Photonics technologies have revolutionized the medical market. The different effects of the light wavelengths in living organisms have allowed to image internal organs and bones non-invasively, to develop biosensors for early detection of different diseases or to treat these diseases by making tissue incisions, heating or vaporizing specific regions.

Several powerful imaging systems are available nowadays for the visualization of detailed structures, also improving the imaging depth into living tissues. Raman microscopy, OCT, photoacoustic imaging… can be used by pathologists to examine the patient’s sample and obtain a faster and more reliable diagnosis. Also, the delivery of laser radiation through optic fibers is a commonly used method for surgery and targeted treatment of tissues. The development of new sources with specific wavelengths, intensities and pulse duration will allow to treat the affected region more effectively without affecting the healthy tissues in the surroundings. And new point-of-care devices and biosensors have been developed for applications such as blood analysis, glucose monitoring or detection of drugs concentration in different tissues and fluids. These new developments have taken advantage of the great properties of the light to obtain faster, more compact and more reliable devices, including wearable solutions which would help in the implantation of telemedicine procedures.

In this meeting we will bring together the full value chain of diagnostic and therapeutic related technologies and devices to open new paths for collaborations. We will cover different diseases, including cancer pathology and surgery, with several medical doctors presenting the status of the technology and their future needs to help system integrators and laser and photonic devices manufacturers in the development of new solutions to overcome the existing limitations.

PROGRAM

3 December, Tuesday

12:00 – 13:00 Registration and lunch at ICFO
13:05 – 13:15 Welcoming words by EPIC
13:15 – 13:30 Welcoming words by ICFO

13:30 – 15:30 SESSION 1 – PHOTONICS ASSISTED CANCER PATHOLOGY

• KEYNOTE:Hospital Clínic Barcelona–Non-Invasive Diagnosis of Skin Cancer –Josep Malvehy, MD – Dermathologist (Spain)
• Antwerp University Hospital–Clinical Challenges and Opportunities for Photonics– Senada Koljenovic, MD – Pathologist (Belgium)
• Leibniz Institute of Photonic Technology–Intraoperative Tumor Assessment with Raman Spectroscopy, Including Regulatory Aspects –Iwan Schie, Professor for Biomedical Engineering (Germany)
• ICFO–Multiphoton Microscopy –Pablo Loza-Alvarez, SLN Team Chief  (Spain)
• TOPTICA Photonics–Non-linear Fluorescence Imaging to Improve Skin Cancer Diagnosis– Luisa Hofmann, Product Manager – Ultrafast Fiber Lasers (Germany)
• iThera Medical–Photoacoustic Medical Imaging and Sensing: High-power Compact VCSEL Subsystem as Game-changer –Patrick Leisching, CTO (Germany)

15:45 – 16:30 Networking coffee break and Matchmaking Session

16:30 – 18:15 SESSION 2 – PHOTONICS-GUIDED MONITORING AND THERAPY FOR ONCOLOGICAL DISEASES

• KEYNOTE
• Hospital Clinic Barcelona–LUCA Project – Laser and Ultrasound Co-Analyzer for Thyroid Nodules – Mireia Mora, MD – Endocrinologist (Spain)
• ICFO– Personalized Photothermal Plasmonic Cancer Therapy– Clara Vilches, Researcher- Medical Optics(Spain)
• Gustave Roussy –Fluorescence Guided Surgery in Gustave Roussy Cancer Center– Muriel Abbaci, Group Leader, Surgery and Pathology Photonic Imaging –SP2I (France)
• Liquid biopsy
• Glucose analysis

18:15 – end of the day 1
19:30 – 22:00 Networking dinner

4 December, Wednesday

08:00 Departure from hotel
08:15 – 08:45 Welcoming coffee ac ICFO

08:45 – 10:15 SESSION 3 – EMERGENT PHOTONICS TECHNOLOGIES FOR OTHER MEDICAL APPLICATIONS

• KEYNOTE: ICFO– Non-Invasive Hemodynamic Monitoring Using NIR Techniques – Turgut Durduran, Head of Medical Optics Group(Spain)
• Hospital Sant Joan de Déu Barcelona –Optical Neuroimaging Device to Understand the Mechanisms of Brain Damage– Joan Sanchez de Toledo, MD – Pediatrics & Marta Camprubi, Neonatologist(Spain)
• RiverD–In vivo Raman Spectroscopy-based Identification of Filaggrin-gene Mutation Carriers; Key to Development of Strategies for Prevention of Atopic Dermatitis in this High-risk Group – Gerwin Puppels, Managing Director (Netherlands)
• Bioherent– Eduardo Martínez Castellano, Physicist and Medical Doctor (Spain)
• DiaMonTech–Non-invasive Blood Glucose Measurement by Mid-infrared Spectroscopy: Principle and Validation– Werner Mäntele, Chief Scientific Officer (CSO) (Germany)

10:15 – 11:00 Networking coffee break

11:00 – 12:30 SESSION 4 – BUILDING A FAST-LANE TO THE CLINIC (REGULATIONS, CERTIFICATIONS…)

• KEYNOTE: IDIBELL – Hospital de Bellvitge– Miguel Angel Souto Mora, Director of Business Development and Innovation(Spain)
• Hospital Clínic Barcelona– Ferran Rodríguez Omedes, Director of Hospital Infrastructure and Biomedical Engineering(Spain)
• Roundtable

12:30 – 14:00 Networking Lunch
14:00 – 15:30 Company tour – ICFO
15:30 End of the Technology Meeting & bus transfer to Barcelona Airport