26 9 月, 2022

Fujitsu, Tohoku University embark on strategic alliance to realize ‘Well-being Society’

TOKYO, Sep 26, 2022 - (JCN Newswire via SEAPRWire.com) - Fujitsu Limited and Tohoku University today announced the start of a strategic alliance to accelerate the shift towards preventive healthcare and the realization of a 'Well-being Society' in which no one will be left behind.Within their joint project, the two parties will cooperate on the development of new technologies including digital twins(1) in healthcare to visualize simulations of the prevention and treatment of diseases and an AI technology to predict the onset and severity of diseases based on healthcare data such as EMRs(2) and PHRs(3).Researchers at Tohoku University Hospital will cooperate with business experts and combine its outstanding knowledge of advanced medical care, research results from its Academic Science Unit (ASU)(4) and its Open Bed Lab (OBL)(5) with Fujitsu's cutting-edge technologies, R&D capabilities and healthcare infrastructure environment and business know-how including Japan's top share electronic medical record system provided by Fujitsu Japan(6).Tohoku University and Fujitsu aim to promote initiatives that allow individuals to work towards their own personal health image and to contribute to the realization of a framework where a variety of medical services are provided in an organized way throughout the whole community in order to contribute to the early detection and prevention of frailty spirals(7), a syndrome in which health conditions deteriorate due to a negative cycle caused by a variety of causes such as a lack of physical exercise and malnutrition.This initiative will be demonstrated at the Fujitsu ActivateNow 2022 special session which will be held online by Fujitsu on Tuesday, October 4 (15:35 to 16:35 JST, held in Japanese).Outline of the joint research1. Development of digital twin technology to optimize decisions and processesAs part of their joint research, Tohoku University and Fujitsu will develop digital twin technology to be applied in the following areas:(a) Digital twins to support optimal provision of health services to patients- creation of digital twins (virtual images) of patients based on patient medical data and information obtained from diverse test instruments and wearable devices.- various real-time data will be collected and added to the digital twin on a daily basis to support doctors in accurately and quickly capturing patients' symptoms, make decisions about the best treatment, drug regimens, and surgical procedures for each patient.(b) Digital twins to support hospital management- integration of hospital staff personnel information, work information, financial information, and the operating status of medical devices (in addition to medical data accumulated in the electronic medical record system) to enable a real-time monitoring of the operating status of hospital beds and future simulations, support the optimization of daily operations and resources of the hospital and improve the utilization of operation rooms and other medical facilities.(c) Digital twins to support health promotion and disease prevention of local residents- development of digital twin technology to predict and visualize future health conditions based on medical history, health examination results and daily life habits and provide information to local residents to enable everybody to live a healthy lifestyle in a world of extended life spans.- utilization of digital twins in cooperation with local governments and health insurance organizations to encourage local residents to change their behavior towards health promotion and disease prevention and support of the development of systems that contribute to the reduction of national medical expenses.2. Development of AI model to detect possible diseasesTohoku University and Fujitsu will develop an AI model able to detect even small anomalies that can be indicators for diseases from medical data in order to realize efficient diagnosis support in the medical field. The two parties will apply this AI model to health care data including individual patients' daily diet and exercise data to inform patients about changes in their health conditions and encourage early health examinations at medical institutions. In developing this AI model, Tohoku University and Fujitsu will leverage medical data accumulated by the Tohoku University Hospital since the start of the predecessor of the electronic medical record system in 1990, advice provided by the hospital's advanced specialists and business liaison personnel utilizing design thinking to identify needs and create new businesses, as well as Fujitsu's AI technology.3. Development of infrastructure and data analytics method for practical data utilizationIn addition to the development of a new data base for analyzing large amounts of medical data and health examination information that exist in various data formats as well as personal daily lifelogs, the two parties will further develop a new data analysis method for solving social issues by structuring accumulated data into a data format that can be analyzed. By making the established data base available to various healthcare-related companies such as pharmaceutical and insurance companies, Tohoku University and Fujitsu further aim to develop a data circulation type ecosystem that contributes to the creation of new medical services and products and can be used to pass on knowledge gained from these processes to hospitals and individuals.Proactive human resource exchanges and mutual use of R&D facilities to develop new medical servicesTo realize application of the newly developed technologies in real world scenarios, the two parties will promote personnel transfer between Tohoku University and Fujitsu, mutual use of research and development facilities as well as field studies by interns from Tohoku University. Tohoku University and Fujitsu will further promote active usage of Tohoku University Hospital's ASU to contribute to the development of new medical services based on design thinking. In this way, Fujitsu and Tohoku University aim to create human-centered experiences (experience design) based on diversified individual values that differ from conventional manufacturing approaches that focus on technological improvement and increased performance. The two parties will further nurture next-generation data scientists, AI engineers, and other next-generation human resources with medical knowledge and digital technology skills to realize new innovations in the healthcare field.Future PlansIn order to realize its "Tohoku University Vision 2030(8)" in an ever changing world, Tohoku University will realize a virtuous cycle of "education," "research," and "co-creation with society" at a higher level by innovating university management, such as improving productivity through innovation and reforms to create diverse work styles, based on its traditional principles and outstanding education and research. As a university that works together with society, Tohoku University will create new social value and lead reforms that open the way for the future.Fujitsu will work with universities and other educational and research institutions as well as medical institutions, pharmaceutical companies, and medical device manufacturers to build a digital health ecosystem in which a wide range of data can be effectively linked and used with the latest digital technology to enable the provision of personalized healthcare throughout the entire life cycle. This project will play a role in its vision for Healthy Living, a Key Focus Area under the Fujitsu Uvance portfolio of global solutions to realize a sustainable future. Fujitsu will utilize the results of this joint research in the development of new solution services and platforms that help to realize a "Well-being Society," with the aim of providing new value to customers from a wide range of areas, including medical institutions, local governments, insurance business, and pharmaceutical companies.(1) Digital Twin: A group of technologies that digitally reproduce real world information in real time.(2) EMR: Electric Medical Record(3) PHR: Abbreviation of Personal Health Record. A system in which individuals accumulate and manage their own medical information and other health-related information. Refers to disclosure that can be controlled by an individual.(4) ASU: Abbreviation of Academic Science Unit. Researchers from companies promoted by Tohoku University Hospital enter the medical field and conduct on-site observations. A program that explores needs, applies design thinking, and finds development targets. www.asu.crieto.hosp.tohoku.ac.jp/ (in Japanese)(5) OBL: OPEN BED Lab. Research and development initiative established and operated by Tohoku University Hospital. The initiative aims to provide companies with a demonstration environment and other resources to incorporate the viewpoint of medical practice into joint research and development projects with private enterprises. www.shp.hosp.tohoku.ac.jp/OBL/ (in Japanese)(6) Fujitsu Japan Co., Ltd.: Headquarters: Minato-ku, Tokyo; COO and Representative Director of the Board: Takayuki Sunada.(7) Frailty spiral: Frailty refers to a state of weakness between "healthy" and "in need of nursing care," in which, although not a disease, muscle strength and mental and physical vitality decrease with age, making it more likely to require nursing care. The "frailty-spiral" is a series of three frailties: "physical frailty," such as reduced mobility due to muscle weakness; "mental and psychological frailty," such as depression and mild dementia; and "social frailty," such as living alone or in financial poverty.(8) Tohoku University Vision 2030: Challenging vision of Tohoku University looking ahead to the year 2030. The key is to realize a virtuous cycle of "education," "research," and "co-creation with society" at a higher level by innovating university management based on the three traditional principles of Tohoku University. www.tohoku.ac.jp/japanese/profile/vision/01/vision002030/ (in Japanese) Copyright 2022 JCN Newswire. All rights reserved. (via SEAPRWire)

25 4 月, 2022

Fujitsu and Southern Tohoku General Hospital start joint research on AI technology for detecting pancreatic cancer from non-contrast CT scans

TOKYO, Apr 25, 2022 - (JCN Newswire via SEAPRWire.com) - Fujitsu and the Southern Tohoku General Hospital today announced the launch of a joint research project with Fujitsu Japan Limited (hereinafter Fujitsu Japan)(1) and FCOM CORPORATION (hereinafter FCOM)(2) on an AI technology for the early detection of pancreatic cancer from computed tomography (CT) scans without contrast agent (non-contrast CT scans) starting April 1, 2022.Figure 1: Detection of suspected pancreatic cancer using the newly developed technologyThe new AI technology has been trained with data from 300 anonymized CT images of pancreatic cancer patients provided by the Southern Tohoku General Hospital and offers an optimal image analysis method based on the shape of organs and cancer tumors. The joint research project represents a new approach to apply AI technology to support medical practitioners in detecting early signs of pancreatic cancer from CT scans.Fujitsu and the Southern Tohoku General Hospital will conduct clinical trials within this joint research to further improve the newly developed AI and offer a technology for an early detection of pancreatic cancer that can help to improve the quality of life of each patient.BackgroundThe 5-year relative survival rate for people diagnosed with pancreatic cancer is 11%(3) which is lower in comparison to other cancer types, as it is the fastest growing type of all cancers and generally difficult to detect. As the pancreas is located in the deepest part of the human body, affected people often don't easily notice any symptoms and thus often don't undergo voluntary medical examination until the cancer progresses. The fact that the entire pancreas is hard to visualize using simple imaging tests such as abdominal ultrasonography and that affected body parts are difficult to identify makes early detection of pancreatic cancer even more difficult.Researchers anticipate that the development of technology capable of detecting microscopic signs of cancer from imaging data and improving test capabilities will play an important role in the early detection of pancreatic cancer.The goal of this joint research is to successfully develop an AI technology that is able to detect signs of pancreatic cancer not only from contrast-enhanced CT scans (scans using contrast agents to make organs more visible) but also from non-contrast CT scans (scans not using contrast agents) to ultimately support the early diagnosis of affected patients regardless of symptoms of pancreatic cancer.Outline of the joint researchThe precise and early detection of signs of pancreatic cancer in non-contrast CT scans represents a difficult task due to the low contrast of images and the unclear boundaries between the pancreas and other organs. To address this issue, Fujitsu and Southern Tohoku General Hospital aim to develop an AI technology that can identify the region corresponding to the pancreas (part marked yellow in figure 1) and detect the suspected parts affected by cancer (part marked red in figure 1). The technology achieves this by estimating the continuity between the anterior and posterior cross-sectional images in consideration of the anatomical tissue connection and automatically performs three-dimensional analysis including the anterior and posterior cross-sectional images in areas with strong continuity and planar analysis in areas with weak continuity.The partners will also apply the newly developed technology in clinical practice to locate typical signs of early pancreatic cancer, including tumors and pancreatic duct dilatation that are often difficult to detect, as well as for findings that require clinical follow-up including cysts and local atrophy of the pancreas.Future PlansMoving forward, Southern Tohoku General Hospital and Fujitsu will continue collaboration with Fujitsu Japan and FCOM toward the realization of an AI technology for the early detection of pancreatic cancer that contributes to a higher quality of life (QOL) for affected patients. The parties will conduct further clinical verification tests as part of their joint research program with the aim to provide an improved AI technology for practical application in fiscal year 2022. Fujitsu further aims to contribute to the creation of a healthy society by applying the results of this research to a wide range of medical and health promotion services as part of its vision for "Healthy Living" under its global business brand FUJITSU Uvance.Comment from Dr. Daizo Fukushima, Southern Tohoku General Hospital"Previous studies at our hospital have shown that non-contrast CT scans can help to diagnose pancreatic cancer at an early stage(4). I am confident that the new AI technology can help to save many patients' lives if it is able to easily identify patients with an increased risk of pancreatic cancer."Comment from Daiki Masumoto, Fellow, SVP, Head of Converging Technologies Laboratories, Fujitsu Research, Fujitsu Limited"We are very pleased to announce the launch of this joint research project through FCOM, which has long supported the medical system of the Southern Tohoku General Hospital. Fujitsu will continue research and development on converging technologies(5) that combine AI-powered image analysis technology with Southern Tohoku General Hospital's medical knowledge in pancreatic cancer treatment, with the aim of establishing AI technology able to support the early detection of pancreatic cancer."(1) Fujitsu Japan Co., Ltd.:Head Office: Minato-ku, Tokyo; President and CEO: Takayuki Sunada(2) FCOM CORPORATION:Head Office: Koriyama City, Fukushima Prefecture; President and Representative Director: Masahiro Saito(3) Survival rate for people diagnosed with pancreatic cancer is 11%:The Japanese National Cancer Center counted and published the actual 5-year relative survival rate for people diagnosed with pancreatic cancer after diagnosis at designated hospitals all over Japan. bit.ly/3MrIHDB (in Japanese)(4) Non-contrast CT scans can help to diagnose pancreatic cancer at an early stage:Journal of Medical Science: Daizo Fukushima, et al., "Characteristic Radiological Features of Retrospective Diagnosed Pancreatic Cancers", Pancreas, Volume 49, Number 1, January 2020. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31856082/(5) Converging technologies:Advanced technologies that combine computer sciences and knowledge from the humanities and social sciences, aiming to solve diverse and complex issues.About FujitsuFujitsu is the leading Japanese information and communication technology (ICT) company offering a full range of technology products, solutions and services. Approximately 126,000 Fujitsu people support customers in more than 100 countries. We use our experience and the power of ICT to shape the future of society with our customers. Fujitsu Limited (TSE:6702) reported consolidated revenues of 3.6 trillion yen (US$34 billion) for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2021. For more information, please see www.fujitsu.com.About Southern Tohoku General HospitalSouthern TOHOKU General Hospital, was opened in Koriyama, Fukushima. Since 1981, it has developed as the cutting-edge medical facility with the high skill of proton therapy and Boron Neutron Capture Therapy (BNCT). We strive to become a medical hub center in Asia and the world. Press ContactsSouthern Tohoku General Hospital7-115 Yatsuyamada, Koriyama, Fukushima 963-8563, JapanFAX: +81-24-934-5527E-mail: pr@mt.strins.or.jp Copyright 2022 JCN Newswire. All rights reserved. (via SEAPRWire)

19 10 月, 2021

Hitachi, Tohoku University and Kyoto University Become World’s First to Establish Technology for Highly Efficient, High-quality Production of Actinium-225, a Material Required for Internal Radiation Therapy Called TAT

TOKYO, Oct 19, 2021 - (JCN Newswire via SEAPRWire.com) - Hitachi, Ltd. (TSE: 6501), Tohoku University and Kyoto University have become the world's first (1) to establish technology for the highly efficient and high-quality production of actinium-225 (225Ac), a substance required for a form of radiation therapy known as targeted alpha therapy (TAT). TAT is a new cancer therapy which combines a substance that emits alpha particles which destroy cancer cells with a compound that selectively accumulates in cancer cells. The combined alpha-emitting agent is administered to a patient to attack cancer cells within the body (Figure 1). It is known to be effective against forms of cancers that are difficult to treat with existing methods of treatment, including cancer cells that are spread widely through the body, and its practical applications are eagerly awaited. The three-party team has now established technology that enables production of high-quality 225Ac in an efficient manner without producing impurities, which are usually difficult to separate, by using an electron linear accelerator (2) with radium-226 (226Ra) as a source material.Figure 1: Principle of targeted alpha therapy(TAT)Figure 2: Method of 225Ac production using an electron linear accelerator Hitachi, Tohoku University, and Kyoto University will continue research and development efforts to bring this production technology into commercial use, to help put TAT into clinical practice and ultimately improve cancer patients' quality of life (QoL). In addition, Hitachi is set to start a study to evaluate the applicability (3) of 225Ac produced using this new technology in pharmaceutical products in October 2021 in collaboration with the National Cancer Center Japan. Hitachi makes effort to pursue research and development that promotes the Security & Safety (healthy and comfortable life for each individual) of society.Types of radiation therapy include external and internal. External radiation uses beams of radiation delivered outside the body to target cancer cells, while internal radiation involves internal delivery of radiation. TAT is a form of treatment in which alpha-emitting agents are administered into the body to selectively target cancer cells, while producing fewer side effects. It is a potentially promising form of treatment especially for cancers that are difficult to treat with existing methods, including advanced cancer where cells are spread widely through the body. Following a report*4 of its high therapeutic effects in patients with metastatic prostate cancer, therapies using 225Ac as an alpha-emitter have been studied for their efficacy and safety in clinical trials (5) across the world. However, the only established method of producing 225Ac that has been one that uses thorium-229, a nuclear material (6) that is difficult to handle, and it produces only a small amount of 225Ac (63 GBq/y).(7) This has posed obstacles to any widespread use of TAT, as 225Ac is not available in a sufficient amount.To tackle the situation, Hitachi, Tohoku University's Research Center for Electron- Photon Science, and Kyoto University's Institute for Integrated Radiation and Nuclear Science have joined forces to develop a method of producing 225Ac that does not involve nuclear material by applying technologies Hitachi has accumulated in the fields of particle therapy and nuclear power generation. Together, they have successfully established for the first time technology for highly efficient and high-quality production of 225Ac that uses an electron linear accelerator with 226Ra as the source material. This production method involves the use of highly penetrating bremsstrahlung radiation (8) to irradiate 226Ra. In addition to being an efficient production method, it also produces high-quality 225Ac because it does not produce impurities that are difficult to separate (Figure 2).The team has conducted a proof-of-principle test on the production of 225Ac using a small amount of 226Ra, and collected detailed data on 226Ra's photonuclear reactions.(9) Based on the findings from the test, the team, in a joint research project with the addition of researchers from Tohoku University's Institute for Materials Research, who own the technology to handle large amounts of radium, has succeeded in producing approximately 370 kBq of 225Ac, an amount that is sufficient for the future evaluation of its applicability in pharmaceutical products. This represents a major step forward for commercial application of this production method, such that the amount of 225Ac currently produced globally in a year (63 GBq/y) (7) can be produced in one day.(10)Parts of these results will be shared as a Top Rated Oral Presentation at the 34th Annual Congress of the European Association of Nuclear Medicine, (11) which takes place October 20-23, 2021.(1) World's first as a technology that uses an electron linear accelerator to produce 225Ac through a photonuclear reaction of226Ra as a source material.(2) A type of linear particle accelerator that accelerates electrons to produce a high-energy beam.(3) An evaluation of levels of efficiency and stability of 225Ac in being bound to drug.(4) C. Kratochwil et al., J Nucl Med. 2016, vol.57, p1941-1944.(5) A scientific research method that looks into the efficacy and safety of a new medicine or therapy in healthy adult or patient populations.(6) A material that makes nuclear fuel in nuclear power stations ( uranium, plutonium, thorium)(7) A. K. H. Robertson et al., Curr. Radiopharm., 2018, vol.11, p156-172.(8) Electromagnetic radiation produced by irradiating target metal with high-energy electrons.(9) A type of nuclear reaction that is caused by high-energy photons (such as bremsstrahlung).(10) Estimates were made based on the results of simulations using theoretical values of reaction cross -section (reaction probability) and the amounts of 225Ac produced at the proof-of-principle testing.(11) The 34th Annual Congress of the European Association of Nuclear Medicine (EANM2021). https://eanm21.eanm.org/About Hitachi, Ltd.Hitachi, Ltd. (TSE: 6501), headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, is contributed to a sustainable society with a higher quality of life by driving innovation through data and technology as the Social Innovation Business. Hitachi is focused on strengthening its contribution to the Environment, the Resilience of business and social infrastructure as well as comprehensive programs to enhance Security & Safety. Hitachi resolves the issues faced by customers and society across six domains: IT, Energy, Mobility, Industry, Smart Life and Automotive Systems through its proprietary Lumada solutions. The company's consolidated revenues for fiscal year 2020 (ended March 31, 2021) totaled 8,729.1 billion yen ($78.6 billion), with 871 consolidated subsidiaries and approximately 350,000 employees worldwide. For more information on Hitachi, please visit the company's website at https://www.hitachi.com.About TohokuU's Research Center for Electron-Photon ScienceThe Research Center for Electron-Photon Science (ELPH) is a research institute affiliated with Tohoku University. Equipped with an electron linear accelerator and an electron booster-synchrotron accelerator, ELPH has a capacity of generating up to 1.3- GeV electron or photon beams and provides them for use in scientific experiments by researchers through the national "Joint Usage" scheme. In addition to promoting research in the structure and nature of materials in a wide range of fields, from quarks and hadrons which are found in atomic nuclei to materials science. ELPH pursues leading-edge research in accelerator science and beam physics to help make it possible to conduct beam-based experiments that are even more advanced.About TohokuU's Institute for Materials ResearchThe Institute for Materials Research (IMR) is a research institute affiliated with Tohoku University, which is dedicated to research into scientific principles related to material- based sciences and their applications. By combining science with engineering, IMR is engaged in research and educational activities in the field of materials science, covering both fundamental and applied research.About KyotoU's Institute for Integrated Radiation and Nuclear ScienceThe Institute for Integrated Radiation and Nuclear Science at Kyoto University is engaged in isotope application chemistry research and educational activities in a wide range of fields, including physics, chemistry, biology, engineering, agriculture and medicine, using two research reactors (KUR and KUCA) and accelerators, as a designated research center under the Joint Usage / Research Center in National Universities scheme. Contacts:For more information, use the enquiry form below to contact the Research &Development Group, Hitachi, Ltd. Please make sure to include the title of the article.https://www8.hitachi.co.jp/inquiry/hqrd/news/en/form.jspResearch Center for Electron Photon Science (ELPH), Tohoku University Hidetoshi Kikunaga, Associate Professor1-2-1 Mikamine, Taihaku-ku, Sendai, Miyagi 982-0826 JAPANPhone: +81-22-743-3425E-mail:kikunaga@lns.tohoku.ac.jpLaboratory of Alpha-Ray Emitters, Institute for Materials Research, Tohoku University Kenji Shirasaki, Head of Laboratory / Senior Assistant Professor2-1-1 Katahira, Aoba- ku, Sendai, Miyagi 980-8577 JAPAN Phone: +81-22-215-2161E-mail: kshira@imr.tohoku.ac.jpInstitute for Integrated Radiation and Nuclear Science, Kyoto University2-1010, Asashiro-Nishi, Kumatori-cho, Sennan-gun, Osaka 590-0494 JAPAN Phone: +81-72-451-2300 Copyright 2021 JCN Newswire. All rights reserved. (via SEAPRWire)