Leading the Project That Could Revolutionise Computed Tomography

Funded through the European Innovation Council (EIC) Pathfinder Open programme, 1Micron aims to develop an ultra-high-resolution X-ray sensor capable of detecting cancer margins in real time during surgery. If successful, the technology could fundamentally change how pathology and medical imaging are performed, enabling faster and more accurate clinical decisions.

As the project gets underway, Moa Yveborg Tamm has returned to academia after several years in industry at GE Healthcare. She now coordinates a multidisciplinary consortium spanning leading research institutions, industrial partners and medical experts across Europe.

Building the Foundation

The project is currently moving from planning into execution. One of the first milestones is bringing the consortium together around a shared vision and technical roadmap.

“We have just started creating the project, which is based on the participation of several partners,” says Yveborg Tamm. “Now it’s about getting everyone into 1Micron and building the collaboration. Once we begin discussing deliverables, decision-making and ways of working together, it becomes clearer what structures and processes are needed.”

The consortium includes researchers from KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Karolinska Institutet (KI), the Italian National Institute for Nuclear Physics (INFN), the University of Trento, and the Technical University of Munich (TUM). Industrial expertise is provided by partners including Prismatics Sensors AB.

According to Yveborg Tamm, these collaborations are essential to ensuring that the technology developed within 1Micron can ultimately create real clinical impact.

“The medical researchers help us validate the technology and understand how the new sensor can make a difference in clinical applications. Our partners are key to the success we hope to achieve.”

Bridging Academia and Industry

With partners spanning physics, engineering, medicine and industry, 1Micron is inherently complex. For Yveborg Tamm, however, this complexity is also one of the project’s greatest strengths.

Her experience working both in academic research and at GE Healthcare has shaped her approach to coordinating large-scale innovation projects.

“In my experience, you need a systems perspective from the very beginning. It helps define the framework for the project and avoids becoming locked into solutions that are difficult to scale later on.”

She emphasises that breakthrough research rarely starts with all the answers already in place.

“It’s okay not to have all the answers from the start, as long as you have really good people involved in the project. Which we do.”

A Technology with Transformative Potential

The ambition behind 1Micron is considerable. The project seeks to push X-ray imaging beyond current limitations by developing a sensor capable of delivering phase-contrast information at unprecedented resolution and in real time.

This could open entirely new possibilities for medical imaging and cancer diagnostics.

“It’s a super exciting project—something that could revolutionise medical imaging,” says Yveborg Tamm. “There is the potential to do something amazing with very exciting technology.”

She compares its potential impact to earlier breakthroughs in photon-counting computed tomography, while emphasising that 1Micron represents an entirely new step forward.

“We’ve assembled the perfect team for 1Micron.”

From Concept to Demonstration

As the project enters its first operational phase, the consortium is already working towards its initial deliverables.

One of the most important early objectives is the design of the new sensor and demonstrating its ability to achieve real-time phase contrast imaging.

“A key piece is the sensor design and showing how it can achieve the phase contrast we are aiming for, in real time.”

Alongside the sensor itself, researchers will define the hardware architecture required to make the technology viable in practice.

At the same time, Karolinska Institutet and TUM will establish benchmark data by evaluating the performance of today’s digital detectors. These comparisons will provide a baseline for measuring the advances achieved through 1Micron.

Looking Ahead

For Yveborg Tamm, the opportunity to contribute to what could become a major leap forward in medical imaging is a powerful motivation.

“I’m looking forward to being part of what could be the biggest thing to happen in medical imaging in a long time.”

While significant scientific and technical challenges lie ahead, she remains confident in the consortium’s capabilities.

“We have physics on our side and a hand-picked team, which gives us very good odds.”

She also highlights the value of having industrial expertise embedded in the project from day one.

“We have a partner from industry who understands the technical requirements of what ultimately needs to work in hospitals. You don’t always have that in academic research projects, and it is another reason why 1Micron has a real opportunity to achieve its goals.”

As work accelerates across the consortium, the project’s vision remains clear: to develop imaging technology capable of transforming surgical decision-making and improving outcomes for patients worldwide. The journey has only just begun, but the foundations for a breakthrough are already being laid.