Cytology is a necessary diagnostic test performed daily by veterinary clinicians. Microscopic examination of individual cells or cell clusters on stained or native slides can reveal various diseases like tumors and parasites. Particular knowledge, experience, and significant time are needed to interpret the sample. Alternatively, certified pathologists can review the slides, directly or via whole slide imaging (WSI)-based digital pathology systems, leading to diagnostic delays and extra costs. Oppositely, this project introduces a digital pathology system based on cost-effective holographic microscopy (HM) and artificial intelligence (AI) for automated cytological examination of common conditions in dogs, cats, and cows (inflammation, tumors, and parasites). Because HM is lensless microscopy, its field of view (FOV) is unrelated to the resolution and matches the camera’s sensor size, which is significantly more than in traditional WSI scanners. Digital focusing also guarantees a broader depth of field, crucial for focused images throughout cytological slides having various thicknesses. To further improve image resolution, primarily matching the sensor’s pixel size, to the submicron level, we will add structured light to exploit the Moiré effect. Finally, the state-of-the-art AI algorithms will extract essential cytological features from the acquired images and reach a primary diagnosis.

Europe's IT hardware development is constantly challenged by outrageously expensive development tools, legal constraints like NDAs or patents, lock-in threats, dependency from external vendors or supply chains and foreign political events. Europe’s digital infrastructure (from consumer to critical appliances) is heavily relying on foreign closed-source chips which are literally black-boxes which may (and have been proven to) contain malicious features. This situation makes the hardware development expensive and inefficient, and undermines the very principle of sovereignty, resilience and re-usability. Open-source silicon chips, which are open in their entirety, i.e. down to the physical layout, carry the potential of catapulting Europe into a renaissance of digital technology. Several challenges are on the way, many of which will require the participation of the stakeholders (from the fertile ground made of “nerdy” hobbyists and makers who are the early protagonists of the scene, all the way up to large enterprises), as well as the participation of policymakers and regulatory bodies. The road ahead is steep, but rich of rewards. Therefore we loudly say: Go IT!

Motivation for the study: A growing body of evidence suggests that integrated technologies of brain-computer interfaces (BCI) and virtual reality (VR) environments provide a flexible platform for a series of neurorehabilitation therapies, including significant post-stroke motor recovery and cognitive-behavioural therapy. When immersed in such an environment, the subject's perceptual level of social interaction is often impaired due to the sub-optimal quality of the interface lacking the social aspect of human interactions. Project objective: We propose a user-friendly wearable low-power smart BCI system with an ecologically valid VR environment in which both the patient and therapist collaboratively interact via their person-specific avatar representations. On the one hand, the patient voluntarily, and in a self-paced manner, manages their activity in the environment and interacts with the therapist via a BCI-driven mental imagery process. This process is computed and rendered in real-time on an energy efficient wearable device. On the other hand, the therapist's unlimited motor and communication skills allow him to fully control the environment. Thus, the VR environment may be flexibly modified by the therapist allowing for different occupational therapy scenarios to be created and selected following the patient's recovery needs, mental states, and instantaneous responses. Implementation: Careful attention will be paid to balance known neurophysiological evidence of the process with artificial intelligence (AI) within the active BCI protocols to avoid running into conceptual pitfalls. Computed features of EEG signals will serve to monitor the patient's engagement, cognitive workload, or mental fatigue in real-time. These indicators will be combined with observable patient’s performance and behaviours to improve the accuracy of mental state estimation. Exceeding critical mental state levels will signal the therapist to activate appropriate countermeasures in the form of environmental and task changes. Research and technological challenges: To challenge and overcome existing technologies, commercially available head-mounted VR displays (HMD) combined with miniaturized energyefficient microcontroller units will be employed for EEG signal processing, BCI discrimination and on-board classification implementation, and a full-duplex communication with the HMD controllers. Advanced dry EEG sensors suitable to operate and be placed on the scalp without interfering with the HMD will be developed and tested. A novel patient-to-therapist multimodal collaborative environment augmented through VR immersion and by AI monitored patient’s brain activity will be created. By combining these pieces, a low-power wearable BCI-HMD system will be constructed. A series of clinical studies will validate the system.

ESCULAPE project is targeted to building a strong interdisciplinary partnership in order to support joint research and innovative activities in the fields of biomaterials, polymer science, nanotechnology, tissue engineering, microbiology and medicine with the aim to explore development and implementation of new medical engineering solutions for regenerative medicine and wearable electronics. The project will offer novel solutions (from the manufacturing stage to exploitation strategies) using MXenes, a new class of two dimensional (2D) materials consisting of transition metal carbides/carbonitrides. MXenes will be employed to modify properties and qualities of porous 3D electrospun nanoscaffolds, which will be used in tissue engineering for regenerative biomedicine and development of wearable electronics on both woven and non-woven fabrics. The main goal of the ESCULAPE project is to build a new training partnership to develop innovative strategies to achieve advanced biomaterials with target-oriented properties (electrical conductivity, biocompatibility etc.) that will be able to deliver specific features for regeneration of heart and nerve tissues, regulation of homeostasis in iPSCs, as well as in development of wearable electronics. Interdisciplinary and inter-sectoral secondments will be the main tool for project realization with the aim of strengthening research, training, communication and networking capacities of participant organizations and knowledge transfer from academia to industry and vice versa. Proposed research and training goals will lead to enhance research and transferable skills of the ESRs, as well as their competences with the aim of improving competitive employability and career prospects in both academic and industrial sectors. Public dissemination of new research results will increase the awareness of general society on the role of researchers and research infrastructure in establishing the EU as a world leading R&I force.