Lumeniris B.V., a start-up based in Amsterdam, has received a convertible loan of €350,000 from the North Holland Innovation Fund. Lumeniris is developing an advanced pill-sized camera for the early detection of oesophageal cancer.
Oesophageal cancer is often detected too late
Oesophageal cancer is often only detected at a late stage, because symptoms such as swallowing problems usually only occur when the disease is already advanced. At a late stage, oesophageal cancer is difficult to treat, with only 1 in 4 people surviving the disease. In order to increase the survival rate of people with oesophageal cancer, the focus is on detection before people experience symptoms.
Limitations of current research
People at increased risk of oesophageal cancer are now regularly examined with an endoscope: a long flexible tube with a camera that allows a doctor to view the inside of the oesophagus. However, this method misses 25% of early-stage oesophageal cancer cases. Because the procedure is uncomfortable, patients are sedated (given a light anaesthetic) and remain in hospital for a short time afterwards to recover from the sedation. It is a labour-intensive examination: one doctor and two nurses can spend up to 30 minutes performing the procedure. With increasing pressure on healthcare, this is a problem.
See more with a simpler procedure
A new technology has been developed at VU University Amsterdam that makes it easier to detect oesophageal cancer at an early stage: a camera the size of a pill attached to a thin wire. The patient swallows the camera – without sedation – after which a nurse pulls it up the wire and images the entire oesophagus in a matter of minutes. The camera combines two imaging techniques, OCT and fluorescence, to produce microscope-like images that highlight suspicious areas. The camera detects more cancers at an early stage and reduces the workload with a short procedure that can be performed by just one nurse.
Anouk Post, Managing Director and co-founder of Lumeniris: "Our mission is to ensure that oesophageal cancer is detected more often at an early stage, thereby increasing the number of people who survive this diagnosis – with a quick and simple procedure that is patient-friendly. Thanks to the support of Innovatiefonds Noord-Holland, we can turn a breakthrough from the university into a solution that really makes a difference for patients."
Ludolf Stavenga, fund manager at Innovatiefonds Noord-Holland: ‘Lumeniris is developing a solution that combines high-quality imaging with a short, accessible procedure for both healthcare providers and patients. This innovation can contribute to earlier detection and relieve pressure on healthcare professionals.’
Lumeniris
Lumeniris was founded by Prof. Johannes de Boer and Anouk Post as a spin-off from Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. Lumeniris is developing a capsule endoscope with advanced imaging techniques for the early detection of oesophageal cancer. For more information about Lumeniris, visit: www.lumeniris.com
About Innovation Fund North Holland
The Innovation Fund North Holland is an initiative of the Province of North Holland, the University of Amsterdam, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences, Amsterdam UMC and Sanquin. The Fund supports entrepreneurs in the province of North Holland in financing innovation in the Proof-of-Concept phase by providing convertible loans. The North Holland Innovation Fund manages two funds: a fund for innovative start-ups, supported by the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO), and a fund for academic start-ups, supported by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). www.innovatiefondsnoordholland.nl
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