AVATAR MEDICAL uses virtual and augmented reality to offer surgeons an immersive, interactive preoperative visualization of 3D medical images of patients obtained with MRI or CT scans.
The solution gives physicians the opportunity to view organs, blood vessels and tumors and to prepare for complex medical procedures by navigating effortlessly through all the data, with no pre-processing required.
This innovation in image analysis and visualization is based on Bayesian approaches to data processing. AVATAR MEDICAL uses DIVA technology, developed jointly over the past four years by the Decision and Bayesian Computation research team led by Jean-Baptiste Masson at the Institut Pasteur and by the Light-Based Observation and Control of Cellular Organization laboratory at the Institut Curie, previously led by the late Maxime Dahan.
As well as giving surgeons a way of preparing rapidly and intuitively for operations, the solution also enables them to change the display settings in real time and navigate in 3D through the upcoming operation. AVATAR MEDICAL also facilitates the exchange of information between radiologists and surgeons. Surgeons can see 3D views of structures annotated by radiologists to make sure they are in agreement about what will be discovered on the operating table.
Around 15 surgeons currently use the process and several patients have already benefited from the innovative solution.
“We have observed a real enthusiasm, especially among younger physicians. AVATAR MEDICAL can both improve the quality of surgical procedures and save surgeons time when preparing for complex surgeries,” explains Xavier Wartelle, one of the five founders of AVATAR MEDICAL and future CEO of the start-up.
With the support of i-Lab, the AVATAR MEDICAL start-up will be launched in 2020 and the team will continue developing the artificial intelligence component of the product so as to propose more precise clinical modules (preset filters), especially for breast cancer surgeries, where tumor cells can be hard to identify. The aim of AVATAR MEDICAL is to help reduce the relapse rate and the number of mastectomies by improving visualization of complex cases.
To read the article about i-Lab 2020 competition and AVATAR MEDICAL : i-Lab 2020 competition: two winners from the Institut Pasteur, one awarded a Grand Prix
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