Research internship on browser based visual quality assurance tool

Barco

Barco designs technology that makes everyday life a little better. Seeing beyond the image, we develop sight, sound, and sharing solutions to help customers work together, share insights, and wow audiences. Healthcare is one of the key markets of Barco. For many years Barco has been contributing to improved healthcare by means of solutions in radiology, mammography, surgery, dermatology, dentistry, pathology etc.

Innovation in healthcare

The Barco Labs Healthcare team is constantly looking for new innovative solutions that push forward the state-of-the-art and can improve healthcare models. This group takes care of the entire innovation cycle: ideation and MVP definition, market evaluation and business case creation, R&D and clinical work for creation of proof of concepts and solutions, market and clinical / regulatory validation of the solutions, business model and business plan creation, up to commercial introduction and early pilot sales.

The task at hand

Recently, a tool for quick and easy visual quality assurance has been designed to let physicians check whether their work environment and display device used to establish diagnostics are reliable or not. While the design of the web application has been defined, some features and requirements still have to be investigated before the productization and release phases can be continued. This includes SSO, hardware profiling, and data privacy concerns. Research on this is one possible project within this internship.

This Visual QA tool requires pathologists to interact with it in their usual viewing conditions (ambient light, display device) for a limited time (e.g., 20 seconds). During this time, they click on the items they can identify on a pattern made of abstract geometrical objects mimicking typical structures of tissues samples they have to analyze on their daily routines. The tool tracks both correct and incorrect clicks (true and false positives) to evaluate the observer’s performance. The second possible project within this internship is for you to identify the key features of various medical images. This involves analyzing the unique characteristics of images from different domains, such as radiology, ophthalmology, and dermatology. By understanding these distinctive features, you can programmatically reproduce similar structures on a web canvas, creating tailored Visual QA tools for each modality. This will enable healthcare professionals in these fields to assess the quality of their diagnostic workflows and ensure accurate patient care. 

Qualifications

• Strong proficiency in web development: JavaScript (ES6+, Angular, TypeScript), HTML5, CSS3, Javascript framework (e.g. React, Angular)

• Web graphic skills

• Problem-solving skills and creativity

• Communication skills: fluent in written and spoken English

• Curiosity and attention to detail

AND

• Basic knowledge in Data privacy (data privacy regulations (e.g., GDPR) and understanding of data anonymization and encryption techniques 

OR

• Knowledge of image processing techniques, including image manipulation, feature extraction, and analysis, is crucial for replicating medical image structures. Familiarity with software like ImageJ, MATLAB, or Python libraries like OpenCV can be advantageous. 

• A general understanding of different medical imaging modalities (e.g., X-ray, ophthalmology…) is a plus to identify key features and create accurate representations. Familiarity with Medical Terminology would aid in understanding and communicating with healthcare professionals. 

​​​​​​​Furthermore, you should be a student in a technical discipline, eligible to work at our HQ in Kortrijk Belgium, and fluent in English.