In October of last year, a fully automatic computer program for the detection of brain tumours, which was developed in Bern, caused something of a stir on the international stage. The BraTumIA software only needs 10 minutes to analyse the tissue structures within a malignant tumour in very great detail. The self-learning system was developed and validated by biomedical engineers at the University of Bern's Institute for Surgical Technology and Biomechanics (ISTB) in collaboration with neuroradiology consultants at the Inselspital. The software has been used by more than 200 users in over 40 countries since its release (May 2014).

From brain tumour to stroke

Drawing on the analysis mechanisms and experiences associated with BraTumIA, the team has now developed a new type of software that identifies areas of the brain that might be at risk following a stroke. The really clever thing is how it only takes the computer 6 minutes both to detect any tissue affected by a direct loss of perfusion and to predict which areas of the brain will probably be left damaged after an intervention. This information enables doctors to identify more precisely which tissue has a chance of complete recovery and then free this in a targeted manner using a catheter.

From Bench to Bedside

The system operates independently, is constantly learning at the same time, and can be 'trained' by experienced clinicians to characterise strokes at lightning speed using MRI images. This directly improves treatment for patient.