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Research & Development Request

A French startup is looking for a software developer partner interested in designing a User Interface (UI) and Experience (UX) for medical sector to complete a consortium for TETRAMAX call for proposals (cascade funding)

Country of Origin: France
Reference Number: RDFR20200213001
Publication Date: 17 February 2020

Summary

A French start-up developing a digital non-invasive medical device to evaluate Capillary Refill Time is looking for a third partner to apply for a cascade funding call under Horizon 2020: the TETRAMAX call. The project will aim to develop a miniaturized pre-industrial prototype. The consortium is looking for expertise in UI/UX software design, to co-build a user-friendly interface displaying diagnosis results easily and clearly. A consortium agreement under TETRAMAX rules will act cooperation.

Description

The French company is developing a non-invasive diagnostic medical device for intensive care, pediatry and emergency services. 



These operators lack equipment that evaluates rapidly, quantitatively and precisely the Capillary Refill Time (CRT) in order to quickly apply the right therapeutic strategy, to restore cardiac function and thus perfusion of vital and peripheral organs.



CRT is commonly used to assess the level of tissue perfusion. It is performed by the pressure of a skin area and the observation of the time to return to the initial color. This measure informs the practitioner of the state of circulation in the tissues and reflects the ability of the circulatory system to fill the small blood vessels.



In order to overcome these serious problems, the consortium is proposing the development of DiCART (Digital Capillary Refill Time), a digital evaluation device for CRT. It is a fast-acting, non-invasive and reusable medical device that will reproduce the steps of the current manual examination, objectively and automatically.

The device will be able to measure the tissue perfusion for patients in severe circulatory failure (and replace a visual evaluation). 



Patients with acute circulatory shock present a high mortality risk if peripheral perfusion is not detected and corrected very early.  This is a key criterion in diagnosing the severity of acute circulatory insufficiency and of course a central criterion in emergency departments (80,000 CRT assessments are performed daily in Europe).

However, the current practice of CRT is still "manual and visual".  It is simple, fast and free but has huge drawbacks:

• It is a subjective method and therefore operator dependent

• It is not very reproducible and non-quantitative

• It causes misdiagnosis, which results in an increase in patient mortality.



DiCART will enable reliable, accurate rapid diagnosis to objectively appreciate the efficiency of the therapies involved.



The technology relies on several patents protecting both the instrument and its consumable (an interchangeable protector). The technical proof of concept was validated thanks to a first collaboration with the mathematics and image application laboratory. This allowed the partners to develop a "laboratory prototype". 



The purpose of the consoritum application is to develop a new miniaturized prototype (pre-industrial type this time) incorporating advanced microelectronics and an intelligent system. Indeed, the speed of treatment, the precision and the size of the device are key factors of success. In the same way its cost will have to remain very reasonable.



With a complementary partner who would be a specialist of UI/UX software integration for medical sector, the consortium would be complete and ready to discuss a research/consortium cooperation agreement complying with the European call for projects rules. 



The goal is to apply to TETRAMAX 4th open call for Value Chain Oriented and Interdisciplinary Technology Transfer Experiments before the 29 February.

Deadline for EOI : 26 February



TETRAMAX (TTX) program aims at fast‐track innovation in various ICT based application such as: automotive electronics, cloud computing, communication technologies, cybersecurity, HW/SW codesign, low-energy computing, and medical and health applications, etc.

TTX partnership : Three partners from at least two different EU member states or H2020 associated countries have to form the TTX partnership. TTX activities brings together: One academic partner (A); Original Equipment Manufacturer” (OEM) partner (B) testing and deploying the technology and Another partner (C) aiming at productizing. Project duration is between 10-12 months.

TTX financial support of €75,000 is preferred. Maximum possible financial support per TTX partner over all TETRAMAX granted TTX: €60,000.

For more information please see the website : https://www.tetramax.eu/ttx/calls/tetramax-valuechain-ttx-4/

Stage Of Development

Proposal under development

Requested partner

The French SME is looking for a partner able to implement algorithms (python C++) into a friendly end-user application (compliant to medical standards) with management of software ouput. Expertise in User Interface/User Experience design for medical sector is very welcomed.

The general idea is to display on screen the results with an intuitive interface. 

Cooperation will be set under a research/consortium cooperation agreement with the aim to answer the fourth TETRAMAX call before 29 february