HORAO was the brainchild of some creative minds in neurosurgery at Inselspital. They were looking for an answer to the question: How can healthy brain tissue be reliably distinguished from tumor tissue? A global brainstorming session, a so-called crowdsourcing competition, was to bring them a step closer to solving this medical problem. After the first Swiss crowdfunding in the field of medical research to generate financial resources, the crowdsourcing was completed in 2019 and the concept of using imaging Mueller Polarimetry by Ivan Gusachenko from France was chosen as the winner. Two years later, the international research team working on HORAO received the prestigious Sinergia Grant from the SNSF worth CHF 2.3 million, which will fully fund the research project for four years.

HORAO uses the imaging Mueller Polarimetry technology, or IMP for short. It is based on the fact that highly organized structures in the brain reflect polarized light differently than the unorganized cells of tumours. Mueller polarimetry also has the advantage that it can be used in real time, non-invasively and without the use of contrast agents. However, in order for this to be used in the operating theatre, the IMP must be miniaturized to such an extent that it can be integrated into a neurosurgical operating microscope at the end of the development process. Automated tumour segmentation should then be possible with the help of state-of-the-art processing and visualization. The fibre tracts, which carry important brain functions, can also be visualized under polarized light and hence protected during the operation.

Following a long ex vivo measurment campaign, we demonstrated the feasibility of differentiating tumorous from healthy brain tissue using polarimetric parameters. Another important milestone in the HORAO research project has been reached: for the first time, a newly developed type of surgical microscope was successfully used during brain tumor surgery at Inselspital Bern. This innovative device aims to enable a more radical and at the same time safer removal of brain tumors using advanced imaging technologies. Initial measurements show promising results that underline the potential of using imaging Mueller Polarimetry for neurosurgery and provided invaluable insights for further developments.

The future steps of the HORAO Project are the development of a new compact prototype, which integrates novel imaging methods and advanced visualisation for real-time polarimetric imaging, the validation of this prototype ex vivo and in vivo, and the translation of the proof-of-concept to a realisable product together with industrial partners.

With your donation, you support…

• cutting-edge research at the highest level by the HORAO team.
• the awarding of research fellowships to international scientists.
• bridging measures that ensure more continuity in research and close funding gaps.