Spin-off metamorphosis shows how excellent training paves the way into the global medtech market
Technologies that permanently change the operating theatre are often developed in the background over many years. With metamorphosis GmbH, one such development is now reaching clinical application: the spin-off from Paderborn University is developing AI-based technologies for surgical navigation and bringing them to the international market.
Surgical navigation refers to the computer-aided support of surgical procedures in which the surgical team is provided with additional guidance during the operation - comparable to a navigation system in a car that shows where you are and which route you should take. In surgery, for example, the aim is to position implants as precisely as possible. In some areas, such navigation is already established, for example in neurosurgery or spinal surgery. However, it is rarely used in trauma surgery, particularly in the treatment of acute fractures, i.e. broken bones. Operations are often performed under time pressure and, unlike planned operations, can only be prepared to a limited extent. Conventional navigation systems require additional hardware such as optical tracking systems and are therefore often too complex for use in everyday surgery. This is precisely where metamorphosis GmbH comes in: The company develops AI-based technologies that analyse intraoperative image data and use it to derive orientation aids for the procedure without having to rely on additional tracking infrastructure.
An initial focus is on supporting operations for femur fractures - one of the most common and clinically particularly relevant injuries in old age: "It is estimated that around one in five women will suffer a fracture of this kind in the course of their lives," says Professor Dr Peter Schreier, co-founder and CEO of metamorphosis GmbH. The tech expert specialises in the fields of signal processing, data science and complex technical systems. An advisory board consisting of clinicians from the USA and Germany, including doctors from the Colorado University School of Medicine, Stanford University Hospital and Johns Hopkins University, contributes medical expertise to metamorphosis.
While the current focus is on applications in trauma surgery, the start-up is already working on further potential applications in spinal surgery and other orthopaedic procedures. The underlying technology also forms an important basis for the increasing integration of robot-assisted procedures in the operating theatre.
Founded in 2018, the company was established by Professor Schreier and co-founder and CTO Dipl.-Ing. Arno Blau. Almost all of the early employees come from the Faculty of Computer Science, Electrical Engineering and Mathematics at Paderborn University and have played a key role in the development of metamorphosis GmbH. The company's success is based on the combination of sound training - particularly in the fields of signal processing and machine learning - with consistent entrepreneurial implementation. "Paderborn University offers an environment in which scientific education and practical application are closely interlinked," says Professor Schreier. "Many of the skills that we use in the company today were acquired here and developed further over the years."
The collaboration with DePuy Synthes, a Johnson & Johnson Group company, is a milestone for the company. Johnson & Johnson is one of the world's largest healthcare companies, while DePuy Synthes is one of the leading providers of orthopaedic medical technology. The "VELYS™ Trauma AI-Assisted Surgery" system was presented at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS), which took place in New Orleans in March and is one of the most important international specialist conferences in this field. The system, which is manufactured by metamorphosis GmbH, supports surgical navigation in the context of femur fracture surgery.
For Paderborn University, this development is an example of how innovative companies can emerge from excellent education and establish themselves in a highly competitive international environment.
Further information is available at: www.metamorphosis.ai.
This text was translated automatically.
