Projects

In this project I will shed light on the physical mechanisms defining the interaction between ultrasound (US) waves and lung tissue. This knowledge gain will be instrumental for reinventing how we diagnose and monitor lung diseases and for developing a cost-effective, transportable, bedside available, real-time and safe solution.

Lung diseases have a large impact worldwide. Pneumonia is the largest infectious cause of death in children. COVID-19, COPD and lower respiratory infections are the 2nd, 4th and 5th leading causes of death, causing over 14 million deaths per year.

Computed tomography is today’s diagnostic gold standard, but is expensive, often inaccessible, bedside unavailable, and based on hazardous ionizing radiations.

US could offer a solution. However, existing US diagnoses rely on qualitative and subjective interpretations of imaging patterns, exhibit poor specificity, and are performed with imaging modalities inadequate for the lung.

My research aims at reconceiving the way US is applied to the lung and proposes innovative and quantitative methods with the potential to revolutionize the way we diagnose and monitor lung diseases.

Healthy lungs behave like a perfect reflector to US and can be modelled as clusters of air bubbles (the alveoli) whose proximity, dimensions, and surrounding material vary in the presence of a disease, e.g., due to fluid extravasation or fibrosis. The spectral features of US echo-signals obtained from the lung depend on these variations. I propose their understanding as indicators for grading and differentiating lung pathologies. To this end, I will conduct numerical, in-vitro, and clinical studies.

LUMI will generate new fundamental knowledge on the interaction between US and lung tissue and offer improved lung diagnostics.

LUMI - reimagining the diagnosis and monitoring of Lung diseases through the unveiling of Ultrasound Mechanism of Interaction with Pulmonary tissue.

Consolidator Grant funded by the European Research Council

Development and validation of novel methods for lung ultrasound data acquisition and processing for the phenotyping and personalized management of neonatal lung disease

Proof of Concept project funded by The Ministry of Health, Italy

Neonatal lung disease is a continuum of different abnormalities -airway obstruction, interstitial syndrome, parenchymal simplification, alveolar congestion/collapse and pulmonary vascular disease- which may not all be present in all patients at all times. Identifying markers of specific treatable traits would facilitate personalised treatment and prevention of CLDI. Unfortunately, effective diagnostic tools to monitor the progression of neonatal lung disease and appreciate its phenotypical expression are lacking. Lung ultrasound is a point-of-care, radiation-free imaging technique that has become increasingly popular in neonatal intensive care units to help diagnose different diseases and make clinical decisions. However, lung ultrasound is currently performed with equipment and scanning modalities not specifically designed for lung inspection and is limited to the qualitative and subjective interpretations of imaging artefacts. In this project, we created a multidisciplinary network, including pneumologists, neonatologists and experts in lung ultrasound technology, to develop a proof of concept methodology for phenotyping neonatal lung disease.

3D printed vascular phantom of a full organ

Project funded by VRT foundation, in collaboration with PROM Facilities Rovereto

With this project, in collaboration with Prom Facility, we aim to build and 3D print vascularised models of different organs and pathologies. The 3D models will then be used for the development and testing of ultrasound imaging algorithms dedicated to the visualisation of the vasculature and its properties, in order to develop solutions for the early diagnosis of diseases such as Alzheimer's and cancer.

Project funded by VRT foundation, in collaboration with PROM Facilities Rovereto

The project focuses on the development of solutions capable to resolve the technical limitations (need for high frame rate, prolonged acquisition times, and high data size) which hampers the clinical traslation of ultrasound localization microscopy (ULM).

TEULM (Time Efficient Ultrasound Localization Microscopy)

Project funded by Solstice Pharmaceuticals, the Netherlands

ULTRASONIC-CAP

Proof of Concept project funded by The Ministry of Health, Italy

The project focuses on the development of a decision support system - mULtiomic sofTwaRe bASed on preclinical models and pOiNt-of-care clinICal and lung ultrasound data for the personalized management of children with Community Acquired Pneumonia (ULTRASONIC-CAP). Project in collaboration with IRCCS Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli, Ospedale Pediatrico Bambino Gesu and Ospedale pediatrico Giovanni XXIII, Bari.

ULTRAOn

project funded by The European Institute of Innovation and Technology

Computer Aided Lung Ultrasound Imaging for the Management of Patients Affected by COVID-19

project funded by Fondazione Valorizzazione Ricerca Trentina

Lung UltraSound for Acute Respiratory Disease (LUSARD)

project in collaboration with Humanitas Gavazzeni, a clinical study where multi frequency RF data will be collected via a research scanner and analysed with the aim to develop a quantitative, reproducible and specific lung ultrasound method.