How was VitaDX International created?
The idea comes from researcher Marie-Pierre Fontaine-Aupart and professor of urology Pascal Eschwege, who conducted research to develop a more effective solution to diagnose bladder cancer as early as possible and non-invasively. VitaDX was born in 2015.
We have signed a contract with two groups of pathology laboratories, the Médipath group and the XPath group, which allows us to offer our solution to all French urologists and patients. We are currently finalizing an 8 million euro fundraiser and are working on supporting our product, particularly in France, Germany, Space and England. We are also in talks with various development partners in the United States, China and Japan.
How does your VisioCyt solution work?
Currently, when a patient goes to a urologist with symptoms suggestive of bladder cancer, he or she can request two tests: for the first, urinary cytology, a urine sample will be sent to a pathology laboratory to extract the cells present and observe them under the microscope The performance of this complex analysis is limited (detection rate of approximately 50%). The second test is an endoscopy: a camera is inserted into the bladder to see if there are any potentially cancerous areas. This test is effective, but invasive and expensive. Since bladder cancer has a 50% to 70% chance of recurring, the patient should be followed up with several endoscopies per year.
Our test also starts from a simple urine sample. The removed cells are placed on a microscope slide and stained, then a slide scanner will produce a high-resolution image. Our image processing algorithms will analyze it and make a recommendation about the presence of bladder cancer. In our clinical trial we obtained a sensitivity rate of 81%. These results allow the urologist to adjust the course of care for their patient by limiting the performance of unnecessary invasive procedures.
How is population aging a public health problem?
There is little chance of getting bladder cancer before the age of 50, then the chance increases significantly with age. The lengthening of life expectancy therefore induces an increase in the number of new cases per year.
In addition, the pathology sector must face an increase in the number of analyzes for fewer and fewer doctors, so pathologists must be supported by developing increasingly efficient and automated solutions to face this increase in such a heavy load.
What technologies are being developed in health?
In all fields of medical activity we are witnessing the arrival of many devices that integrate artificial intelligence. More specifically in pathology, we observe a strong dynamic of digital pathology, that is, the study of cells or tissues through a screen. With these digitized slides we can use image processing and artificial intelligence, which are experiencing a real boom.
This content was produced with SCRIBEO. The BFMBUSINESS editorial team was not involved in the production of this content.
Source: BFM TV
