A platform of excellence in imaging, robotics, and innovation for research and healthcare
The IRIS platform provides experimental support for research and technology transfer in imaging, robotics, and healthcare innovation. It offers state-of-the-art technical facilities and multidisciplinary expertise to serve the scientific community.
Located on the Strasbourg medical campus, IRIS supports projects in robotics, biomedical imaging, and biomechanics for both public and private research groups in the health sector.
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The platform
IRIS stands out for its uniquely multidisciplinary approach in France, providing both hardware and software environments to develop, evaluate, and utilize complex systems —including multimodal biomedical imaging (from human to small-animal studies), analysis of tissue mechanical properties, and the development of robotic assistance for medical and surgical procedures (GMCAO).
The platform supports all phases of projects, up to the production of results, including image acquisition and analysis. It contributes to project definition, implementation, execution, and monitoring in line with project requirements. Beyond its scientific expertise, IRIS provides biomedical knowledge in human and animal models, guidance on ethical regulations for research projects (clinical and preclinical), as well as support for contract drafting and securing funding.
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Expertise and resources
Scientific expertise
- Biomedical imaging
- Interventional imaging
- Biomechanics
- Medical robotics
- Mechatronic design
- Advanced robotic system control
- Preclinical studies
- Clinical studies
Technical expertise
- Biomedical imaging: MRI, optical imaging, and ultrasound
- MRI methodology development
- Development and implementation of surgical and medical procedure assistance solutions
- Multi-material additive manufacturing
- Computer-aided mechanical design (CAD)
- Real-time control systems
- Robotics application development within ROS2 environment
- Collaborative robotics
- Mechanical characterization of biological tissues and medical devices
- Data management
- Data analysis
- Software development
- Implementation and management of clinical and preclinical biomedical research protocols
- Development and execution of biomechanical testing
Ministerial authorizations for experimentation
- Accreditation as a user facility for scientific use of animals
- Authorization to conduct biomedical research involving human participants
Core equipment
- 3T MRI dedicated to clinical research, equipped for various stimulation protocols
- 7T MRI dedicated to preclinical research, equipped with a cryoprobe
- Preclinical optical imaging: fluorescence and bioluminescence imager with X-ray and multiphoton microscope
- Additive manufacturing center
- Real-time acquisition and measurement systems
- Industrial and collaborative robots
- Haptic interfaces
- Two specialized robot prototypes: a teleoperated orthopedic cement injection system and a teleoperated flexible endoscopy system
- Ultrasound imaging and therapy systems
- Biomechanical testing platforms: dual-column tensile testing machine, biaxial tensile-torsion machine, fatigue testing machine, stereocorrelation system
- Technical platform for tissue and cellular imaging
Software and database resources
- Image processing tools
- Secure data computing and storage
- Development environment for real-time control of mechatronic systems
- Online version control and collaboration platform for software development (GitHub and GitLab)
- Software available to the research community: https://github.com/ICube-Robotics
Specialized and other facilities
- A1 animal facility
- Rodent animal facility
- Surgery room
Services
- Preclinical MRI examinations (in vivo: rats/mice; ex vivo; plants)
- Optical imaging examinations (in vivo: rats/mice/fish; ex vivo; plants)
- Biomechanical testing of tissues and materials
- Human neuroimaging
- Interventional MRI
- Development of robotic applications
- Mechatronic system design
- Polymer additive manufacturing





















