Optiscan Imaging (ASX:OIL) has signed an agreement with Monash University to help the company advance its project to develop the next-gen gastrointestinal (GI) flexible endomicroscope and Edge-AI-enabled technology.
The company said the agreement represents a further extension of the longstanding relationship Optiscan has with Monash University.
Optiscan said AI capabilities are critical to its next-generation GI flexible endomicroscope project.
Under the agreement, the company said it will work with Monash University’s Department of Data Science and AI at Monash University’s Faculty of Information Technology Computer Science to advance the project’s cutting-edge artificial intelligence (AI) technology, which will be used to automate the detection and analysis of cancerous and precancerous lesions.
Supported by the Cooperative Research Centres Projects grant from the Australian Department of Industry, Science, and Resources, the Optiscan project is focused on producing a miniaturised flexible digital endomicroscopic probe designed to integrate with biopsy channels of standard commercially available endoscopes, in conjunction with innovative AI-powered endomicroscopy technology.
To date, nearly $1 million has been received from the CRC-P program grant to advance the development of the next-gen GI endomicroscope.
Optiscan CEO and managing director, Dr Camile Farah, said, “We are thrilled that Monash University has agreed to partner with Optiscan in the development phase of our innovative GI endomicroscope and next generation AI technology. This agreement between us and Monash University represents a significant step towards better diagnosis and treatment of gastrointestinal diseases. It also represents another chapter in the longstanding relationship Optiscan has with Monash University, with our technology originally created at this prestigious university.
“The targeted advantages of our next-gen flexible endomicroscope are not just related to delivery of better medical outcomes. This endomicroscope is also being specifically designed as a stand-alone medical imaging system agnostic to the commercial endoscope manufacturers. This will make adoption of our imaging platform easier for clinicians and hospitals already invested in their preferred endoscope system, while also providing flexibility to strike commercial arrangements with a wider range of endoscope manufacturers such as Olympus, Fuji, Pentax, Karl Storz and Ambu.
“The ‘blue sky’ packaged up in this project is immense. Optiscan’s imaging system has the potential to revolutionise GI diagnostics, not only for GI cancers, but also for improving accuracy and speed in detecting conditions such as Crohn’s Disease, Ulcerative Colitis, and Irritable Bowel Syndrome. We look forward to updating the market on outcomes flowing from this exciting project over coming months.”
