Innovative Technology for Healthcare Delivery - The MIMIT: CIMIT Collaboration
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Manchester
Department Name: Research Support Services
Abstract
Manchester Integrating Medicine and Innovative Technology (MIMIT) is the first international affiliate of the Center for Integration of Medicine and Innovative Technology, Boston (CIMIT). CIMIT is a 10year old initiative and is a highly successful example of nurturing innovations in medical and heath technology. MIMIT is led by the University of Manchester in collaboration with six partner NHS organisations. These include: Central Manchester and Manchester Children's NHS Trust; University Hospital of South Manchester Foundation Trust; Salford Royal Foundation Trust; Christie Hospital NHS Foundation Trust; Mental Health & Social Care Trust and Salford Primary Care Trust (www.mimit.org.uk). CIMIT comprises a consortium of world class hospitals and academic institutions based in Boston, Massachusetts. These include: Massachusetts General Hospital; Brigham and Women's Hospital; Newton-Wellesley Hospital; Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Centre; Children's Hospital Boston; Boston Medical Centre; the Charles Stark Draper Laboratory; Boston University; Massachusetts Institute of Technology; VA Boston Healthcare System and Harvard Medical School (www.cimit.org).The aim of the Manchester: Boston partnership is to accelerate the scope and development of new healthcare technologies and enable them to benefit patient care faster and more effectively. This aim is realised through a collaborative bridge that:-identifies unmet clinical need and gaps in knowledge to address that need.-optimises partnerships to address knowledge gaps and then invests in the partnership to develop the best technology solutions.-optimises mechanisms to accelerate and sustain project momentum thereby enhancing opportunities for transfer of technology and expertise.-enables close co-operation with end-users on both continents to facilitate rapid uptake into clinical care and translation for patient benefit.-optimises opportunity for collaboration with industry partners.
Organisations
- University of Manchester (Lead Research Organisation)
- Boston University (Collaboration)
- Boston Children's Hospital (Collaboration)
- Massachusetts General Hospital (Collaboration)
- Brigham and Women's Hospital (Collaboration)
- Draper Laboratory (Collaboration)
- Imagen Therapeutics (Collaboration)
- CIMIT (Project Partner)
Publications
Birks S
(2012)
Abstracts from the 2012 BNOS Conference
in Neuro-Oncology
Coope DJ
Validation of a Tablet-based Neurosurgery Virtual Reality Training Tool
in Neurosurgery
Crabb M
(2013)
Mutual information as a measure of reconstruction quality in 3D dynamic lung EIT
in Journal of Physics: Conference Series
Crabb MG
(2014)
Mutual information as a measure of image quality for 3D dynamic lung imaging with EIT.
in Physiological measurement
Davidson J
(2012)
Fusion of images obtained from EIT and MRI
in Electronics Letters
Fallica B
(2011)
Bioengineering approaches to study multidrug resistance in tumor cells.
in Integrative biology : quantitative biosciences from nano to macro
Fallica B
(2012)
Alteration of cellular behavior and response to PI3K pathway inhibition by culture in 3D collagen gels.
in PloS one
| Description | Seven distinct projects were provided funding all with the aim of developing new methodologies or technologies to have an impact on healthcare. Each project was a partnership of Manchester and Boston based academics and clinicians developed through the MIMIT-CIMIT collaboration. Imaging of Functional Dynamics of the Lung: has used a software based platform to merge images from MRI and EIT modalities resulting in high temporal and spatial resolution. So far the technique has been used with phantoms and the next step is to assess the methodology looking at lung function in healthy volunteers. The identification of pathogen-specific biomarkers in ventilator-associated pneumonia: identifying biomarkers from breath samples has technical challenges, and the group has demonstrated good quality samples can be obtained for mass spectometry analysis to identify potential volatile organic compound biomarkers. An algorithm is under development to aid analysis and biomarker identification underway. Multi-compartment carriers for fighting inflammation: development of the different compartments is underway to enable medical agents of different types to potentially be combined and applied topically in a directed manner, especially for the treatment of psoriasis. The compartments will need to be added to a single backbone and testing completed. Using PET and diffusion weighted MRI in the OR to facilitate glioma tumour management: the group has developed a technique to integrate imaging of brain tumours within a surgical setting to enhance biopsy sampling, resulting in improved tumour grading and ultimately patient treatment. Reducing ventilator-associated lung injury through the development of continuous non-invasive image guidance: development of an algorithm to monitor lung over distension is being developed to enable the use of EIT at the bedside on patients who are mechanically ventilated. Making an "IMPACT" (integrated measuring platform for identifying and testing anti-cancer therapeutics): childhood cancer cell lines have been optimised in a 3D cell culture platform designed to measure cellular behaviour in response to drug treatment. Differing drug treatments have been studied and the aim is further assess cell responses to other possible therapies that might have application in the treatment of childhood cancers. Objective Voice Quality Analysis by Spectrogram Entropy: development of an algorithm to assess voice quality is underway using high quality voice sample sets and associated data. Further voice sampling is underway to expand the dataset and aid the development of a quantitative methodology for assessing voice quality. |
| Exploitation Route | For each of the projects further research is likely to be required, but the ultimate aim is to develop methodologies, technologies or techniques that improve healthcare procedures. |
| Sectors | Healthcare |
| Description | The findings from the initial research collaborations have resulted awards of more than £3m follow finding. Software development to enable PET guided biopsies in Glioma patients This formed a crucial component in two major brain tumour projects funded under the CRUK and EPSRC Cancer imaging Centre building on the knowledge and experience acquired through this collaboration. Findings from another collaboration are being used to develop high throughput imaging assays using primary human tumour material. The methodology enabling the integration of images from MRI and EIT is enabling monitoring of key physiological functions (e.g. Lung). Additionally the CIMIT:MIMIT collaborations enabled by this grant have enabled Junior Faculty (Academic and Clinical) Engagement and Exchange initiatives to be set up by Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, MIT and Harvard Medical School. These have resulted in approximately £1m grant awards. |
| First Year Of Impact | 2012 |
| Sector | Healthcare |
| Impact Types | Societal,Economic |
| Description | EPSRC Robust Repeatable Respiratory Monitoring with EIT |
| Amount | £1,534,638 (GBP) |
| Organisation | Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 06/2014 |
| End | 12/2017 |
| Description | European Commission (EC) |
| Amount | £527,302 (GBP) |
| Funding ID | FP7 |
| Organisation | European Commission |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | European Union (EU) |
| Start | |
| Description | Karl Herholz EC FP7 grant INMiND |
| Amount | £558,640 (GBP) |
| Funding ID | 278850 |
| Organisation | European Commission |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | European Union (EU) |
| Start | |
| Description | Karl Herholz NIHR Clinical Lectureship for David Coope |
| Amount | £50,000 (GBP) |
| Organisation | National Institute for Health Research |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 02/2012 |
| End | 02/2016 |
| Description | NIHR i4i Antimicrobial resistance Call (not yet announced) |
| Amount | £427,661 (GBP) |
| Organisation | National Institute for Health Research |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | |
| End | 12/2017 |
| Description | Collaboration between Bill Lionheart and Gerhard Wolf |
| Organisation | Boston Children's Hospital |
| Country | United States |
| Sector | Hospitals |
| PI Contribution | The collaboration between Bill Lionheart (University of Manchester) and Gerhard Wolf (Children's Hospital Boston, US) was a product of the joint MIMIT-CIMIT Science Bridge activity. A call for proposals to bring together PI's from Manchester and Boston resulted in an application for project funding from Bill and Gerhard to work on developing a bedside imaging methodology for mechanically ventilated patients. The project has been looking at developing a methodology to reduce lung injury of patients mechanically ventilated. Gerhard's clinical expertise with Bill's expertise in mathematically modelling and algorithm development has combined to develop an algorithm to enable the real time use of EIT to measure lung damage. The aim is to use this methodology in a clinical setting to reduce lung injury. |
| Start Year | 2010 |
| Description | Collaboration between Geoff Parker, Hugh McCann and Ron Kikinis |
| Organisation | Brigham and Women's Hospital |
| Country | United States |
| Sector | Hospitals |
| PI Contribution | The collaboration between Geoff Parker, Hugh McCann (both University of Manchester) and Ron Kikinis (Harvard medical School, Brigham and Women's Hospital, US) was part of the joint MIMIT-CIMIT Science Bridge activity. The collaboration has been to develop a methodology enabling the integration of images from magnetic resonance imaging (Geoff) and electrical impedance tomography (Hugh) using the 3D SLICER software (Ron). The aim is to achieve high temporal and spatial resolution to monitor key physiological functions such as that of the lung. The relationship is being further strengthen with the potential visit of a PDRA in Hugh McCann's group to Ron Kikinis's lab. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Support for Dr Natasa Terzija to spend an agreed amount of time over in Boston, USA with Prof Ron Kikinis as part of her application to the EPSRC for a 5-year early-career Research Fellowship. |
| Impact | The collaboration between Geoff Parker, Hugh McCann (both University of Manchester) and Ron Kikinis (Harvard medical School, Brigham and Women's Hospital, US) was part of the joint MIMIT-CIMIT Science Bridge activity. The collaboration has been to develop a methodology enabling the integration of images from magnetic resonance imaging (Geoff) and electrical impedance tomography (Hugh) using the 3D SLICER software (Ron). The aim is to achieve high temporal and spatial resolution to monitor key physiological functions such as that of the lung. The relationship is being further strengthen with the potential visit of a PDRA in Hugh McCann's group to Ron Kikinis's lab. |
| Start Year | 2010 |
| Description | Collaboration between Guy Makin and Imagen Therapeutics |
| Organisation | Imagen Therapeutics |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Private |
| PI Contribution | The University of Manchester hosted colleague from Boston, provided cell lines and expertise in pre-clinical drug testing. The collaborative mutually authored two papers from the research and collaborated on further grant applications. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Colleagues in Boston used the University of Manchester (UoM) cell lines to test hypotheses, and applied the UoM drug testing approach in their experimental set-up. |
| Impact | Two publications, as previously reported. Two grant applications, both unsuccessful. |
| Start Year | 2009 |
| Description | Collaboration between Jarrod Homer and Bob Hillman |
| Organisation | Massachusetts General Hospital |
| Country | United States |
| Sector | Hospitals |
| PI Contribution | The collaboration between Jarrod Homer (University of Manchester) and Bob Hillman (Massachusetts General Hospital, US) was a product of the joint MIMIT-CIMIT Science Bridge activity. A call for proposals to bring together PI's from Manchester and Boston resulted in an application for project funding from Jarrod and Bob to develop an objective analysis of voice quality. The collaboration between Jarrod and Bob has lead to the sharing of materials and voice samples with which to develop a novel voice quality algorithm that would assess voice disorders in a quantitative manner. Current practice is through a qualitative test which is subjective, giving rise to variations in test results. A quantitative method would provide a significant reduction in variation of test results and has the opportunity to identify voice disorders at a much earlier stage. |
| Start Year | 2010 |
| Description | Collaboration between Karl Herholz and Ron Kikinis |
| Organisation | Brigham and Women's Hospital |
| Country | United States |
| Sector | Hospitals |
| PI Contribution | The collaboration between Karl Herholz (University of Manchester) and Ron Kikinis (Harvard Medical School, Brigham and Women's Hospital) was a product of the joint MIMIT-CIMIT Science Bridge activity. A call for proposals to bring together PI's from Manchester and Boston resulted in an application for project funding from Karl and Ron and has led to further funding granted to build on the research undertaken. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Software originally developed by Ron Kikinis was refined in a collaborative effort to enable PET guided biopies to be taken from glioma patients. The software refinements by the Manchester group have been implemented and resulted in enabling neurosurgeons to test the system with patients at Salford Royal Hospital. |
| Impact | The grant form a crucial component of the two major brain tumour projects funded under CRUK & EPSRC Cancer Imaging Centre in Cambridge and Manchester (http://www.cam-man-cic.ac.uk). Approximately £2.7 million total award for the Manchester site of which Prof Jackson is the PI and DJ Coope is co-investigator. The brain tumour studies both involve validation of novel imaging techniques as potential biomarkers against tissue samples, both the target definition and the vital recording of the locations of tissue samples builds upon knowledge and experience acquired through the MIMIT:CIMIT collaboration. |
| Start Year | 2010 |
| Description | Collaboration between Muhammad Zaman and Guy Makin |
| Organisation | Boston University |
| Country | United States |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Successful research collaboration where both individuals are actively seeking further funding to continue their collaboration. Three applications for further funding have been submitted. The collaboration between Guy Makin (University of Manchester) and Muhammad Zaman (Boston University, US) was a product of the joint MIMIT-CIMIT Science Bridge activity. A call for proposals to bring together PI's from Manchester and Boston resulted in an application for project funding from Guy and Muhammad and has led to both actively seeking further funding to continue their research. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Similar contribution to above |
| Impact | Discussions with Spinout company progressing to develop high throughput imaging based assays using primary human tumour material |
| Start Year | 2010 |
| Description | Collaboration between Nicola Tirelli and Mark Grinstaff |
| Organisation | Boston University |
| Country | United States |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | The collaboration between Nicola Tirelli (University of Manchester) and Mark Grinstaff (Boston University, US) was a part building the joint MIMIT-CIMIT Science Bridge activity. The collaboration between Nicola and Mark has been to combine their complimentary expertise to develop multi-compartment carriers for combining and targeting medical treatments, such as those agents for psoriasis. |
| Start Year | 2010 |
| Description | Collaboration between Steve Fowler and James Comolli |
| Organisation | Draper Laboratory |
| Country | United States |
| Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
| PI Contribution | The collaboration between Steve Fowler (University of Manchester) and James Comolli (Draper Lab, US) was a part of the joint MIMIT-CIMIT Science Bridge activity. The collaboration has been to identify biomarkers of infection from breath samples collected from mechanically ventilated patients. Steve's clinical expertise and interest in breath sample biomarkers has complemented James's expertise in mass spectrometry analysis and algorithm development. Their research is looking to identify biomarkers that indicate lung infection in a susceptible patient population. |
| Start Year | 2010 |
| Description | Hugh McCann, fellowship for Natasa Terzija |
| Organisation | Brigham and Women's Hospital |
| Country | United States |
| Sector | Hospitals |
| PI Contribution | Support for Dr Natasa Terzija to spend an agreed amount of time over in Boston, USA with Prof Ron Kikinis as part of her application to the EPSRC for a 5-year early-career Research Fellowship. |
| Start Year | 2012 |
| Title | Karl Herholz and Ron Kikinis refinement and integration of 3D SLICER software with VVLink Brain Lab |
| Description | Refinement and integration of 3D SLICER software with VVLink BrainLab has enabled screen shots taken with BrainLab to be integrated with co-ordinates of suitable biopsy locations identified using 3D SLICER to enable neurosurgeons to accurate pinpoint the position from which to take a glioma biopsy. |
| Type Of Technology | Software |
| Year Produced | 2011 |
| Impact | Accurately pinpoints the position from which to take a glioma biopsy. |