DIGITAL & ROBOTICS LAB
IMAGING, NAVIGATION & STEERING
The magic angle" MRI effect can enhance signal intensity in aligned collagenous structures oriented at approximately 55 with respect to the main magnetic field. The difficulty of positioning tissue inside closed-bore scanners has hampered magic angle use in research and clinics. An MRI-conditional mechatronic system has been developed to control sample orientation inside a 9.4T small bore MRI scanner. The system orients samples to within 0.5 and enables a 600% increase in tendon signal intensity
In gynecologic cancers, magnetic resonance (MR) imaging is the modality of choice for visualizing tumors and their surroundings because of superior soft-tissue contrast. Real-time MR guidance of catheter placement in interstitial brachytherapy facilitates target coverage, and would be further improved by providing intraprocedural estimates of dosimetric coverage. A major obstacle to intraprocedural dosimetry is the time needed for catheter trajectory reconstruction. Herein the authors evaluate an active MR tracking (MRTR) system which provides rapid catheter tip localization and trajectory reconstruction. The authors assess the reliability and spatial accuracy of the MRTR system in comparison to standard catheter digitization using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and CT.
We constructed an ICMRI catheter, with integrated imaging & positional-tracking elements, optimized for cardiovascular introduction as a sheath “riding on” an EP ablation catheter & for close-proximity imaging (~4 cm FOV) during RFA delivery
This project aims to develop a stereotactic rigid frame system to assist veterinary radiologists for performing high-precision stereotactic procedures in dogs. The frame design consists of a stereotactic localizer box and localizer arch, and a software needle trajectory interface. The localizer box will be made MRI compatible with a GE 3T MRI scanner, allowing the box to hold the subject’s head inside an MRI head coil during scanning whilst maintaining the same coordinate framework for subsequent needle therapy in the brain
We hypothesized that an automated positioner, using a custom-designed pneumatic motor and optical encoder, could (1) permit accurate placement of tissues relative to B0, and (2) facilitate Magic Angle enhanced imaging in a 9.4T small-bore (12cm) scanner while maintaining excellent MRI compatibility
Soft robotics is a new and unique system for designing and creating a new generation of medical devices. With soft robotics, silicone-based molds can be controlled and driven using nothing more than tubing and air pressure. Employing the principles of soft robotics, we are attempting to create a new kind of endoscope made from a silicon-based material
EP CATHETER DESIGN
EP therapy is suitable for many prevalent arrhythmias in which abnormal re-entry circuits in the heart muscle are ablated to avoid electrical interferences, but this procedure suffers from a 30-50% recurrence rate, and requires long operations. The high recurrence rate is due to the poor identification of the re-entry circuit tissue. The study objective is to develop a system for MRI-guided EP therapy, which could improve EP surgical outcomes by clear visualization of the ablated tissue in MRI