When Ard den Heeten, professor of Radiology teamed up with his AMC colleague Kees Grimbergen, professor of Medical Technology, a new
approach to mammography was born. It has been developed upon Grimbergen’s observation of a serious flaw in the current mammogram procedure: the establishment of a standard force of the so-called “paddle” compressing the breasts. “Applying the same force throughout means that the experience greatly varies among differently proportioned women”, says Grimbergen. “The smaller their breasts, the larger the exerted pressure. Not force, but pressure should be the relevant parameter here.” Den Heeten explains that the varying pressure among patients also implies that mammograms currently are not obtained under comparable, standard conditions. “This impedes comparative scientific research.”
The new Sensitive Sigma Paddle, developed by the two professors and co-workers, changes all that. It features capacitive sensors measuring the breast’s contact surface, so that a 75 mmHg compression pressure can be maintained for breasts of all sizes. Its “retrofit” design fits with all major mammography apparatus and to ensure brand independent, maximum availability, AMC spin-off company Sigmascreening was founded. Clinical studies in ten hospitals are now underway, the first device has been sold, and – if all goes well – within a few years the new minimal force
mammography will be widely available.
How do you create a team and find financial support when you launch a start-up? IXA talked to postdoctoral researcher and entrepreneur Alexander Kostenko. When Alexander launched his start-up Photosynthetic in 2019 to build a new kind of 3D printer, he didn’t have a team yet, nor financial resources. Now, he has found a team […]
There is not yet a vaccine against the second deadliest infection in the world after tuberculosis: HIV. Rogier Sanders and Godelieve de Bree of the Amsterdam UMC are optimistic about the possibility of developing one now. It’s for the first time that a vaccine is being developed in one hospital (Amsterdam UMC) from the design […]
In valorisation, it is very important to think carefully about the exchange of values between the organizations you work with and the team of scientists