PHENOMENO

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Brief project summary

Breast cancer is the most common form of cancer among women under the age of seventy. Early diagnosis is recognized as a critical factor that improves the chance of survival. This study addresses the need for anthropomorphic physical 3D breast models when real tissue background is required to study lesion detection, the effectiveness of image processing algorithms, reconstruction algorithms, the entire image acquisition system and to replace the real breast in virtual clinical trials. The physical production of such models is not yet widely accepted due to the costs and challenges of existing 3D technologies, the limited number of suitable printing materials and the limited availability of anthropomorphic computer models.

The main objective of this project is to form an international and cross-sectoral network of organizations working on a collaborative research program in the field of anthropomorphic models used to generate breast X-ray images and 3D printing technologies. Participants will exchange knowledge and acquire skills that will allow them to advance towards key achievements in the development of new computational and physical anthropomorphic models of the breast through a new methodology for segmenting medical images of patients and applying new 3D printing technology and will strengthen collaborative research between scientific groups from Bulgaria, Greece and Italy from the academic and private sectors.

As a result of the proposed collaboration, the project will provide: ● new 3D printing materials designed to optimize X-ray images and a methodology for their production; ● a methodology and prototype of a new 3D printing technology dedicated to working with the new materials; ● a demonstrator of a methodology and software for creating computational and physical breast models based on patient MRI data; ● a database of breast models open to the scientific community; ● a software application for modeling breast compression open to the scientific community (not freely available); ● a new physical anthropomorphic breast model.

Work Packages (WP):

WP 1. Management and Coordination

WP 2. Computational Methods for Creating Anthropomorphic Phantoms of the Breast and Its Structures

WP 3. 3D Printing Technologies

WP 4. Validation and Effective Use of Computer and Physical Models for X-ray Examinations

WP 5. Dissemination, Operation and Training

Project Consortium

1. Medical University – Varna, Bulgaria, COORDINATOR
2. University of Naples – Federico II, Italy
3. MORPHE, Greece
4. MICROSYSTEMS Ltd, Bulgaria
5. BioEmission Technology Solutions, Greece​
   
   

Additional information can be found on the official project website:

www.phenomeno.eu

Acknowledgements:

 This project has received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie grant agreement No 101008020.