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Biomedical subjects

A Schweikard

Publications and source records attributed to A Schweikard.

6 recordsLinked to original sources

[Fluoroscopy-based 3D navigation of complex correction osteotomies at the proximal femur].

BACKGROUND: Despite great advances in hip alloarthroplasty there are still numerous indications for joint-saving procedures such as correction osteotomies. Often these procedures include complex 3D rearrangements of the proximal femur, which are for the surgeon technically very demanding. The project aim was to develop a precise intraoperative virtual 3D planning tool including a detailed biomechanical analysis and enable the surgeon to realize exactly this plan by using computer-assisted techniques. METHODS: Using only two different angled fluoro frames a simplified femoral model was inversely constructed. For navigation a passive optical system was used with a C-arm calibration kit and PC-based software. For in vitro evaluation complex osteotomies were performed on ten femora under simulated OR conditions. RESULTS: The mean difference between the planning and real surgical outcome for the wedge size was less then 2 degrees and for the femur head center position less then 4 mm. No implant penetrated the femur neck isthmus. CONCLUSION: Without changing the standard operative procedure the method can be of high clinical importance to improve planning accuracy and consecutive operative realization for precise fragment positioning and plate location without penetrating the isthmus of the femoral neck. And -- besides precision -- it can potentially help to reduce intraoperative complications such as implant penetration and minimize X-ray use.

Computer Simulation↗

Feasibility of four-dimensional conformal planning for robotic radiosurgery.

Organ motion can have a severe impact on the dose delivered by radiation therapy, and different procedures have been developed to address its effects. Conventional techniques include breath hold methods and gating. A different approach is the compensation for target motion by moving the treatment beams synchronously. Practical results have been reported for robot based radiosurgery, where a linear accelerator mounted on a robotic arm delivers the dose. However, not all organs move in the same way, which results in a relative motion of the beams with respect to the body and the tissues in the proximity of the tumor. This relative motion can severely effect the dose delivered to critical structures. We propose a method to incorporate motion in the treatment planning for robotic radiosurgery to avoid potential overdosing of organs surrounding the target. The method takes into account the motion of all considered volumes, which is discretized for dose calculations. Similarly, the beam motion is taken into account and the aggregated dose coefficient over all discrete steps is used for planning. We simulated the treatment of a moving target with three different planning methods. First, we computed beam weights based on a 3D planning situation and simulated treatment with organ motion and the beams moving synchronously to the target. Second, beam weights were computed by the 4D planning method incorporating the organ and beam motion and treatment was simulated for beams moving synchronously to the target. Third, the beam weights were determined by the 4D planning method with the beams fixed during planning and simulation. For comparison we also give results for the 3D treatment plan if there was no organ motion and when the plan is delivered by fixed beams in the presence of organ motion. The results indicate that the new 4D method is preferable and can further improve the overall conformality of motion compensated robotic radiosurgery.

Biophysical Phenomena↗

Robotic motion compensation for respiratory movement during radiosurgery.

Tumors in the chest and abdomen move during respiration. The ability of conventional radiation therapy systems to compensate for respiratory motion by moving the radiation source is inherently limited. Since safety margins currently used in radiation therapy increase the radiation dose by a very large amount, an accurate tracking method for following the motion of the tumor is of the utmost clinical relevance. We investigate methods to compensate for respiratory motion using robotic radiosurgery. Thus, the therapeutic beam is moved by a robotic arm, and follows the moving target tumor. To determine the precise position of the moving target, we combine infrared tracking with synchronized X-ray imaging. Infrared emitters are used to record the motion of the patient's skin surface. A stereo X-ray imaging system provides information about the location of internal markers. During an initialization phase (prior to treatment), the correlation between the motions observed by the two sensors (X-ray imaging and infrared tracking) is computed. This model is also continuously updated during treatment to compensate for other, non-respiratory motion. Experiments and clinical trials suggest that robot-based methods can substantially reduce the safety margins currently needed in radiation therapy.

Humans↗

Foreword

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Journal Article↗

Robotic radiosurgery with noncylindrical collimators.

In radiosurgery, a moving beam of radiation acts as an ablative surgical instrument. Conventional systems for radiosurgery use a cylindrical radiation beam of fixed cross section. The radiation source can be moved only along simple, standardized paths. A new radiosurgical system based on a six-degree-of-freedom robotic arm has been developed to overcome limitations of conventional systems. We address the following question: Can dose distributions generated by robotic radiosurgery be improved by using noncylindrical radiation beams? This includes static noncylindrical collimators and collimators of adaptable cross section. Geometric methods for planning the shape of the beam in addition to planning beam motion are developed. Design criteria considered in this context are treatment time, radiation penumbra, and transparency of interactive treatment planning. An experimental evaluation compares distributions generated with our new radiosurgical system using cylindrical beams to distributions generated with beams of adaptable, noncylindrical shapes.

Computer Simulation↗

[Robot-assisted knee endoprosthesis].

With the development of powerful computer systems, computer-assisted medical diagnosis and therapy have become common over the last 10 years. Even in the surgical field, computer- and robotic-assisted techniques are becoming practical but are not yet used on a daily basis. In the orthopaedic field, computer and robotic assistance is used in planning and performing demanding three-dimensional osteotomies, setting pedicle screws in the spine and milling the femoral medullary canal in total hip replacement. This article introduces a computer- and robotic-assisted system for performing arthroplasty in total knee replacement procedures.

Computer Simulation↗