IP Requirements:

• Emory IP

Experience Requirements:

• Electrical Engineering
  
• Imaging

Interventional radiology (IR) and image-guided medicine (IGM) continue to impact patients throughout the world. Advanced imaging has revolutionized the ability to reach a target. Computed tomography (CT) remains the mainstay technology for biopsy, drainage, and ablation. A needle is carefully advanced to a target, avoiding eloquent anatomy that could result in complications including: bleeding, infection, pneumothorax, and injury to adjacent viscera. Some targets remain elusive – to this day, the process is largely heuristic. We scan a patient and if we cannot draw a straight line from the skin to the target on a single axial image or make some “guess-tamations” about how we can take a cranial/caudal approach, we often tell the team the risks outweigh the benefits and we defer an approach. This can lead to delays in diagnosis and treatment for patients. A common example involves pancreatic lesions, where approaches can be challenging. Sometimes, gastroenterologists can perform endoscopic ultrasound, however, this is not always available. Robotic technologies have helped in some scenarios, however, this have been cost-prohibitive and operator dependent. In addition, several robotic companies have closed due to several barriers to adoption and business setup.

Nevertheless, the challenge remains without an ideal solution. An ideal solution will be reproducible, safe, and effective. It should be low cost, scalable, and deliverable across the country. The team will be encouraged to observe procedures in our new state-of-the-art operation at the Winship at Emory Midtown Tower and at the renowned Emory University Hospital and Emory University Hospital Midtown campuses and to think about how this solution can be democratized to move from the subspecialty care of world renown medical centers to community practices to address health inequity through novel devices.