Lidia García Pérez

Project summary:

STRATUM aims to develop a decision support tool for brain tumor surgeries. Brain surgeries, especially those aimed at tumor removal, present significant challenges for neurosurgeons. Precisely differentiating critical tissues and tumor margins during surgery, along with interpreting large amounts of data from various devices, are fundamental tasks that are often very complex.

The primary goal of STRATUM focuses on the development of a 3D imaging system that aims to reach a technological maturity level of TRL7 (“System or prototype demonstration in a real environment”), based on the real-time processing of multimodal 3D data using artificial intelligence algorithms. This innovative tool will be integrated as a low-energy consumption data capture and processing system within the neurosurgical workflow, marking a significant milestone in the convergence of technology and medicine, and promoting the creation of a new generation of neuronavigators.

The integration of these data sources, both existing and emerging (such as hyperspectral imaging technology), along with real-time processing, will provide neurosurgeons the ability to make informed, efficient, and precise decisions during surgical procedures. This will not only maximize tumor tissue resection rates but is also expected to reduce the risk of neurological deficits, directly benefiting patients. Collaborative medical protocols will enable STRATUM to contribute significantly to the improvement of brain surgery assistance.

The expected impact of STRATUM extends beyond the clinical field, as performing efficient surgical procedures will reduce anesthesia time, minimize patient risks, and potentially decrease post-operative complications.

This consortium is built upon six scientific pillars of knowledge:

  1. Medical data processing using artificial intelligence (ULPGC and TU/e);
  2. Hardware and software development through high-performance computing (BSC, UPM, UNIPV, and RPTU);
  3. Clinical and healthcare research (RS, SERMAS, and FIISC);
  4. Industrial research and development in hardware acceleration (UPMEM) and medical devices (OPTOMIC);
  5. Health technology assessment (FIISC through SESCS);
  6. Citizen science and participatory research (ECSA and ULPGC).

STRATUM is a project focused on the rapid exploitation of its results. The exploitation activities are led by the two industrial partners of the consortium, with OPTOMIC being the main actor in the manufacturing and commercialization of the STRATUM tool, which is estimated to be available by 2030 (2 years after the project’s completion).

SESCS/FIISC will collaborate in the design of the methodology and data analysis for an initial observational study on the current performance of brain tumor surgeries (Work Package 2). Based on the evaluated information from this observational study, SESCS will also collaborate in the design and development of the clinical trial in which STRATUM-based tools will be applied for this same pathology. The patients recruited for the observational study will serve as the historical controls for the patients involved in the clinical trial (Work Package 6). The tasks assigned to SESCS in this project also include preparing a health technology assessment report, which will include an economic evaluation. This project intersects with several lines of research at SESCS, such as clinical trial design and analysis, cost-effectiveness analysis, and early HTA.

Contact person: Yolanda Ramallo Fariña (yolanda.ramallofarina@sescs.es)

Website with project information: https://www.stratum-project.eu/