Augmented-Reality-Guided Surgery Prototype at CIBR Showcase

March 2017.

The Coalition for Imaging and Bioengineering Research (CIBR) seeks to highlight the importance of imaging research, particularly that supported by the NIBIB.  NIH funding has remained flat, in spite of the tremendous return on investment.  NIH-funded research provides economic returns ($8 for every $1 of research finding after 5 years), creates jobs and opportunities across the country, and most of all makes the US a leader in health research.

During the annual Medical Imaging Technology Showcase, researchers show the impact of their work to members of Congress and their staff to build upon the strong bipartisan support for NIH funding.  The showcase emphasizes that ALL researchers need to explain what they do and how it benefits the country, to anyone they meet.

Our project goal is to use augmented-reality to project MR images showing breast cancer directly onto the patient so that the surgeon can accurately resect tumors.  Currently 171,000 breast tumor resections (“lumpectomies”) are performed each year, but as many as 25% require re-operation because some tumor remains after surgery.  This is a devastating result for patients, hence the goal to reduce or completely avoid re-operation.