RA4Pro

Prostate carcinoma originates from the uncontrolled proliferation of glandular cells within the prostate and, in Italy, represents the most common neoplasm among men. The project aims to develop a decision-support system for the planning and execution of radical prostatectomy, a surgical procedure involving the complete removal of the prostate. The innovative aspect of the RA4Pro project lies in the integration of artificial intelligence algorithms for the automatic classification of transrectal ultrasound images, using the PIRADS (Prostate Imaging Reporting and Data System) score - a standardized system for assessing the likelihood of clinically significant cancer based on mpMRI images score - as the target label to be predicted.

The project introduces a novel, end-to-end multimodal approach that combines mpMRI, ultrasound, and AI with AR/VR, integrated into the robotic surgical workflow. The use of deep-learning–based segmentation and advanced graphics engines for dynamic virtual model updates in AR constitutes both a process and a service innovation.

The RA4Pro project is funded under the Innovation Ecosystem Research Programme “THE – Tuscany Health Ecosystem” – Spoke 9 and is coordinated by the Augmented and Virtual Reality Laboratory (AVR Lab) of the Department of Innovation Engineering at the University of Salento, in partnership with the Complex Operational Unit of Urology at ‘Vito Fazzi’ Hospital, ASL Lecce.