Transforming neuronavigational imaging for assisting brain tumour surgery

转变神经导航成像以协助脑肿瘤手术

• 批准号: 2877274
• 金额: --
• 依托单位: University College London
• 依托单位国家: 英国
• 项目类别: Studentship
• 财政年份: 2023
• 资助国家: 英国
• 起止时间: 2023 至 无数据
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=studentship-2877274
• 关键词: Transforming; neuronavigational; imaging; assisting; brain

More than 13 million patients require brain surgery every year. Measuring brain function is paramount during neurosurgery, for example, when removing brain tumours. Neurosurgeons need to differentiate between healthy tissue and the tumour and ensure the integrity of the patient's brain function during and after surgery. Also, they need to identify tumour borders to precisely remove the tumour while saving healthy tissue. To accomplish their task and increase treatment effectiveness, surgeons require neuro-navigation systems to provide them with quantitative, accurate and real-time information on brain activity and tumour location. Current navigation approaches present major limitations as they do not provide the surgeons with sufficient information, are too invasive, or cannot assess brain activity accurately enough. Moreover, biochemical characterisation of the tumour is needed for more precise tumour border detection, which can be achieved through advanced imaging.Therefore, the HyperProbe consortium will build on laboratory-based devices to be translated into a clinical setting. The consortium will propose a new multifunctional hyperspectral imaging device to provide real-time, quantitative, and accurate assessment of brain activity and tumour borders intraoperatively. Using an optical, contactless, and hence minimally invasive neuroimaging approach, the device will provide exhaustive biochemical information on the brain tissue and tumour features during surgery and cortical activity stimulation. "The HyperProbe system will illuminate the exposed brain with non-ionising light and measure the reflected and fluorescent signals from the brain tissue intraoperatively", explains Francesco Pavone, Project Coordinator from the University of Florence. "Tailored machine learning and artificial intelligence algorithms for image analysis will identify biomarkers of brain activity in the targeted area. It will then deliver this information to the clinician in real time via augmented reality", he adds.The project will develop and validate a cost- effective, transportable, and easy-to-use device to be integrated with existing clinical instrumentation that is fully suitable for the operating room. "Within HyperProbe, we will carry out feasibility studies to assess the performance of the HyperProbe device on patients. We will validate the imaging performance and brain activity measurements during brain tumour surgery. This observational, proof-of-concept analysis will pave the way for bringing this highly promising new tool to the clinics", states Camilla Bonaudo, Careggi University Hospital.The project will significantly impact clinical practice as the consortium proposes, for the first time, a functional-imaging and machine-based decision-making approach in neurosurgery. The HyperProbe device will be the first multi-biomarker, quantitative optical imaging device and functional imaging device used in image-guided surgery to preserve brain functions and minimise the risk of postoperative neurological impairment and considerably improve the life expectancy of patients.Research Aims:The objectives of this PhD project are: (1) the metrological characterization and (2) the optimisation of hyperspectral instruments for imaging and spectroscopic parameters. This will be done by developing a digital phantom platform (Light Diffusion Simulator) and new optical phantoms (solid and liquid) that mimic the cortical haemodynamic\metabolic function and structure.

每年有超过1300万患者需要脑部手术。例如，在去除脑肿瘤时，测量脑功能至关重要。神经外科医生需要区分健康组织和肿瘤，并确保在手术后和手术后患者的大脑功能的完整性。同样，他们需要鉴定肿瘤边界以精确去除肿瘤，同时保存健康的组织。为了完成其任务并提高治疗效果，外科医生需要神经运动系统，以为他们提供有关大脑活动和肿瘤位置的定量，准确和实时的信息。当前的导航方法存在主要局限性，因为它们没有为外科医生提供足够的信息，过于侵入性或无法准确评估大脑活动。此外，需要对肿瘤进行更精确的肿瘤边界检测需要对肿瘤的生化表征，这可以通过先进的成像来实现。因此，超企业联盟将建立在基于实验室的设备上，以转化为临床环境。该财团将提出一种新的多功能高光谱成像装置，以术中对脑活动和肿瘤边界进行实时，定量和准确的评估。使用光学，非接触式和最小侵入性的神经影像学方法，该设备将在手术和皮质活性刺激过程中提供详尽的生化信息。佛罗伦萨大学的项目协调员Francesco Pavone解释说：“超烟系统将用非离子光照明暴露的大脑，并在术中脑组织的反射和荧光信号测量。”他补充说：“量身定制的机器学习和人工智能算法用于图像分析将确定目标区域中大脑活动的生物标志物。然后，它将通过增强现实实时将此信息实时交付给临床医生。” - 有效，可运输且易于使用的设备与现有的临床仪器集成在一起，完全适合手术室。 “在Hyperprobe中，我们将进行可行性研究，以评估患者对患者的性能的性能。我们将在脑肿瘤手术期间验证成像性能和大脑活动测量。这项观察性的，概念证明分析将为铺平道路。 Careggi大学医院Camilla Bonaudo指出，将这个高度有希望的新工具带到诊所中。 。 Hyperprobe设备将是第一个多生物标志物，定量光学成像设备和用于图像引导手术中用于保留脑功能的功能成像设备，以保持脑功能并最大程度地降低术后神经系统损害的风险，并大大改善患者的预期寿命。该博士学位项目的目标是：（1）计量特征和（2）成像和光谱参数的高光谱仪器的优化。这将通过开发数字幻影平台（轻型扩散模拟器）和新的光学幻像（固体和液体）来模仿皮质血流动力学\代谢功能和结构。