Sioux invests 3 million euros in Swiss cancer tissue imager

Through its Tech Fund, Sioux has invested 3 million euros in Samantree Medical, an EPFL spin-off (Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne). The Brabant Development Agency (BOM) is putting money in as well. A digital microscope for ultra-fast confocal imaging, Samantree’s Histolog scanner helps cancer clinicians to visualize fresh excisions and check for complete tumor removal during surgery. Together with the investment, Sioux has acquired the exclusive right to manufacture the system. The Eindhoven-based technology group will also be supporting the Swiss company with its expertise in production, data analysis and AI.

When excising a tumor, the challenge for the surgeon is to remove all of the cancerous tissue while preserving as much as possible of the surrounding healthy tissue. To check the resection, the excision is prepared in thin slices for microscopical analysis in the pathology lab. This preparation takes time and is done after the surgery. Depending on the results, the patient may need to be operated on again to remove remaining cancerous tissue. Patient care can be much improved by making immediate margin assessment available during surgery.

For exactly this purpose, Samantree has teamed up with surgeons and pathologists to bring confocal microscopy to the operating room. The Histolog scanner seamlessly integrates with the other equipment there. Once resected, the excision is simply dipped in a contrast agent and placed on a disposable dish over the imaging window – all within one minute and without the need for fixing, embedding or glass mounting the tissue. Then, within a few seconds, a digital image of the excision surface is made and displayed on a touch screen. The surgeon can zoom in and move around in the picture to look at suspicious lesions. What’s more, the excision remains intact for later final assessment.