A Little More About Us
We are focused on developing and investigating MRI-centric Cyber-Physical Systems (CPS): linking imaging, robotics, computational methods and human-data/control interactive interfacing. Our work is based on the fusion of expertise and developmental works that are quite focused within a diverse body or disciplines: magnetic resonance physics, MR-compatible robotics, imaging-based visual-servoing, computational and scientific computing methods, and immersive holographics.
We have only one motivation: contribute to the improvement of patient outcome.
Our modus operandi
Imagine, plan … DO IT!
Always be aware and comprehend both the “forest” and “all its trees”
You are part of a team!
Our research directives are
Well defined and application-driven
innovation of robust, modular and efficient methodology and technology
Approach and pursue integrated approaches
Go beyond the conventional, dream, combine, integrate
We Love Magnetic Resonance
A Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) or Spectroscopy (NRI) instrument is a cyber-physical ecosystem by its nature; the ultimate scientific playground with direct impact to human well being – it saves lives!
This modality offers an unparalleled flexibility to manipulate the nuclear spins and squeeze out any possible piece of information about the matter (even play music with its gradients!). And the beauty is that we can program it to encode spatial information of the matter with an ever growing body of scanning methods!. It is the ultimate STEM educational platform! Since its infancy, visionaries have evangelized and pursue MRI roles transformative to diagnostics and therapeutics.
It is the inherent nature of the nuclear spin, the effect of a magnetic field on it and the computer programmability of an MR instrument that enable us to dream-built-explore!
and, the emerging and rapidly evolving computational tools and gadgetry of our era may enable us alternative implementations of older or the conception of new paradigms in the use of our beloved MRI machines.
It is, indeed, the loveliest little thing!
A Journey
We look into MRI as the central piece and integral part of systems, i.e. communicating and synergizing entities that exchange data, information and commands. Among those are examples (check Research) in MR-compatible robotics and actuation, as well as MRI guided tetherless ferric effectors. The plead of bright folks that have or are still embarked on this long journey of our Group, have systematically develop and investigate such systems that integrate entities of the physical and cyber worlds via data and command communications, By the nature of this objective, we follow a rather holistic approach, i.e. working on multiple such individual entities.
Some Prior Research Areas
The MIROS Project
The Solid Media Transmission (SMT)
Robot-Driven Imaging Control
Robot-mediated multimodal endoscopic MR/Optical
MR-compatible Robot-designs
Visuohaptics
MR Powered Untethered Bots
Current Research Thrusts
Computational Framework: To ensure customized and streamlined integration of entities into our CPS endowed our toolkit with a custom-developed communication fabric and framework enabled and illustrated how modularity can further propel such CPS.
Fusing MR Physics and Deep Learning: To deal with our foundational nemesis (trade-off of SNR, time of acquisition, and spatial resolution), we explore and integrate Deep Learning techniques to … well … cheat nature and collect less data.
Fusing Holographics & Human-in/-on-the-Loop: To better enable Human-mastery central to our work and to such MRI-centric cyber-physical ecosystems, is human-in-the-loop (HITL) or human-on-the-loop (HOTL) integration of the operator by sensory immersion into the 4D (or n-dimensional fused multi-contrast MRI). And we want to have this bi-directional communication on-line and in real-time while the patent is scanned.