Development and integration of an image processing algorithm with a novel robotic device that detects lymph nodes in surgical pathology specimens

In 2020, colorectal cancer was newly diagnosed in nearly 2 million patients and associated with approximately 1 million deaths, making it the second most deadly cancer globally. In colorectal cancer, staging (i.e., determining if the cancer has spread) is the single most important factor in patient survival. Existing healthcare systems struggle to deliver accurate staging, and there is a clear correlation between poor staging, poor outcomes, and increased healthcare costs. The staging process involves a manual search for lymph nodes (LNs) conducted by pathology staff in fatty tissues that are surgically removed with the colon tumour. This LN search is labour-intensive, costly and unreliable, which places patients at risk of being either under- or over-treated for their cancer and presents a significant need for a sustainable solution. For the proposed BSI project, Tenomix is searching for a software developer that can work full-time during the summer months (May to August 2022) who can validate our initial algorithm and then help integrate the algorithm into a robotic gantry system developed by Tenomix.

Faculty Supervisor:

Harry Marshall

Student:

Partner:

Tenomix

Discipline:

Computer science

Sector:

Biotechnology; Artificial Intelligence; Technology

University:

The University of Western Ontario

Program: