image: The AIRCARE project aims to introduce advanced AI-driven and robotic technologies into clinical workflows, offering new standards of care in the detection, diagnosis, and treatment of UADT cancers. In the picture, an experimental setup at the IIT labs in Italy.
Credit: IIT-Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia
Genoa (Italy), 17th December 2024 – The AIRCARE Project, a European initiative funded under the Horizon Europe Programme, has secured almost 8 million euros to transform the diagnosis and treatment of Upper Aerodigestive Tract (UADT) cancers. Coordinated by the Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT-Italian Institute of Technology), AIRCARE brings together leading research institutions, hospitals, and industry experts across Europe. The project aims to introduce advanced AI-driven and robotic technologies into clinical workflows, offering new standards of care in the detection, diagnosis, and treatment of UADT cancers.
Upper Aerodigestive Tract cancers, predominantly comprising of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma, is the sixth most common cancers globally. The average 5-year survival rate for these patients is around 40-50% even with treatment advances. These cancers affect areas such as the larynx, pharynx, and oral cavity, presenting complex challenges for clinicians in both diagnosis and treatment due to the intricate anatomy of these areas. Patients face a difficult journey, enduring aggressive treatments that often result in long-term complications, including difficulties with speech, swallowing, and breathing.
Recognising the formidable challenges in this field, AIRCARE will introduce AI-powered systems for real-time diagnosis and precision CO2 laser surgery, designed to overcome current limitations. New refined dedicated systems and accessories set the goal of reducing the rate of positive margins, enhancing surgical precision and easiness of use. The project aims to significantly improve outcomes for UADT cancer patients, transforming their quality of life and advancing global standards in cancer care.
AIRCARE will develop two integrated clinical systems—one for diagnosis and one for CO2 laser microsurgery. These systems will incorporate cutting-edge technologies like computer-assisted diagnosis and AI-driven tumour margin detection and diagnosis. The project will refine and clinically validate a novel sensing probe for in-situ tissue characterisation, and a robotic platform for precise and minimally invasive transoral tissue removal.
The diagnostic system will enhance traditional endoscopic procedures by providing real-time AI-powered feedback during examinations, allowing clinicians to identify suspicious lesions. This could potentially eliminate the need for biopsies and open up future opportunities for large-scale screening campaigns. The surgical system will incorporate advanced robotics and AI-based tools to support precision surgery, improving tumour resection accuracy while preserving healthy tissue.
AIRCARE will demonstrate the efficacy of these technologies through clinical trials at the Departments of Otolaryngology of three major European hospitals: San Martino Hospital (Italy), Universitair Ziekenhuis Leuven (Belgium), and Hospital Clínic de Barcelona (Spain). These trials will validate the AIRCARE systems in real-world surgical environments, determining the potential for improved accuracy in non-invasive tumour detection and characterisation, enhanced surgeon ergonomics, and overall better patient outcomes.
"The AIRCARE Project represents a significant leap forward in how we diagnose and treat cancers of the upper aerodigestive tract. By harnessing the power of both AI and robotics, we can improve the precision and safety of diagnosis and surgical interventions, whilst also setting a new benchmark for efficiency and patient outcomes" said Dr. Leonardo De Mattos, project coordinator at IIT. "Collaboration between hospitals, universities, and industry partners is key to achieving our ultimate goal to establish a new standard of care that can be widely adopted, transforming the way these cancers are diagnosed and treated across Europe and beyond.”
The AIRCARE consortium includes twelve partners from six countries. Key participants include the Fondazione Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (Italy), KU Leuven (Belgium), Syddansk Universitet (Denmark), Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna (Italy), Università degli Studi di Genova and San Martino Hospital (Italy), IDIBAPS (Hospital Clínic de Barcelona, Spain), El.En. SpA (Italy), BARCO NV (Belgium), ACMIT Gmbh (Austria), Inventya Ventures (Ireland), TimeLex (Belgium), and Università degli Studi “Gabriele d'Annunzio” Chieti-Pescara (Italy).