The Cross4Health project, funded by the European Commission’s Horizon 2020 program, aimed to stimulate collaboration among European SMEs from the Aerospace, Energy, Biotechnology, ICT, and Medical Devices sectors. Running from October 2017 for 2.5 years, the project sought to leverage cross-sectoral expertise to develop innovative healthcare solutions, enhancing patient-centered personalized care. The consortium comprised seven partners from six European countries, each representing core sectors and contributing to the project’s vision. Throughout its duration, Cross4Health supported over 70 SMEs by providing financial aid and innovation services, facilitating the commercialization of their solutions. Activities included two open calls, acceleration programs, hackathons, idea competitions, workshops, webinars, and pitching contests, all designed to foster idea generation and collaboration across sectors.
One notable initiative within Cross4Health was the SNIPE project (“SeNsing Instrument for PatiEnt with liver diseases”). This project focused on developing a non-invasive, wearable electronic nose system based on semiconductor metal oxide (MOx) gas sensors. The device aimed to detect liver dysfunction by analyzing exhaled breath, identifying conditions such as cirrhosis. In an exploratory study involving 30 participants—10 healthy controls, 10 with compensated cirrhosis, and 10 with decompensated cirrhosis—the system demonstrated high accuracy. It achieved 100% sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy in distinguishing cirrhosis patients from healthy individuals, and 95% accuracy in differentiating between compensated and decompensated cirrhosis. This innovative approach offers a promising tool for early detection and monitoring of liver diseases, potentially improving patient outcomes through timely intervention.
Overall, Cross4Health successfully harnessed cross-industry collaboration to drive healthcare innovation, exemplified by projects like SNIPE that address critical medical challenges with advanced technological solutions.