IWT funds VisiCloud, a joint Agfa HealthCare/Inside Matters advanced image processing project

- Results will be targeted towards developing advanced image processing algorithms, cloud-based solutions and an enhanced user experience. - Agfa HealthCare will add clinical value, user experience and flexibility to its Advanced Visualization (Clinical Applications) portfolio. - The project will lead to innovations for both the departmental PACS portfolio and the Enterprise Imaging portfolio.

Agfa HealthCare announces that the Flemish government agency for Innovation by Science and Technology (IWT) will provide funding for the joint Agfa HealthCare/Inside Matters research project “VisiCloud: Advanced visualization and image processing in the cloud”.

The 36-month research project will provide Agfa HealthCare and Inside Matters with the knowledge they need to develop tomorrow’s advanced visualization and image processing platform. The two companies will translate the in-depth insights gained from the project into concrete results on three crucial and tightly-coupled aspects: advanced image processing algorithms, cloud-based solutions and user experience enhancements.

Adding value to 3D imaging
More and more, radiologists and clinicians are recognizing the added value of 3D modalities: 3D techniques and tools, such as CT, are no longer seen as embellishments, but rather as a new standard for imaging. To support this evolution, Agfa HealthCare has developed a portfolio of Clinical Applications or Advanced Visualization software for visualizing and analyzing the information provided by the modalities.

At the same time, clinicians and enterprise users are pushing to see original images, including 3D images, in addition to the reports and screen captures currently offered by picture archiving and communication systems (PACS). And hospitals are calling for cloud-based Clinical Applications, to support their need for cost savings and ease of access.

Taking visualization tools into the cloud
Inside Matters will develop a new, advanced, cloud-based CT analysis platform. This platform will be developed for data generated by industrial CT scanners, also known as 3D X-ray microscopes. As opposed to its medical counterpart, 3D X-ray microscopy is mainly used as an inspection tool in both material research and product development. The platform will be used internally for Inside Matters’ service activities, but will also be sold as a product to the research and industrial market.

“We and Agfa HealthCare share some similar goals for future innovations: we need general and intuitive visualization and segmentation tools for 3D volumes, and we want to offer our solutions in a cloud (private or public) to minimize hardware and service costs and maximize accessibility,” says Jelle Vlassenbroeck, CTO of Inside Matters. “As partners, we can act as a sounding board for each other, to discuss, reflect and provide different perspectives on the issues.”

“IWT is committed to supporting innovation in Flanders, including by funding projects like ‘VisiCloud: Advanced visualization and image processing in the cloud’,” says Johan Michiels of IWT. “This project will not only bring long-term benefits to the two partner companies but will also create value for the region.”

Leading innovation in Imaging IT
“As a leading provider of diagnostic imaging and healthcare IT solutions, we are committed to providing innovative solutions that accommodate the needs of the current and future practices in medical imaging,” says Yoni De Witte, researcher at Agfa HealthCare. “Through our collaboration with Inside Matters we soon recognized that we share the same vision and face similar technical requirements, even though our markets and user groups are totally different. Working together, we can achieve more results with less effort. The support and funding by IWT recognizes the value this joint effort will create.”