VISE Summer Research In Progress (RiP) Series 6.8.23
VISE Summer Research In Progress (RiP) Series
VISE Summer Seminar to be led by
Piper Cannon, PhD candidate, Mechanical Engineering
and
Seth Crawford, PhD candidate, Biomedical Engineering
Talk #1 Title: In Vivo Human Pilot Studies Guiding Next Generation System Design for da Vinci Image Guided Surgical System
Piper Cannon Bio: Piper Cannon received her BS in Mathematics from the University of Kentucky in 2021, where she researched sensing and control of autonomous unmanned air vehicles. Since joining Dr. Webster’s lab at Vanderbilt, she works toward combining low-cost aerospace sensing technology with surgical robots for accuracy improvement and implementation in image guided surgical procedures.
Abstract: Image guided surgical (IGS) systems have the potential to enhance surgeons’ situational awareness and provide them with a virtual “x-ray” vision in the operating room. However, the transition of a developing IGS system from the controlled environment of the benchtop to the dynamic operating room poses significant challenges. In this talk, I will present our group’s in vivo testing of our novel IGS system and explore how human results are shaping our next generation design.
Talk #2 Title: Neuromonitoring for Cardiac Surgery: A Whole-Cortex fNIRS System for Perioperative Investigation of Postoperative Delirium
Seth Crawford Bio: Seth Crawford graduated summa cum laude from the University of Tennessee at Knoxville in 2021 with an honors degree in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering. He is now a second-year Biomedical Engineering graduate student in Dr. Audrey Bowden’s lab where his research focuses on design and development of functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) systems. He is also the current President of the Vanderbilt University SPIE student chapter.
Abstract: The development of postoperative cognitive and neurological disorders is a dangerous risk to patients over 60 years of age undergoing all types of surgical procedures. Postoperative delirium (POD) is an established concern as it has incidence rates that are greater than 50% for some surgeries, including cardiac surgery. In addition to its negative physiological effects on patient quality of life, POD also imbues a high financial cost, approximated at $152 billion in 2019. POD is thought to be brought on by both intraoperative and postoperative triggers; however, no satisfactory biomarkers, predictors, or triggers for the prevention of POD currently exist despite numerous investigations. These studies are limited by the methodologies and tools that are currently utilized to perform neuromonitoring during surgical procedures. Conventional techniques such as fMRI and PET scans are too heavy, difficult, and bulky to integrate into the workflow of the operating room. Techniques that have the agility to be deployed in this environment, such as cerebral oximetry and electroencephalography (EEG), suffer from low spatial resolution and high susceptibility to imaging artifacts. In contrast, functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) offers a system with better spatial resolution, lower susceptibility to artifacts, and an overall better view of the brain both during and after surgery.
Our work proposes to build a novel fNIRS cap system that will allow for whole-cortex monitoring. Our work would offer the first system that will enable preoperative neuroimaging of cerebral locations of known relevance to POD which could provide new information and insight for surgeons and operating room staff to consider during surgical procedures. This work will facilitate future research regarding triggers of POD and could spur innovations in protocols for surgical care and anesthesia.