And the winner is… ! The 2021 Innovation Award goes to the AR technology project for safer navigation in back surgery with Adrian Elmi Terander, Erik Edström, Gustav Burström and Oscar Persson from the Department of Neurology at Karolinska University Hospital.

At the neurosurgery clinic at Karolinska University Hospital, a research team has developed a completely new navigation technique that uses X-rays to see exactly where in the spine the surgeon is while operating.

“AR (Augmented Reality) technology enables a computer generated image to be superimposed on a real life environment. In this case, it allows the surgeon to see a superimposed X-ray image of the inside of the patient they are operating on, so they can see from the outside what it looks like inside the patient,” explains Adrian Elmi Terander. “It’s a little like having Superman’s X-ray vision. In normal cases when you operate, you only see the back of the patient’s vertebrae. At the front there are blood vessels and nerves, and in the middle is the spinal cord. As a surgeon, you often have a margin of error of just a few millimetres, which can sometimes mean there’s a risk of damaging organs. With the technology we have developed, we can increase precision, reduce the risk of errors and, above all, increase patient safety. We will also be able to help more patients where precision is critical.”

Augmented Reality technology has already begun to be used in back surgery, but soon it will be possible to improve patient safety and surgical precision also, for example, in keyhole and brain tumour surgery. By increasing the chance of a successful first operation, the need for follow-up operations is reduced, which can mean a lower economic cost.

“This project is a particularly good example of healthcare actively participating in the development and introduction of new technology,” says Jonas Sareld, programme director at Medtech4Health. “The AR technology that these researchers have developed and implemented at Karolinska University Hospital has led to significant improvements in patient safety in back surgery, and is already in use around the world. It is with great pleasure and pride that we present this year’s award to Adrian Elmi Terander and his colleagues.”

The other finalists

Once again this year, a large number of projects were nominated from all over the country and it was a difficult task for our jury to select three finalists. Both the finalists who did not win the first prize have each made fantastic efforts to develop an innovation that has really made a difference for patients and healthcare. Each of the runner-ups also won the opportunity to have a film made presenting their projects.

A region-wide platform for real-time image capture

In Region Värmland, a region-wide platform has been created for smooth, patient-safe and high quality image management. The image capture takes place in real time and is directly linked to the patient’s medical record, which has led to healthcare being safer and the number of care visits being reduced. Patients can more often be referred to the right instance – something that increases the chances of being able to treat, for example, dangerous skin cancer earlier in the course of the disease.

A tool that makes life easier for patients with Type 1 Diabetes

An app that makes everyday life easier for both patients with Type 1 Diabetes and their relatives. This has been developed in, among other places, the Kronoberg Region in collaboration between a patient with Type 1 Diabetes and dietitians at Astrid Lindgren’s Children’s Hospital. The app, which is unique in that it is adapted to individual needs, was launched at the end of last year and has already been downloaded by more than 15,000 users who, among other things, can get help with planning their diet and dosing their insulin. In 2021, the app, which contains information as well as advice for schools and leisure activities, will also be launched in the other Nordic countries.