Activities

Associate Professor Toshihiro Takamatsu took part in the selection pitch for Research Studio GET Program 2026 on October 10, 2026, and was selected for the UCSD Course. Two teams were selected from six participating teams.

Through this program, he plans to visit the University of California San Diego (UC San Diego) in the United States and meet with local researchers, healthcare professionals, and company representatives. The visit will provide opportunities to learn about medical device development and business development in the United States and to build networks for future collaboration.

We sincerely thank everyone who has supported our research and commercialization efforts and provided valuable advice.

Building on this opportunity, we will continue advancing our research toward clinical applications and bringing technologies that offer value to clinical practice.

On August 21, 2026, at the 68th Annual Meeting of the Japanese Society of Smooth Muscle Research held in Matsuyama, Associate Professor Toshihiro Takamatsu gave a presentation titled “Label-free visualization of the intestinal nerve plexus using near-infrared hyperspectral imaging and machine learning” and received the Young Investigator Award.

This research aims to develop a label-free visualization technique for the intestinal nerve plexus, which is usually difficult to observe without staining, by combining near-infrared hyperspectral imaging (NIR-HSI) and machine learning.

The award recognizes the expansion of our near-infrared spectroscopic imaging research toward functional and pathological evaluation of the gastrointestinal tract. We sincerely appreciate the support of our collaborators and everyone who has supported this research.

Encouraged by this award, we will continue advancing the research toward technologies that can contribute to future clinical applications.

On July 25, 2026, Associate Professor Toshihiro Takamatsu gave a presentation at the 10th Ibaraki Tech Plan Grand Prix on the theme of “A next-generation endoscopic system for visualizing invisible deep structures.” He presented the research results and a business development concept.

As a result, the originality of the technology, its potential applications in clinical settings, and its future business potential were highly evaluated, and he received two corporate awards: the Sanwa Needle Bearing Award and the Kowa Award.

This technology is a next-generation endoscopic system that uses near-infrared spectroscopic imaging and AI to visualize important deep structures, such as blood vessels and nerves, that cannot be confirmed by the naked eye during surgery, thereby supporting surgeons’ decision-making. We are advancing research and development toward safer surgery and reduction of complications.

We will continue to deepen collaboration with companies and medical institutions, promote the social implementation of our research outcomes, and work toward medical devices that can be used in actual clinical practice.

An interview with Associate Professor Toshihiro Takamatsu has been published in the interview and column section of LINK-J.

The article introduces the development of laparoscopic surgical support technology using near-infrared hyperspectral imaging, collaboration with clinical partners, and prospects for clinical implementation and commercialization.

Read the interview

We participated in the 34th International Congress of the European Association for Endoscopic Surgery (EAES 2026), held in Athens, Greece, and presented our research on near-infrared imaging laparoscopes.

On June 23, in the “Amazing Technologies” session, Dr. Okamoto delivered an oral presentation titled “Development of a Laparoscopic Real-Time NIR Hyperspectral Imaging for Deep Structure Navigation” (T. Takamatsu, Y. Echigo, M. Ogata, N. Okamoto, H. Takemura).

In the e-poster session, Masahiro Ogata, an M2 student in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Graduate School of Science and Technology, Tokyo University of Science, presented “In vivo organ classification using a near-infrared multispectral imaging laparoscope with high-power LEDs” (M. Ogata, Y. Echigo, S. Hayashi, N. Okamoto, T. Takamatsu, H. Takemura). On June 25, we also joined the Social event and enjoyed exchanges with physicians, company representatives, and researchers from abroad.

On June 13, 2026, Associate Professor Toshihiro Takamatsu was accepted into the Business Planning (BP) Course of Research Studio GET Program 2026 at the TPP Course results presentation and BP Course selection event held at Nihonbashi Life Science Hub.

He presented a business concept for surgical navigation technology using near-infrared hyperspectral imaging. Experts in medical device development and business development offered questions and advice on clinical needs, competitive advantages, intellectual property, and regulatory requirements. The event featured nine BP Course selection pitches, and six teams were selected.

The BP Course covers value propositions, business models, market analysis, reimbursement, and fundraising to help teams develop concrete business plans. Building on advice from the selection event, we will refine our development strategy, funding plan, and collaboration framework toward implementation in clinical practice.

Read the results presentation and selection event report by Research Studio (in Japanese)

We participated in the 2026 Annual Meeting of the Spectroscopical Society of Japan in Fukui. On June 10, Yuichi Echigo, an M1 student in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, presented our research on near-infrared spectroscopic imaging endoscopy.

After the meeting, we had a discussion and reception with Dr. Kutsumi from Fukui Rehabilitation Hospital and Prof. Okino from Institute of Science Tokyo, exchanging ideas on future research directions and medical applications.

On April 25, 2026, Associate Professor Toshihiro Takamatsu was accepted into the Target Product Profile (TPP) Course of Research Studio GET Program 2026 at the selection event held at Nihonbashi Life Science Hub. Thirteen teams with medical research projects gave pitch presentations, and eight teams were selected.

The TPP Course helps teams develop concrete development plans by defining their intended products' uses and performance through a Target Product Profile. Participants examine clinical needs and competing technologies while considering regulatory requirements, clinical development, and commercialization.

Drawing on insights from the course and advice from experts, we will refine the development plan for our surgical navigation technology using near-infrared hyperspectral imaging and advance our research toward implementation in clinical practice.

Read the selection event report by Research Studio (in Japanese)

On April 1, 2026, Toshihiro Takamatsu joined Tokyo University of Science as an Associate Professor.

Our laboratory integrates sensing, robotics, and information science to develop next-generation medical devices that address unmet clinical needs. Through research on near-infrared hyperspectral imaging endoscopy, robotic colonoscope insertion, and plasma injection probes, we aim to support safer and less invasive diagnosis, treatment, and surgery.

Working with our students and collaborating with medical institutions and companies, we will advance our research toward clinical applications and implementation in practice. We look forward to your continued support and collaboration.