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INNOVATION
Novel CNN architecture for sub-arachnoid space segmentation
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Market Maturity: Exploring
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Market Creation Potential
This innovation was assessed by the JRC’s Market Creation Potential indicator framework as addressing the needs of existing markets and existing customers. Learn more
Go to Market needs
Needs that, if addressed, can increase the chances this innovation gets to (or closer to) the market incude:
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Location of Key Innovators developing this innovation
Key Innovators
UN Sustainable Development Goals(SDG)
This innovation contributes to the following SDG(s)
SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOAL 9
Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and foster innovation

The UN explains: "Investments in infrastructure – transport, irrigation, energy and information and communication technology – are crucial to achieving sustainable development and empowering communities in many countries. It has long been recognized that growth in productivity and incomes, and improvements in health and education outcomes require investment in infrastructure."

The EU-funded Research Project
This innovation was developed under the Horizon Europe project SoftReach with an end date of 31/01/2026
  • Read more about this project on CORDIS
Description of Project SoftReach
Robotics and imaging can revolutionize healthcare by overcoming limitations of existing practice and enabling the clinical translation of emerging treatments. Along this direction, SoftReach focuses on improving the treatment of neurological disorders (NDs), a major unmet healthcare challenge. Despite the devastating impact of NDs to millions, existing treatments have poor efficacy. SoftReach aims to radically improve treatments by providing localized delivery of therapeutics in deep-brain regions involved in ND pathophysiology. The proposed platform can enhance the efficacy of pharmaceutical treatments by bypassing limitations of systemic delivery, and provide means to implement promising cell therapies. Our paradigm-shifting ambition will be realised through two major innovations: 1) a submillimeter soft-growing steerable robotic platform, the first of its kind, which will utilize real-time MRI feedback to navigate through the spine subarachnoid space and the Ventricular System (VS), where it will attach μl-sized payloads (carriers of therapeutics) at specific locations. 2) Novel μl-sized tissue construct payloads (TCPs), built around precisely microfabricated deployable porous scaffolds so that they can attach stably on VS walls and deliver therapeutic factors to adjacent brain regions. The platform will be demonstrated via two parallel efforts. 1) The ability of the soft-growing robot to extend via the VS and safely deliver TCPs under real-time MRI feedback will be demonstrated in high-fidelity phantoms of the human VS. 2) TCP-mediated localised delivery of treatments (compounds, cells) via the VS will be demonstrated stereotactically in mice. By providing minimally-invasive access to deep-brain regions of major clinical importance that lie beyond the reach of existing procedures, SoftReach can revolutionize the clinical practice of ND treatments and provide disrupting tools that can impact multiple fields such as gene therapy, neurosurgery and oncology.

Innnovation Radar's analysis of this innovation is based on data collected on 06/03/2024.
The unique id of this innovation in the European Commission's IT systems is: 120683