On the 16th of May 2024, multiple distinguished carotid atherosclerosis Experts (clinicians, carotid disease experts, researchers, engineers, computer scientists) came together, on site and online; for the purposes of the hybrid Workshop on Clinical Applications & Techniques of Atherosclerotic Plaque Image Analysis, co-organized by the AtheroRisk Project team (ehealthlab@CUT) and the Cyprus Atherosclerotic Society, to present the AtheroRisk Project outcomes. That was a rare and wonderful opportunity for all the participants to acquire distilled knowledge concerning the carotid disease, and the currently advised diagnosis pathways, by Professors A. Nicolaides (Prof. of Vascular Surgery at the Imperial College School of Medicine and Consultant Vascular Surgeon at St Mary’s Hospital from 1983–2000 and Honorary Prof. of Surgery at St George’s University of London/University of Nicosia Medical School, Nicosia, Cyprus) and Stavros Kakkos (MD, MSc, PhD, RVT and Prof. and Chairman at the Department of Vascular Surgery at the University of Patras Medical School, Patras, Greece; connected Online) who sparkled everyone’s interest, starting with two inspiring and detailed talks, explaining what we expect to see, when analyzing carotid ultrasound images and videos, in asymptomatic and symptomatic individuals. All previous research and findings pertaining to the preprocessing/standardization and analysis of ultrasound images, conducted by our collaborators and us, in the past, was showcased. In a talk that followed, Georgia Liapi described the research features developed through the AtheroRisk Project and what the future end-users should expect to find in the AtheroRisk Software. Among them, is the analysis of carotid ultrasound videos to detect the different cardiac cycle phases, and the automatic segmentation of the carotid plaques in ultrasound videos, followed by motion analysis of the plaques, to identify areas in high risk of stroke. Then, Michalis Gemenaris, gave us a complete tour inside the AtheroRisk Software, taking us step-by-step to all image and video analysis modules included in the 1st Version of the Software. Dr. Kyriacos Constantinou and Dr. Nicoletta Prentza, our collaborators from the CYENS (Cyprus Center of Excellence), presented their central findings pertaining to the extraction and analysis of AM-FM image features for stroke risk assessment in carotid ultrasound images, and Gorgia’s based Argumentation Rules, specifically extracted to categorize carotid atherosclerosis image features for stroke risk stratification. Interesting questions were raised by the participants, which were addressed by Prof. A. Nicolaides. Below, we provide a photo gallery, from different talks and moments, during the event. AtheroRisk Collaborators Collaborators in the AtheroRisk Project, from Cyprus and the United Kingdom. Cyprus University of Technology, University of Cyprus, Frederick University, Vascular Screening and Diagostic Cente (Cyprus), American Medical Center (Cyprus), Cyprus Atherosclerotic Society. AtheroRisk Principal Investigator Assis. Prof. Efthyvoulos Kyriacou Introduction to the Workshop. Prof. Andrew Nicolaides Presenting. Prof. Andrew Nicolaides Answering Questions. Prof. Stavros Kakkos (Online) Presenting. Georgia D. Liapi PhD Candidate, MSc Cyprus University of Technology Presentation on Carotid Plaque Motion Analysis in ultrasound videos, for Stroke Risk Stratification. Michalis Gemenaris Research Associate Presenting the AtheroRisk Software Michalis Gemenaris Research Associate Presenting the AtheroRisk Software Dr. Kyriacos Constantinou, CYENS (Online) AM-FM Carotid Plaque Image Features for stroke risk stratification. Dr. Nicoletta Prentza, CYENS (Online) Presentation. Prof. A. Nicolaides and Prof. C. Pattichis Discussion on the use of Argumentation Theories for stroke risk stratification (research led by Dr. Nicoletta Prentza, CYENS). Online Participants ehealthlab@CUT Members Working with carotid ultrasound image and video features, for stroke risk assessment. Michalis Gemenaris, Georgia D. Liapi, and Despoina Andreou. Find or Share this Post on Linkedin:
eCAN – Work Package 7 Telemonitoring
Researchers from the ehealthlab@CUT led the Work Package 7 of the eCAN European Project, where the objectives were to analyze the landscape of cancer telemonitoring systems and patient needs in EU countries, to develop and implement alternatives to improve existing systems and methodologies, aiming to monitor side effects, related to cancer treatments, cancer pain and patient’s quality of life, and to signify the usefulness of telemonitoring for cancer patients and healthcare providers. In a recent interview, Assis. Prof. Efthyvoulos Kyriacou, the coordinator of WP7 of the eCAN project, reflects on patients’ experiences, using a Mobile Application for Telemedicine, developed by an ehealthlab@CUT Researcher for the eCAN WP7 purposes, and highlights policymakers’ perspective for supporting the implementation of telemedicine. Watch the interview below: Watch the interview on Linkedin:
May 16th 2024 – Workshop on Clinical Applications & Techniques of Atherosclerotic Plaque Image Analysis
Before the AtheroRisk Project reaches its completion, the ehealthlab@CUT in collabration with the Cyprus Atherosclerotic Society, organized a Workshop to present the first version of the ‘AtheroRisk Software’, which performs atherosclerotic plaque analysis in carotid ultrasound images and videos, in order to stratify the risk of stroke. This computer Software has been developed under standardized protocols and procedures, derived from many years of research, conducted by distinguished experts. The Workshop will be held on the 16th of May 2024, in the city of Limassol (Cyprus). Check out the Workshop’s Agenda below. We are particularly happy to host highly influential talks, which will be given by two close collaborators of ours, Prof. Andrew Nicolaides (Prof. of Vascular Surgery at the Imperial College School of Medicine and Consultant Vascular Surgeon at St Mary’s Hospital from 1983–2000 and Honorary Prof. of Surgery at St George’s University of London/University of Nicosia Medical School, Nicosia, Cyprus) and Prof. Stavros Kakkos (MD, MSc, PhD, RVT and Prof. and Chairman at the Department of Vascular Surgery at the University of Patras Medical School, Patras, Greece). You are welcome to attend the event, also in hybrid mode, by using the following meeting Link on Zoom: https://frederick.zoom.us/j/93332221519 Find or Share this Post on Linkedin:
February 27th 2024 – TRANSiTION Awareness Event
Among the tasks in the TRANSiTION Project is the development of an advanced education programme, which will help healthcare professionals and non-clinical staff strengthen their Digital Skills. On the 27th of February 2024, an Awareness Event (hybrid) took place in Cyprus University of Technology, featuring two highly important EU-funded projects, INCISIVE and TRANSiTION. Multiple project leaders and researchers came together to present the aims and curent findings of the two projects, an unique opportunity for stakeholders to have detailed update on the modules’ tasks and work progress. With this event, awareness was raised among interested stakeholders in the country of Cyprus and other EU Member States. Prof. Andreas Charalambous, Assist. Prof. Efthyvoulos Kyriacou, Assist. Prof. Ioli Nicolaidou and Dr. Lygia Tsitsi (Lecturer), experts at CUT, are among the TRANSiTION contributors who are actively shaping the landscape of processes to assist healthcare professionals and non-clinical staff to harden their Digitals Skills.
The ehealthlab@CUT team contributes to COMFORTage
COMFORTAGE is a joint effort of medical experts, social scientists and humanists, technical experts and Digital Innovation Hubs to establish a pan European framework for Community-based, Integrated and People-Centric prevention, monitoring and progression managing solutions for age-related diseases and disabilities. The project’s Kick-off meeting took place in Athens, on the 16th of January 2024. Find more about the COMFORTage project here.
The ehealthlab@CUT team will present at ISBI2024
We are excited to anounce that two recent studies of our lab have been accepted, for Poster Sessions, to the ISBI 2024, which will take place in Athens, Greece. In addition, we will also hold a Demo Software Session, where we will present the first version of our medical ultrasound image and video analysis computer software package, created during the AtheroRisk Project. Our research group has submitted an Abstract to ISBI2024, presenting the ‘AtheroRisk Software’, and a recent 4-page paper, evaluating an integrated computer software motion analysis of the carotid plaques in ultrasound videos, to identify individuals with carotid plaque in high risk of rupture, as a strategy to identify patients in high risk of ischemic stroke. Particular focus has been drawn to the cardiac cycle phases (cardiac systoles), where the most profound haemodynamic forces are expected to apply on the atherosclerotic plaques. We will be happy to meet you there! More information about ISBI2024 and its Technical Program can be found here.
eCAN represented at ADHW 2024
Athens Digital Health Week 2024 (ADHW) is an event aiming to strengthen digital health transformation in Europe, by enhancing, among others, the European Health Data Space (EHDS) development, as well as by nourishing partnering and collaboration of digital health projects, such as eCAN. ADHW 2024 was co-organised by the Hellenic eGovernment Center for Social Security Services (IDIKA S.A.) and the National eHealth Authority of Cyprus (NeHA) and was hosted by HL7 Hellas, at the city of Athens. That has been a high-profile networking event of digital health innovators in Europe. Efthyvoulos Kyriacou and Christos Schizas, participated in ADHW 2024, presenting the eCAN Joint Action, in a plenary session, on innovation and development, promoting dynamic discussion, attracting representatives from governments, stakeholders and academia. Find or Share this Post on Linkedin:
The ehealthlab@CUT team presented in BHI-BSN2022
In 2022, the IEEE-EMBS International Conference on Biomedical and Health Informatics (BHI) was jointly organized with the 17th IEEE-EMBS International Conference on Wearable and Implantable Body Sensor Networks (BSN), and took place in Ioannina city, Greece, from September 27th to 30th. We participated in BHI’22, representing two of our projects, AtheroRisk and AVARIS, in Special Sessions.
Kick-off Meeting for the AtheroRisk Project
The Kick off meeting of the AtheroRisk Project was held on the 28th of April, 2022, online. AtheroRisk is a 2-year project, funded by the Cyprus Research and Innovation Foundation (RIF), aiming to produce an integrated intelligent software system for the identification of carotid plaques in high risk of ipsilateral stroke, in asymptomatic individuals with moderate to severe carotid stenosis. Collaborators from all Institutions, in the AtheroRisk’s Consortium, participated in the meeting. The Principal Investigator, Efthyvoulos Kyriacou, Assis. Professor at Cyprus University of Technology and leader of the ehealthlab@CUT team, welcomed everyone and presented the project’s objectives, along with the details and timeline for the proposed Work Packages and Tasks. AtheroRisk Workflow Holistic Diagram. Consortium
