Friday, May 9, 2025
5/9/2025
Development of Real-time MR imaging and Visualization System to Improve MR-guided Prostate Biopsy - Abstract MR-guided in-gantry prostate biopsy is a state-of-the-art technique that has considerable advantages over other prostate biopsy methods, including increased lesion targeting accuracy and fewer side effects with shorter recovery times. However, performing the procedure is difficult and time-consuming due to a variety of factors. High-resolution T2-weighted images used to guide the needle have long acquisition times resulting in slow needle adjustments. Furthermore, guidance in MR-guided biopsy relies on support software that is prone to error due to different geometry between biopsy planning and guidance images. Manual visual guidance, often done to compensate for errors with support software, can be inaccurate due to slow pace of visual feedback, leading to repeat guidance image scans and thus longer procedure times. Hence, a new way to approach imaging and visualization of data in MR-guided prostate biopsy is a necessary step to reduce procedure complexity and duration and improve patient accessibility to this diagnostic technique. A guidance image in MR-guided biopsy requires 40-60 seconds to acquire. Progress made in Case Western Reserve University (CWRU) MRI research group has enabled fast imaging that can accelerate image collection by more than a hundred-fold. Fast MR method development will build upon currently utilized fast spin echo imaging methodology and integrate advancements in non-traditional data sampling techniques and parallel imaging to enable collection of guidance images in a few seconds. Rapidly acquired guidance images will provide superior temporal resolution to current technique with sufficient image quality to enable accurate targeting of lesions in MR-guided prostate biopsy. While fast image acquisition improves the temporal resolution of visual feedback in MR-guided prostate biopsy, procedure complexity arises from imaging in different imaging planes between planning and guidance images and targeting lesions that have insufficient contrast in these images. Non-rigid image registration will enable visual fusion between not only planning and guidance images, but also higher quality pre-biopsy diagnostic images which provide better tissue contrast for lesion targeting. Augmented reality holographic rendering will be implemented in conjunction with image registration to visualize the complex 3D spatial relationships between the different image datasets. The combination of image registration and holographic visualization will provide more informative spatial information during MR-guided prostate biopsy, allowing radiologists to better utilize their trained intuition and thus reducing procedure complexity and reliance on support software for lesion targeting. Together, fast MR imaging and augmented reality visualization techniques proposed herein will reduce procedure time and difficulty, thereby helping increase adoption and patient accessibility to MR-guided prostate biopsy.
HHS’ Tracking Accountability in Government Grants System (TAGGS) website provides access to detailed descriptions of grants, loans, aggregated direct payments and other types of financial assistance awarded by the HHS Operating Divisions (OPDIVs) and the Office of the Secretary Staff Divisions (STAFFDIVs).