Our
Current
Projects
We explore MRI and are continuing to find new indications for it's use and integrate therapeutic devices into these systems.
Patient-specific MRI safety for deep brain stimulation
UHN operates one of the largest movement disorder clinics in North America and has been on the vanguard of Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) for decades. Being able to image patients with MRI safely after having a DBS implanted, is crucial to understanding the pathophysiological underpinnings of the therapy and enhance patient care. We are pioneering patient-specific simulations through a combination of measurements and computational physics to make sure no patient is denied care.
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Nanoparticle imaging for murine cancer models
Measuring T1 and T2 contrast of a novel nanoparticle that has numerous advantageous properties for localizing tumour sites, a long wash out period for image-guided surgery and the ability to fluoresce. Imaging at 0.5T, we are the first group to demonstrate the feasibility of 200 micron resolution on a low-field MRI for the use during/pre/post surgical procedures for this nanoparticle developed by collaborators at UHN.
Machine-learning for low-field MRI
Imaging at 0.5T MRI generally suffers from a reduction in the Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR) due to spin polarization. Consequently, the resolution one can achieve under this constraint is limited (images are less 'sharp'). We are finding new ways around this to leverage the benefits of lower magnetic field strengths (compatibility, safety, accessibility) and using machine learning to achieve standard-of-care image quality on our bespoke systems.
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MRI in the OR: removing the faraday cage and electromagnetic interference removal
The promise of low-field MRI is to place them outside of the radiology wing. One main impediment is the need to 'shield' the MRI from outside electrical sources. This 'shield' is known as a Faraday cage. We are exploring new software and hardware methods to operate MRI outside of a Faraday cage, and thus be able to situate them in new and crucial areas such as the operating room or emergency department.
Point-of-care MRI-guided focused ultrasound for ablation, blood-brain barrier disruption and liquid biopsy
We are currently constructing a 0.5T MRI combined therapy system with a custom focused ultrasound transducer. The promise of this work is to unlock more point-of-care treatments for this non-invasive technology that can ablate tumours, disrupt the blood-brain-barrier to enable delivery of drugs to tumour sites in the brain and to facilitate liquid biopsy - the ability to non-invasively check for circulating tumour markers in the bloodstream with a simple pin prick (as opposed to an invasive resection from the brain or spine).
