Beneficiary 5

Universita' di Torino

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE ORGANIZATION: 

The Università degli studi di Torino (UNITO) (www.unito.it) is a public university for research and advanced undergraduate and graduate education. The Department of Surgical Sciences of the University of Torino (UNITO) comprises 17 institutes, including 19 Full Professors, 29 Associate Professors, and 43 Assistant Professors, 28 PhD students and about 200 residents dedicated to the various disciplines of surgery and gastroenterology. The Department has always been on the frontline of the application of novel technologies in endoscopy. The recently renovated Research and Training Center of the Department will be the ideal site to merge bioengineering and clinical know-how and perform tests on the many different test rigs available, using the broad availability of PhD students, residents and MDs attending the Department. The traditional equipment of the Department consists of a healthy equipped wet lab (300 m2) for the development and validation of innovative systems for endoscopy and surgery: four fully equipped versatile Endoscopy columns (Exera III, Olympus) will be available and 4 Easie-R phantoms for in-vitro and ex-vivo tests.

MAIN TASKS WITHIN THE PROJECT: 

Main responsibilities within Endoo, from a medical point of view, are the following: i) setting-up experimental protocols and tests together with OVE and UEDIN; ii) preparing test protocols and performing phantom tests in series; iii) medical validation of the platform by defining and preparing ex-vivo tests (e.g., comparing the Endoo platform with standard colonoscopy); iv) performing dependability studies and training / education on the Endoo platform; v) preparing the clinical protocol and documents for ethical committee; and vi) contributing to risk assessment, dissemination and intellectual proprieties definition.

PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE: 

The Department of Surgical Sciences of the University of Torino (UNITO) possesses outstanding records of publications and patents, and it performs high-level interdisciplinary research at the interface between robotics and clinical application. Within Department of Surgical Sciences of the University of Torino (UNITO), the specific research group who intends to participate to the Endoo proposal developed 4 international patents in the field of flexible digestive endoscopy, and has been or is still involved in several multicentric national and international clinical projects mainly in the role of coordinator, 3 projects funded by the European Commission.

The University of Torino (UNITO) participates to more than 50 European Projects at a time with the assistance of an administrative department specialized in the management of European Projects of the 5th, 6th and 7th Framework Programs, which allows a smooth administration, mandatory for scientific effectiveness.

People

Prof. Alberto Arezzo is Associate Professor at the University of Torino, Italy. Since the beginning of his career he is serving both as conventional endoscopist and endoscopic surgeon. Member of the Technology Committee of the European Association for Endoscopic Surgery (EAES) and of the Board of the Society for Medical Innovation and Technology (SMIT) and of the Italian Society for Digestive Endoscopy (SIED). Former scientist at the Section for Minimally Invasive Surgery at Eberhart Karls University of Tuebingen, Germany. Consultant in the field of Endoscopic Surgery and Flexible Endoscopy of Ethicon Endosurgery (Johnson & Johnson Medical), Boston Scientific, Microvasive Endoscopy, Karl Storz Endoskope GmbH. Partner of different FP5/FP6/FP7 projects CLEANTEST, VECTOR and STIFF- FLOP. He has been Coordinator of several international multicentre studies and projects. He is the Founder of the start-up company RED, Robot for Endoscopic Dissection. Prof Arezzo is Teacher of Emergency Surgery at the VI year of the School of Medicine and teacher or tutor of courses at the School of Surgery, such as Scientific English, Surgical Anatomy and Digestive Surgery. He is the Vice-Coordinator of the PhD Course in Technology Applied to Surgical Sciences, a 3 years international course, training surgeons of different specialties to research activity in novel technology development. He is Faculty and Tutor of the II Level University Master course in Advanced Laparoscopy for MDs. He is Coordinator, Faculty and Tutor of the II Level University Master course in Operative Digestive Endoscopy for MDs. He is Coordinator, Faculty and Tutor of the I Level University Master course in Digestive Endoscopy for nurses.

Coordinator of several R&D projects for Karl Storz Endoskope (Tuttlingen), Boston Scientific, Microvasive Endoscopy (Boston, MA, USA), National Forschung Zentrum Karlsruhe and Innomedic company (Germany), Ethicon Endosurgery (Johnson & Johnson Medical) Italy, Johnson & Johnson Medical Europe, Inscope Division, Johnson & Johnson Medical Europe, Titan project, Bbraun Aesculap, (Tuttlingen, Germany), Johnson & Johnson Medical USA, Gemini project,

Coordinator of several international multicenter randomized controlled clinical trials: MUSIC-study (MULTI-PORT VS. SINGLE-PORT CHOLECYSTECTOMY), international multicenter randomized controlled trial, the TEMENDO-study (Transanal Endoscopic Microsurgery vs. ENDOscopic Submucosal Dissection for large rectal adenomas), the ESCO study (Enteral Stents for Colonic Obstruction).

Author of 116 products listed in Scopus, (Scopus Author ID: 6701795382) with H-index 21.

International Patents:

  1. A miniature robotic device applicable to a flexible endoscope for the surgical dissection of gastro-intestinal tract surface neoplasms (WO 2014147556 A1)
  2. A connecting device for creating an anastomosis between a hollow organ and a conduit (WO 2013004263 A1)
  3. A device for translumenal diversion of bile (WO 2012007044 A1)
  4. System and method for modifying the location at which biliopancreatic secretions interact with the gastrointestinal tract (WO 2012007050 A1)

Prof. Mario Morino is the Chief of the Department of General Surgery of the University of Torino, the School of Surgery, the PhD Course on Technologies applied to Surgical Disciplines and the PhD Course in Bioengineering and Medical-Surgical Sciences in cooperation with the Politecnico di Torino, the local Faculty of Engineering, and the Master in Advanced Laparoscopic Surgery. Large clinical experience in robotic surgery especially in obesity, gastro-esophageal, adrenal and colorectal surgery. He is currently President of the European Association for Endoscopic Surgery (EAES) and the Italian Society for Endoscopic Surgery (SICE). He is Honorary Member of the French Society for Surgery.

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