TNO at Holst Centre, in collaboration with Tomosono BV, has officially launched the Dynamic UltraSound Tomography (DUST) project. It builds on the successful completion of an initial joint project initiated by Tomosono BV, supported with a contribution from Stimuleringsfonds Metropoolregio Eindhoven. Running from 15 January  2026 to 14 January  2029, this initiative was awarded PPP subsidy by Health~Holland within the Trinitas DX consortium, an effort designed to stimulate impactful public‑private partnerships.

Knee pain is a common reason people seek medical care, yet obtaining an accurate diagnosis can take weeks, months or even longer. Current imaging tools (e.g. X‑ray, MRI and CT) are bulky and expensive devices offering limited dynamic insights, and sometimes involve radiation. This leads to delayed answers and prolonged discomfort. DUST aims to change this.

Revealing knee disorders in motion

Many knee disorders show themselves during movement, yet most existing imaging systems require patients to remain still. Today’s tools cannot combine deep structural detail, real‑time motion capture, compact and accessible use in everyday clinical environments and radiation‑free imaging, nor do they address affordability and patient comfort.

The project is built on the hypothesis that dynamic ultrasound tomography can reveal musculoskeletal knee disorders in motion, giving clinicians access to information they cannot currently obtain.

Dynamic knee imaging - a unique innovation

DUST advances ultrasound tomography - already promising in visualizing both soft tissue and bone - into a new domain: dynamic ultrasound knee imaging.

The system is designed to combine:

• Sub‑millimeter resolution. Comparable to MRI or CT, revealing fine structural details.

• Real‑time imaging during movement or load. Capturing what happens while the knee bends, steps, or is weight‑bearing. A knee‑specific imaging design, allowing natural motion and comfortable positioning during scanning.

This combination does not exist in today’s clinical practice.

Impact for Society

Once developed, dynamic ultrasound tomography has the potential to:

• Shorten waiting times for diagnostic imaging

• Bring advanced imaging into primary care, physiotherapy, and sports medicine

• Improve diagnostic accuracy for knee injuries and chronic conditions

• Reduce the workload on Radiology departments

• Enable earlier intervention and treatment decisions

• Provide a safe, radiation‑free, and comfortable imaging experience

The result: a faster path to answers, better patient care, and improved quality of life.