INOVAIT, the pan-Canadian innovation network supporting advancements and commercialization in image-guided therapy (IGT) and artificial intelligence (AI), is excited to announce the latest recipients of its Pilot Fund. This competitive funding program is awarded to compelling medical technology projects that harness the transformative power of AI, machine learning, and big data analytics in IGT to advance medical innovation and streamline care.

INOVAIT has committed just under $730,000 to support six new projects involving collaborations between small- and medium-sized enterprises, hospital research centres, and academic institutions, creating jobs and launching healthcare innovation across the country. These organizations are each taking on a novel approach to using AI and data capabilities to enhance their IGT technologies, strengthening the sector, creating more high-value jobs, and ultimately delivering health benefits to Canadians and people around the world.

The combined value of the six projects is over $2.2M, contributed by all participating companies, organizations, and partners. INOVAIT is proud to offer this non-dilutive financial support to Canada’s most innovative technologies in IGT. Funding was provided coast to coast to projects that demonstrated the highest commercialization potential and economic impact, including projects in British Columbia, Alberta, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec, Nova Scotia, and Newfoundland.

Kullervo Hynynen, co-executive director of INOVAIT, proudly stated, “INOVAIT’s financial support promotes the practical application of research and development efforts, speeds up market readiness of innovations, generates high-impact jobs for Canadians and fuels the sector overall.” He added, “To date, INOVAIT has selected 88 IGT-AI projects for funding, leading to an expected infusion of $128 million into the burgeoning Canadian image-guided therapy sector.”

Sound Blade Medical leads one of the six announced INOVAIT Pilot Fund projects. In partnership with Dalhousie University, they are revolutionizing endoscopic healthcare through cutting-edge image-guided histotripsy and machine learning algorithms. Their INOVAIT Pilot Fund project focuses on advancing treatment and care for those suffering from obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Current surgical options to treat OSA are performed blind, often leading to complications such as bleeding, infection, speech impairment, and tongue paralysis. Sound Blade’s project will further develop non-invasive, image-guided ultrasound ablation (histotripsy) technology as an alternative to tongue-base reduction surgery for OSA. With the help of AI, Sound Blade’s intra-oral image-guided ablation prototype will precisely and non-invasively liquify fatty tongue tissue, protecting vital neighbouring tissue and mitigating the complications associated with standard surgical OSA treatment.

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