Together with the Rigshospitalet, the company 3Sonic, DTU and the 3D Imaging Centre (3DIM) will develop a new AI-based platform to determine in the operating room during cancer surgery whether all the cancer has been removed.The project is coordinated by Rigshospitalet, which also serves as the project’s principal investigator, and brings together clinical, academic, and industrial partners.
The project is also featured in a news article on DTU’s website:
AI to help surgeons remove all cancer during the first surgery
Within the project, 3DIM contributes advanced 3D imaging using micro‑CT from the research infrastructures DANFIX and DANMAX. The micro‑CT scans will be used to identify structural and tissue‑level markers that can provide important reference information and context for the interpretation of ultrasound images. Combining high‑resolution 3D data with clinically relevant imaging modalities is expected to strengthen the development of new analysis and decision‑support tools.
A central component of the project is the handling and analysis of complex imaging data. Significant challenges exist on the image analysis side, particularly in linking micro‑CT data with ultrasound images. To address this, new AI models will be developed and trained specifically for the analysis and interpretation of ultrasound data, with micro‑CT contributing structural insight and ground truth.
The project further strengthens the close internal collaboration within 3DIM between DTU Compute and DTU Physics, and is expanded through the participation of DTU Electro, which contributes infrared microscopy for tissue characterisation and identification of chemical and structural markers. In addition, the industrial partner Sonic ApS contributes expertise in clinical ultrasound and technological implementation.
The collaboration extends beyond DTU, with Rigshospitalet serving as the central clinical partner and coordinator. The 3D Imaging Centre looks forward to the project and to the close collaboration—particularly with Tobias Todsen from Rigshospitalet—and to contributing imaging infrastructure and analytical methods that may ultimately improve surgical decision support and patient care.
The project is funded by the Innovation Fund Denmark, which is gratefully acknowledged for supporting this interdisciplinary collaboration between research, clinical practice, and industry
