Clinical Validation
Professor Sally Collins and colleagues in the NDWRH’s Placenta Imaging Research Group have worked for 17 years, to develop the technology including validating the initial maternity product in over 7,500 pregnancies. This novel tool addresses a long-standing challenge in clinical medicine: the ability to measure organ perfusion safely, affordably, and at scale.
This work was supported by the Translational Research Office (TRO), which enabled early-stage de-risking and proof-of-concept development and supported Professor Collins in securing translational funding through a range of external funding applications.
The first product is aimed at improving maternity care. The AI-based technology, the OxNNet Toolkit, is able to automatically segment the first trimester (11 to 14 weeks) placenta from a 3D ultrasound scan, measure its perfusion, and tell if this placenta is either abnormally small and whether it has a poor blood supply; early biomarkers for the later development of fetal growth restriction and pre-eclampsia.
Read the full story on the Nuffield Department of Women's & Reproductive Health website.