updated 2018-19 final (1)

TECH PULSE 2018-2019
Virtual reality Letting Radiologists Navigate
Catheters Through Patient’s Blood Vessels:
Gorla Kiran Kumar
16A31A05A4
Recent research has utilized VR to let physicians
see the inside of patient’s blood vessels in 3D during
operation. The study, conducted by the University of
Washington Medical Center, demonstrated how a catheter
with electromagnetic sensors could be steered by the
physician using this VR technology.
Radiologists use imaging techniques to maneuver
catheters through blood vessels to precisely treat patients
with blood clots, stokes, cancer, and various other
conditions. These non-invasive procedures must be done
with great care, typically requiring X-ray imaging to
properly navigate surgical equipment during the procedure.
This imaging method has been effective; however, it also
exposes patients to harmful radiation.
Scientists from the University of Washington have
designed a new catheter that not only eliminates this
radiation exposure but offers a more precise treatment
method as well. Using this VR platform, the average time it
took physicians to reach targeted blood vessels was much
lower than in the traditional X-ray method, known as
fluoroscopy.
The VR software included the 3D holographic
display of the patient’s vasculature that the radiologists saw
as they navigated through the corresponding 3D-print
model. This holographic recreation was made through a
University of Washington business incubator program that
fostered the development of Pyrus Medical, an
endovascular care startup.
The researchers generated a 3D printed model and a
holographic image of a patient’s abdominal and pelvic
blood vessels and had the group of radiologists guide the
new catheters throughout the 3D printed model.
Reference: https://www.docwirenews.com/docwirepick/vr-letting-radiologists-navigate-catheters-throughpatients-blood-vessels/
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