Award Title: Advanced image registration for 1View – An augmented reality software platform for inter-operative guidance during Mechanical Thrombectomy (MT's) procedures - Giving Stroke victims a better chance
Funder: Department of Health and Social Care

Abstract: A stroke is a blood clot or bleed in the brain which can lead to permanent brain damage and death. It is the leading cause of disability and the second leading cause of death worldwide. Over 100,000 people have a stroke in the UK each year, and there are 1.3m stroke survivors in the UK. The number of stroke victims is projected to increase by 60% by 2035. Strokes in the UK currently incur annual costs of £26bn in treatment, rehabilitation, social and unpaid care, and loss of productivity.   A common cause of stroke is from a clot that forms within an artery in the brain. Mechanical Thrombectomy (MT) is the newest and most effective treatment. MT is the removal of the blood clot by a tube or catheter, usually inserted into an artery in the groin, and guided through the body into the brain to grab the clot and remove it. However, MTs can be challenging with some lasting up to 5hrs.     Despite its effectiveness, MT is currently only performed on 10% of stroke victims suitable for the treatment. This is due to the lack of hospitals that have the specialist equipment, the shortage of trained specialists and the length and difficulty of the procedure itself.   The aim of Medical iSight (UK) Limited (MiS) is to develop software (1View) that simplifies and improves the safety and effectiveness of MT. This will be achieved by providing specialist surgeons with highly accurate 3D images of the intricate network of blood vessels in the brain, viewed through Extended Reality headsets (Microsoft s HoloLens), together with guidance as to the optimal route to the clot.  The ambition is to shorten the length of procedure by 30%+. Approximately 1200 MTs were performed last year, therefore with 1View another 360 patients could live  normal  lives post stroke.  The software will also allow faster training of specialist surgeons. Approximately 10,000 patients in the UK every year suffer strokes that could be treated by MT.  The largest element of stroke cost is the 60% attributed to unpaid care (£15.6bn). This cost excludes the stress and mental health issues experienced by these friends and family carers.  In its Long Term Plan (2019) the NHS identified stroke as a clinical priority. The aim is that over the next five years (from 2021) hospitals suitable to treat MT will be increased from the current 8 (all in London) to 30 situated nationwide, so that 90% of stroke victims will have access to Thrombectomy.  MiS needs to develop 1View quickly, to coincide with this revitalisation of stroke treatment in the UK, help save lives and reduce care dependency for survivors as well as save much needed NHS funds.

Lay Abstract: A stroke is a blood clot or bleed in the brain which can lead to permanent brain damage and death. It is the leading cause of disability and the second leading cause of death worldwide. Over 100,000 people have a stroke in the UK each year, and there are 1.3m stroke survivors in the UK. The number of stroke victims is projected to increase by 60% by 2035. Strokes in the UK currently incur annual costs of £26bn in treatment, rehabilitation, social and unpaid care, and loss of productivity.   A common cause of stroke is from a clot that forms within an artery in the brain. Mechanical Thrombectomy (MT) is the newest and most effective treatment. MT is the removal of the blood clot by a tube or catheter, usually inserted into an artery in the groin, and guided through the body into the brain to grab the clot and remove it. However, MTs can be challenging with some lasting up to 5hrs.     Despite its effectiveness, MT is currently only performed on 10% of stroke victims suitable for the treatment. This is due to the lack of hospitals that have the specialist equipment, the shortage of trained specialists and the length and difficulty of the procedure itself.   The aim of Medical iSight (UK) Limited (MiS) is to develop software (1View) that simplifies and improves the safety and effectiveness of MT. This will be achieved by providing specialist surgeons with highly accurate 3D images of the intricate network of blood vessels in the brain, viewed through Extended Reality headsets (Microsoft s HoloLens), together with guidance as to the optimal route to the clot.  The ambition is to shorten the length of procedure by 30%+. Approximately 1200 MTs were performed last year, therefore with 1View another 360 patients could live  normal  lives post stroke.  The software will also allow faster training of specialist surgeons. Approximately 10,000 patients in the UK every year suffer strokes that could be treated by MT.  The largest element of stroke cost is the 60% attributed to unpaid care (£15.6bn). This cost excludes the stress and mental health issues experienced by these friends and family carers.  In its Long Term Plan (2019) the NHS identified stroke as a clinical priority. The aim is that over the next five years (from 2021) hospitals suitable to treat MT will be increased from the current 8 (all in London) to 30 situated nationwide, so that 90% of stroke victims will have access to Thrombectomy.  MiS needs to develop 1View quickly, to coincide with this revitalisation of stroke treatment in the UK, help save lives and reduce care dependency for survivors as well as save much needed NHS funds.

Research Activity Codes: 5.4 SURGERY
Health Categories: STROKE