BREASTPRESSO, powered by CLOOXE

The solution

Breast prostheses, whether for reconstructive or cosmetic purposes, are among the most commonly implanted medical devices worldwide, with usage continuing to grow each year. Their production already meets high standards of safety and traceability.

However, clinical insertion still requires direct manual handling by surgeons, posing risks of mechanical damage and infection. Our innovative solution, BreastPresso, introduces a “no-touch” approach to breast prosthesis handling, from manufacturing to implantation.

This groundbreaking method offers significant benefits for patients, surgeons, and the industry: improved safety, fewer complications, and a streamlined “plug-and-play” process that is both faster and easier. In addition, BreastPresso is eco-friendly, reducing material use and environmental impact compared to existing solutions on the market.

The team

Jérôme Duisit, CEO & CSO. He is a Plastic & Reconstructive Surgeon (MD), public and private practice clinician, Tissue Engineering (PhD) researcher and lecturer. Currently, he is the Coordinator of the Plastic Surgery department at Hôpitaux Iris Sud (HIS, Brussels, Belgium), a visiting researcher at The Biomatter Lab (Pr Schavandi) Ecole Polytechnique – ULB, and a guest editor for Bioengineering Journal. He is the founder and CEO of CLOOXE S.R.L. 

Guillaume Desjardins, CFO & marketing. He has a background in Business, Risk management, Consulting, and Financial Advisory. Currently, he is Senior Risk Management at Candriam. 

BREEZE MEDICAL

The solution

Our company is addressing the increasing issue of musculoskeletal facial development and its wide-ranging consequences: orthodontic issues, snoring, sleep apnea, respiratory infections, cardiac, neurological, and other chronic health problems.

We have developed intraoral mirrors to enhance documentation, improve collaboration between healthcare providers working with orofacial structures (mouth, teeth, tongue, throat, etc.), and, most importantly, to support patient education.

Intraoral images have numerous applications in dentistry, orthodontics, orofacial development, sleep medicine, and functional medicine. Our intraoral mirrors make image capture 10 times faster than conventional methods, require no additional staff and consistently deliver high-quality images (no fogging, improved angles, optimal lighting, etc.).

The team

Jason Pettiaux, CEO & CTO. He has a background in Biomedical Engineering, Medical Device Development, and Digital health Entrepreneurship & Investment. He currently works as an independent product strategist in the medical device and digital health sectors. 

FLUENT ROBOTICS

The solution

Fluent Robotics is developing a cutting-edge solution to treat ischemic stroke patients via remote robotic interventional thrombectomy.

The robotic solution is developed to enable precise control and navigation of neurovascular medical devices. Our mission is to accelerate procedural response times by overcoming the challenges of geographical distance, all while maintaining the highest levels of safety, reliability, and effectiveness in treating ischemic strokes.

In addition, our remote robotic system addresses key issues faced by interventionalists today such as excessive radiation exposure, non-ergonomic working conditions, and complex procedural coordination. With its compact and highly modular design, complemented with high-realism haptic feedback, our system is set to offer an unprecedented solution in the field.

The team

Omar Al-Ahmad, Business Development and Strategy. He holds a PhD in Engineering Technology (medical robotics). He is currently doing a Postdoc at the KUL with a VLAIO Innovation Mandate.

Mirza Awais Ahmad, Technology and Product Development. He holds a PhD in Biomedical sciences (medical robotics). He is currently doing a Postdoc at the KUL with a KUL C3 grant. 

KARMA

The solution

Our project focuses on individuals affected by musculoskeletal disorders (MSK), a major contributor to chronic pain and long-term disability. Traditional radiological techniques primarily highlight structural changes, often overlooking dynamic joint movements, which are crucial for comprehensive diagnosis and treatment planning.

To bridge this gap, we have developed an AI-assisted analysis platform specifically tailored for CT imaging of joint movements. By addressing the limitations of existing diagnostic tools, our solution enhances the accuracy of MSK assessments and improves patient outcomes.

This cutting-edge platform empowers clinicians — radiologists, orthopedic surgeons, and other specialists — to analyze and visualize joint dynamics in real time, offering a deeper understanding of the underlying issues.

The team

Benyameen Keelson, Lead investigator. He holds a PhD in Biomedical Engineering and he is currently doing a Postdoc at the VUB with a VLAIO Innovation Mandate. 

PAD FLOW

The solution

Assessing the severity of diabetic foot ulcers poses a significant challenge for vascular surgeons. Current imaging modalities focus primarily on vascular morphology and provide limited insight into blood flow and tissue viability before surgery. As a result, over 100 000 diabetes-related amputations occur annually in Europe.

Our solution, PADFLOW, addresses this unmet need by utilizing 4D-CT imaging to quantify blood flow and tissue perfusion in the foot. Our software delivers detailed visualizations of blood flow, wound severity, and limb viability, empowering surgeons with critical, dynamic information before entering the operating room. This enables more accurate, patient-specific diagnosis, treatment planning, and treatment monitoring.

By offering the right information at the right time, PADFLOW has the potential to reduce diabetes-related amputations and improve patient outcomes significantly.

The team

Pieter Thomas Boonen has a background in Engineering Technology, specializing in Nuclear Medical Engineering. He completed his PhD in Medical Sciences in 2024, focusing on applying 4D-CT in diagnosing peripheral arterial disease and diabetic foot ulcers. He is currently doing a Postdoc at the VUB with a VLAIO Innovation Mandate. 

The solution

Classical 2D histology, the current standard for analyzing tissue samples/biopsies, only offers a limited number of sections per sample, potentially missing critical details and leading to diagnostic errors.

TomoTissue’s 3D histology technology captures significantly more data per sample, improving accuracy and reducing errors. Additionally, as our methodology is non-destructive, unlike the classical methods, it excels in analyzing complex tissues, including implants and hard tissues.

TomoTissue provides histological services delivering high-quality 3D image datasets of tissue samples, along with advanced data processing and analysis, supporting research institutes, (pre)clinical pathology labs, and biotech companies. This will enhance their diagnostic and research outcomes, offering a more reliable solution for analyzing tissue samples.

The team

Grzegorz Pyka, future CTO and co-founder of the future company.  He is a research scientist with a PhD and post-doctoral experience. He has also worked in a company that develops analysis equipment such as microCT devices and microscopes, as well as image analysis software. He is currently a postdoctoral researcher at UCLouvain.

Greet Kerckhofs, co-founder of the future company. She is an associate professor UCLOUVAIN and KU Leuven, and PI ContrasTTeam.

They have over 15 years of collective experience in microCT imaging of materials, and they are pioneers in the development of novel non-destructive contrast enhance staining agents (CESAs) and the application of CECT for the comprehensive 3D histological study of diverse human and animal biological tissues. Beyond XCT and CECT imaging, their leadership is marked by a profound expertise in advanced 3D image processing and analysis.

UNVEIL SURGICAL

The solution

UnVeil Surgical is leading the way in tackling complex neurosurgical and orthopedic conditions, including brain tumors, vascular anomalies, and spinal disorders. Our innovative solution addresses the challenges of image-guided surgery, a vital tool for these interventions.

While this technology offers significant benefits, surgeons often face hurdles like image registration, real-time anatomical tracking, and reliance on single-use markers that increase waste. Our advanced 3D sensor technology overcomes these challenges, enabling more accurate and less invasive procedures.

This enhances surgical precision and reduces environmental impact through reusable tools, resulting in shorter operation times, fewer complications, and improved patient outcomes. UnVeil Surgical sets a new standard for performance and sustainability in surgical navigation.

The team

Julien Mutanganwa, Product Owner and Business Developer.

He is a biomedical engineer and is currently fully dedicated to the project. 

Fabian Lecron, Computer Science Advisor.

He is a lecturer at UMons Polytechnic Faculty.