Optiscan Imaging announced its partnership with Monash University to further the development of its next-generation gastrointestinal (GI) flexible endomicroscope.
This collaboration will enhance Optiscan’s innovative Edge-AI-enabled technology aimed at improving real-time cancer diagnostics during GI procedures.
The alliance builds on Optiscan’s longstanding relationship with Monash, where the Company’s technology was first developed, Optiscan said in an ASX announcement.
“The targeted advantages of our next-gen flexible endomicroscope are not just related to delivering better medical outcomes,” stated Dr Camile Farah, CEO and managing director of Optiscan.
“This endomicroscope is also being specifically designed as a stand-alone medical imaging system agnostic to the commercial endoscope manufacturers, making it easier for clinicians and hospitals to adopt our imaging platform regardless of their current equipment investments.”
Under this new agreement, Optiscan will work with Monash University’s Department of Data Science and AI within its Faculty of Information Technology to refine AI technology that can assist in identifying cancerous and precancerous lesions.
Supported by a Cooperative Research Centres Projects (CRC-P) grant from the Australian Department of Industry, Science, and Resources, the partnership focuses on creating a miniaturised flexible digital endomicroscopic probe.
The design is aimed at fitting seamlessly into biopsy channels of existing endoscopes, significantly broadening its potential reach across GI diagnostic systems.
“Uniting advanced AI with industry capabilities in this way is inspiring,” remarked Professor Ann Nicholson, Dean of Monash’s Faculty of Information Technology.
“It is a demonstration of how industrial innovation can join hands with research expertise to drive meaningful, practical improvements in patient health and reshape the future of cancer detection.”
To date, nearly $1 million of the CRC-P grant has been allocated to advance Optiscan’s flexible GI endomicroscope project, progressing its unique combination of miniaturised endomicroscopy with AI for real-time, high-resolution imaging.
The system’s portability and ability to provide “slide-free” imaging at a sub-cellular level offer a transformative approach to GI diagnostics.
In the United States alone, approximately 21 million GI endoscopies are conducted each year, with a significant portion dedicated to diagnosing conditions like inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).
Market research by Latham Biopharm Group, commissioned by Optiscan, projects the severe IBD diagnostic market to reach USD 1.28 billion globally by 2029.
“The ‘blue sky’ packaged up in this project is immense,” Dr Farah added.
“Optiscan’s imaging system has the potential to revolutionise GI diagnostics, not only for GI cancers, but also for improving accuracy and speed in detecting conditions such as Crohn’s Disease, Ulcerative Colitis, and Irritable Bowel Syndrome.”
The agreement also brings in partners from Design & Industry and the University Medical Center Mainz in Germany to support project development.
A key focus will be implementing Edge-AI algorithms for real-time assessment, allowing endoscopists to identify precancerous lesions more effectively.
“We are thrilled that Monash University has agreed to partner with Optiscan in the development phase of our innovative GI endomicroscope and next generation AI technology,” Dr Farah concluded.
“This agreement between us and Monash University represents a significant step towards better diagnosis and treatment of gastrointestinal diseases. It also represents another chapter in the longstanding relationship Optiscan has with Monash University, with our technology originally created at this prestigious university.”
