Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) is an imaging technology used to visualize the structures of optical scattering media. The process is particularly suitable for examining organic tissue and for characterizing tissue morphology thereby permitting cancer cells, for example, to be detected and diagnosed when the disease is still at an early stage. Although OCT technology is regarded as the "gold standard" in disciplines such as ophthalmology, it has not yet successfully established itself in other areas of application, often as a result of a lack of reliable knowledge and suitable system design. There is an urgent need for research and development in these areas. Potential areas of application for OCT technology are, therefore, currently being identified in the "Optical Coherence Tomography for New Medical Applications", shortened to "OCTmapp" Research Project.
The Fraunhofer Institute for Production Technology IPT and Tokyo Women’s Medical University signed an official Cooperation Agreement at the “Medical Imaging - New Perspectives and the Role of OCT” conference on November 8 in Tokyo to estaplish the research alliance. The objective of the OCTmapp project is to establish a research presence in Tokyo focusing on OCT for new clinical applications. OCTmapp is sponsored by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research. The cooperation agreement formalizes and strengthens the cooperation between the TWMU and Fraunhofer IPT for the joint research alliance and facility.
Speaking publicly about the project, Maximilian Steiert, Director of International and Political Affairs of Fraunhofer Association said: “We regard the OCTmapp project as an important element of a successful Fraunhofer internationalization strategy”. The Japanese expressed the view that “combining and exploiting the high level of technology in both countries with the high level clinical environment at the TWMU will open up a whole new field of medical device development. We welcome approaches from additional researchers/developers wishing to join our OCTmapp” said Professor Ken Masamune, TWMU.
Project Partners
The Fraunhofer IPT has acquired a wide range of in-depth expertise over the past few decades and provides technical leadership within Fraunhofer in the field of optical metrology and especially in OCT. The Institute for Advanced Biomedical Engineering and Science (ABMES) in Japan, is a central research unit of the Tokyo Women’s Medical University (TWMU) which is one of the most renowned medical institutions in Japan with worldwide reputation and visibility. The Fraunhofer Center for International Management and Knowledge Economy (IMW) contributes the required socio-economic competencies for commercialization issues.
