Interdisciplinary Research Stimulating Health Technology
Innovation in IMSaT
Dr Mike MacDonaldIMSaT and Physics
University of Dundee
23 April 2010
Background
IMSaT• Institute for Medical
Science and Technology (IMSaT) launched in January 2008 by University ofDundee to promote joint activity between medicine, life sciences andthe physicalsciences andengineering
IMSaTMed
icine
Life Sciences
Science and Engineering
IMSaT• Institute for Medical
Science and Technology (IMSaT) launched in January 2008 by University ofDundee to promote joint activity between medicine, life sciences andthe physicalsciences andengineering
IMSaTMed
icine
Life Sciences
Science and Engineering
Realisation• More than £6M
investment• More than £17M awards
since launch• Now ~50 staff and
students• Facilities almost
completed
IMSaT
Ninewells Hospital
Facilities
• Cell biology and nanomedicine
• Interventional MRI• Surgical Technology• Photonics• Ultrasonics
Local Laboratories
IMSaT Infrastructure
• Cell biology and nanomedicine
• Interventional MRI• Surgical Technology• Photonics• Ultrasonics
Local Laboratories
IMSaT Infrastructure
• Cell biology and nanomedicine
• Interventional MRI• Surgical Technology• Photonics• Ultrasonics
Local Laboratories
IMSaT Infrastructure
Staff and Collaborators
IMSaT Research Leaders• Prof. Andreas Melzer, Director, specialism in
MRI-guided intervention and surgery• Prof. Sir Alfred Cuschieri, Chief Scientific
Advisor, specialism in minimal access surgery
• Dr Sandy Cochran, Team Leader in medical ultrasound
• Dr Stuart Brown, Team Leader in surgical technology
• Dr Mike MacDonald, Team Leader in biophotonics
• Dr Paul Prentice, Team Leader in photoacoustics
• Dr Lijun Wang, Team Leader in cell biology and nanomedicine
• Andreas Melzer – pre-clinical• Alfred Cuschieri – clinician/scientist• Sandy Cochran – engineer / physicist• Stuart Brown – mechanical engineer• Mike MacDonald – applied physicist• Paul Prentice – applied physicist• Lijun Wang – life scientist
• TBC – clinician• TBC – life scientist
Research Leader Backgrounds
Some Local Collaborators
• Prof. Alistair Thomson, Surgery and
Molecular Oncology, Ninewells Hospital• Dr George Corner, Medical
Physics/Ultrasound, Ninewells Hospital• Dr Elaine Henry, Gastroenterology,
Ninewells Hospital• Dr Graeme Houston, Oncology, Ninewells
Hospital• Dr Zhihong Huang, Ultrasound, Dundee
University• Dr Rob Keatch, Tissue Engineering, Dundee
Univ.• Dr Graeme MacLeod, Anaesthesia, Ninewells
Hospital
Some External Collaborators• University of Birmingham, Materials• University of Bristol, Mechanical
Engineering• Fraunhofer IKTS, Materials• University of Glasgow, Electronic
Engineering• Institute for Cancer Research, Medical
Physics• Insightec (Israel), Focused ultrasound
surgery• Penn State University, Materials• University of Southampton, Engineering• Trondheim University, Surgical technology• Weidlinger Associates (USA), Design
software
Some Previous/Present Collaboration
Strategy and Delivery
Strategic Dimensions• Key Target Area Image-guided intervention• Applications Oncology, Cardiovascular, and
Other (e.g. Anaesthesia, Surgical techniques)• Technology MRI, ultrasound, and
biophotonic imaging, with state-of-the-art intervention, including surgical technology and devices
• Collaboration Strong bias towards scientific, engineering and clinical collaboration
• Clinical application Strong bias towards clinical application of research outcomes
IMSaT’s strategic plan includes a project pipelinefor commercialisation of research
Commercialisation
Large Projects• Nanoporation (£1.8M) – Targeted drug delivery• Sonotweezers (£1.5M) – Particle / cell
manipulation• Lightsheet microscopy (£0.7M) – embryo
imaging• Biomag (£1.4M) – Surgical manipulation of
magnetised tissue• Laparoscopy (£2.5M) – New tools for keyhole
surgery• IIIOS (£3.7M) – Interventional imaging operating
system• DPFS (£0.6M) - Device / model development
Sample of Other Projects• Ultrasonic virtual histology (3 x grad student)• Devices for ultrasonic cutting (3 x grad student)• Integration of Si and piezoelectrics (1 x postdoc)• Ultrasound guided regional anaesthesia
(2 x grad student, 1 x undergrad)• Laser generated ultrasound (1 x grad student)• Photoacoustic imaging (1 x grad student)• Optical anastamotic perfusion assessment (1 x
ungrad)• MRgFUS (4 x grad student)• Tissue motion tracking (2 x grad student)• Microbubble processing (1 x grad student)• Nerve regeneration with magnetic nanoparticles
(1 x postdoc)• Organ retraction in surgery (1 x postdoc)• Ultrasound phantoms (1 x postdoc)
Case Study:MRgFUS
MRgFUS: MRI-guided Focused Ultrasound Surgery• Risks of surgical therapy outweigh
potential benefits for many patients• E.g. frail, elderly patients and patients with benign tumours
• Non-invasive focused ultrasound surgery is a possibility• Image guidance is crucial
Simple Ultrasonic Hyperthermia
Custom transducer for high intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU)
Hyperthermia applied to poultry breast in vitro, max. intensity 240 W cm-2
Illustrative Results
Visual
Histology
HFUS
SEM
Illustrative Results
Visual
Histology
HFUS
SEM
Necrosed tissue
Viable tissue
Image Guidance• MRI presently the
leading image guidance technique• MRgFUS - MRI-
guided focused ultrasound surgery
• Ultrasound guidance also possible
MRgFUS
Thiel cadaver with InSightec Exablate 2000 system
Matrix Array Transducer• Preliminary trials
of hyperthermic necrosis of cadaveric liver
Robot-mounted Matrix Array • Demonstration of
possible future of image-guided surgery
Summary and the Future
• IMSaT and its partners now allow seamless translation of basic research into clinical progress• Imaging is a key topic in Dundee
• Many projects now under way• Case study: MR-guided focused ultrasound
surgery• Great potential; many major companies
and universities engaged in clinical studies
Summary
Next Steps• Stronger theming Less opportunistic
funding, stronger focus on strategy• Commercialisation Recruitment of
business liaison person• Enhanced marketing/sales Revised
website, planned exhibition and conference attendance
• ISO13485/GLP Certification To reduce barriers to clinical adoption
• Additional facilities Establishment of full preclinical resource unit