META-HiLight recognized at SPIE Photonics Europe
The META-HiLight project, a pioneering collaboration between the University of Southern Denmark, SINTEF, and the University of Oulu, has been awarded 2nd place for "Best Innovation by a Multilateral Project, Organisation, or Company" at the 20th anniversary of SPIE Photonics Europe held in Strasbourg. The project aims to develop a faster, more detailed analysis of tissue samples, which is crucial for the early detection and treatment of diseases such as cancer.
The META-HiLight project supported by the EU funding scheme ATTRACT is revolutionizing medical diagnostics through a novel diagnostic technique that utilizes light polarisation's unique, invisible properties. This innovative approach enables faster, more detailed analysis of tissue samples, which is critical for the early detection and treatment of diseases such as cancer.
"The strategic collaboration between SDU Nano Optics and SINTEF A/S (Norway) was initiated in 2018 during the Northern Optics Conference, resulting in many exciting research developments that involve using our optical metasurfaces and MEMS mirrors from SINTEF. These developments have materialized in several high-profile publications, patents, and EU projects, eventually leading to the fascinating possibility of radically influencing the practice of medical histopathology," says Professor Sergey I. Bozhevolnyi, leader of SDU Nano Optics.
By leveraging advanced chip-based technology, the team is developing optical technologies that facilitate the miniaturization and large-scale production of low-cost, portable diagnostic devices, which enhances diagnostic accuracy and promises to make advanced healthcare solutions more accessible.
The objective is to transform traditional diagnostic processes by integrating adaptive metamaterial-based optics into a compact, efficient, and real-time system.
"Through the META-HiLight project, we are setting the stage for a future where complex medical diagnostics can be conducted swiftly and simply at the point of care," Sergey I. Bozhevolnyi says.