ICT Solution: An original solution for evaluating the fragility of coronary atherosclerotic plaque

ASST Pavia (Azienda Socia-Sanitaria Territoriale di Pavia) has successfully submitted the innovation: “Evaluation of the fragility of coronary atherosclerotic plaque” to a public call for interest launched by the Lombardy Region University, Research and Open Innovation Directorate under the Regional Programme to support PCP/PPI using the European Structural and Investment Fund (ESIF).

Deliberzione 6582 (DGR X/6582/2017) launched the implementation in the scope of Action I.1.b.3.1 of the “Fondo Europeo di Sviluppo Regionale 2014-2020” (POR FESR 2014-2020), aimed at strengthening and qualifying the demand for innovation of the public administration through the support of Pre-Commercial Public Procurement actions.

Key technologies:

Cardiopathy, and ischemic cardiomyopathy in particular, is a major cause of death. The cause of myocardial infarction, in the majority of cases, is a coronary artery obstruction by the deposition of a thrombus on an atherosclerotic lesion. Currently, complete cardiological investigations cannot provide information on the risk of having an acute myocardial infarction. The risk score chart over-estimates the high risk and under-rates the low risk. Hence, there is a need to find a parameter that accurately predicts any change that can occur in the patient.

The technological solution required should be a non-invasive instrument that can assess deep vessel lesions:

• The morphology of atheromatous plaques, from which it is possible to understand the risk of rupture; and
• If present, the inflammation process.

The method will determine the probability that a plaque will lead to an intravasal repair process that may cause the blockage of the vessel. The investigation aims to provide an image, at the highest resolution possible, of the investigation area, and to put values on the composition of the plaque itself (the percentage of three distinct components). The result is an evaluation of the risk of the injured part of endothelium in order to prevent future cardiovascular events.

Type of innovation procurement: Pre-Commercial Procurement – PCP

Timeframe:  Jan 2018 – Dec 2021

Budget invested by the procurer:  € 3.002.000,-

More information:

Open market consultation:
Open Market Consultation New Lombardy PCP: LINK 
Open Market Consultation New Lombardy PCP – Italian: LINK 
October 2017 Open Market consultation: LINK 

Call for tender: Call for tender Lombardy PCP: LINK 

Contract notice – March 2018: LINK 

Link to all tender documents:
LINK 1
LINK 2

To the specific tender: 
advice in drafting the tender documents. 

To the general procurement of the organisation: 
best practices for innovation procurement.

Completed procurement, ongoing project.