During brain biopsies, it is challenging to accurately target and truly collect tumor tissue, which may necessitate repeat biopsies, leading to waiting times, unnecessary costs, and increased risk for the patient. Fluolink has developed probes and measurement stations to detect tumor tissue using fluorescence. These probes can also be used in brain tumor operations, helping the surgeon to obtain an objective assessment to locate the tumor’s edge. The surgeon then does not solely have to rely on their own subjective judgment to remove all tumor tissue and nothing more.
The development of Fluolink’s technology has been carried out by a research team led by Karin Wårdell, Professor of Medical Technology at Linköping University and one of Fluolink’s founders. “We have been researching this technology for over 10 years. Now we have assembled a competent team of researchers and engineers, complemented by a brain surgeon and a medical technology salesperson, and we are ready to bring the technology to market,” says Karin Wårdell.
LiU Invest often helps companies both to find suitable co-investors and to become investment-ready. “Together with LiAF, we have made several investments in Medtech and Life Science, and the collaboration is working well,” says Jonas Nilsson, LiU Invest.
“We invest in companies that can make a difference, and Fluolink has proven technology that will make a difference. Our contribution is not just money; we also help our companies enter the market. As an example, we have established a very good collaboration with Region Östergötland,” says Magnus Thorarersen at LiAF.
Fluolink’s technology, in various forms, has been used in research studies on approximately 70 patients at Linköping University Hospital with good results. The investment will be used partly to distribute prototypes of the company’s products to other hospitals conducting research in the field, and partly to initiate CE marking and certification of the products.
