MIME: Health~Holland MKB Call Imaging Coating

Introduction

MIME is a Health~Holland MKB Call project of SonoCoat® and Radboud University Medical Center. It develops a coating that makes medical devices visible in ultrasound, CT and MRI, a combination that is currently unavailable on the market.

Funded through the Health~Holland MKB Call. MIME is a public-private partnership between SonoCoat® and Radboud University Medical Center, awarded in the 2025 Health~Holland MKB Call (SME Call) for Life Sciences & Health.

The problem: devices that are hard to locate

MIME stands for Improving Device Localization in Ultrasound, CT, and MRI using a novel Multimodal Imaging coating for MEdical Devices. In minimally invasive procedures, clinicians rely on imaging to follow a device inside the body, and device visibility is a recurring problem. The project description cites that clinicians report difficulty locating the device in 21% of brachytherapy cases.

The approach: a SonoCoat® coating for multiple imaging techniques

SonoCoat® already makes needles and catheters visible under ultrasound. Microspheres embedded in the coating reflect ultrasound in all directions. In MIME, the SonoCoat® team adapts this echogenic technology to add visibility in CT and MRI. A coating that works across ultrasound, MRI and CT is currently unavailable on the market.

The project starts from an existing coating at Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 3 and aims to develop it toward TRL 6. It runs for 24 months.

What MIME delivers

A modified coating formulation compatible with ultrasound, MRI and CT.
Preclinical validation data showing improved device visibility, based on proof-of-concept testing.
Application guidelines for existing interventional workflows.
A roadmap for clinical translation and commercialization.

Partners in MIME

SonoCoat® (Lipocoat B.V): echogenic coating technology, part of Lipocoat Group.
Radboud University Medical Center: clinical and academic partner.

What this means for device manufacturers

SonoCoat® is applied to existing medical devices, so a manufacturer can add visibility without redesigning the device. MIME builds the formulation, validation data and application guidelines for multimodal imaging. Manufacturers who want to evaluate SonoCoat® on their own device can start with a feasibility study.

About the funding program

The Health~Holland MKB Call is a funding scheme for innovative research by small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Life Sciences & Health. Projects are public-private partnerships between at least one SME and one research institution. Health~Holland opens MKB Calls each year, and about 50 projects nationwide received funding in the results announced in June 2025. MIME fits the Knowledge and Innovation Agenda (KIA) Health & Care 2024–2027. More information is available at health-holland.com.