Smart Integrated Biodiagnostic Systems for Healthcare

The SmartHEALTH Integrated Project will develop and deliver the next generation of smart diagnostic systems fully integrated into healthcare systems in Europe. Driven by key applications in cancer diagnostics, SmartHEALTH will enable enhanced medical diagnosis leading to earlier and more precise results and thus contributing to an increased quality of life.

Objectives of the project

In addressing the high economic burden of the healthcare sector, prevention, early diagnosis and informed therapeutics are indispensable. Tests must be highly accurate and well integrated into medical management to avoid unnecessary treatment and stress to users. SmartHEALTH will address these complex issues by developing highly intelligent diagnostic technologies that are fully integrated into healthcare systems, optimising their impact in management and work practice. Driven by key  targeted applications in cancer diagnostics (breast, cervical and colorectal), the project will deliver prototype systems with the aim of moving instrumentation from the laboratory, through to portable devices localised at the “point of care”.

The SmartHEALTH Video: A vision for 2015

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SmartHEALTH technology providing new solutions for cancer monitoring

Cancers are not ‘cured’ but ‘managed’. One of the major areas of progress with cancers, such as breast cancer, is the benefit of long term therapies for reducing growth rates. This approach requires regular monitoring such that the efficacy of maintenance therapy is rapidly noted and different therapy can be initiated as required. This necessitates regular testing for cancer load. People wish to avoid hospital yet want results interpreted expertly and communicated rapidly. They want tests that do not miss problems yet avoid unnecessary worry. SmartHEALTH aims to develop such an integrated breast cancer monitoring diagnostic eventually useable in a localised and more available setting.

Project Description

Driven by clinical applications and MNT & IST technology, SmartHEALTH will develop an open integrated architecture for new biodiagnostic systems to support European companies exploiting bioassays or new application concepts. The initial system has a disposable fluidic cartridge with a desktop base-station linking to the ambient e-Health environment. This concept will be miniaturised and cost engineered into a portable and more available product. It will perform multi-analyte sensing and interpretation, for nucleic acids and proteins and will handle multiple biological sample types. Results will be interpreted and presented using bio-information analysis. Systems will be healthcare “user identity-” and “ambient environment-” aware, respecting confidentiality and information access rights. The IP will enable enhanced medical diagnosis, leading to earlier and more precise results contributing to an increased quality of life as well as increasing the competitiveness of the European IVD sector. Clinical areas for SmartHEALTH application are in Cancer Diagnostics - breast cancer recurrence monitoring, cervical cancer case finding, and colorectal cancer diagnostics, theranostics and prognostics. Each application includes clinical validation and commercial exploitation partners.

This project is partially funded by the European Commission

News

SmartHEALTH Experts Workshop on Cancer Diagnostics

26th June 2009, Oslo, Norway

Programme

This workshop will be co-organised with the Oslo Cancer Cluster and held at pHealth Oslo, 24th - 26th June 2009. For further information, please contact the organisers or Patric Salomon (NEXUS Association).

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Spring Symposium

Integration or Disruption? Implementing SmartHEALTH into Healthcare

18th - 19th May 2009.

Newcastle University, England. Symposium Flyer

If you are interested in further information, please contact Fionagh Thomson (PEALS Research Centre, Newcastle). Fionagh Thomson

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Presentations available from the SmartHEALTH Open Day and User Group Launch Event

28th November 2008, London, UK

Detailed programme 

Presentations for download:

Keynote from user community
SmartHEALTH Overview presentation
SmartHEALTH; Biosensors, ICT and Clinical Applications  

The event took place after the IoN/Mancef Conference on 21st Century Medicine: Breakthroughs and Challenges, 26th-27th November 2008 (www.nano.org.uk).

SmartHEALTH plans to organise further workshops. If you are interested in further information, please contact Patric Salomon (NEXUS Association).