Three dimensional projection environment for molecular design and surgical simulation

• Published in: Studies in health technology and informatics Vol. 163; p. 691
• Main Authors: Wickstrom, Eric, Chen, Chang-Po, Devadhas, Devakumar, Wampole, Matthew, Jin, Yuan-Yuan, Sanders, Jeffrey M, Kairys, John C, Ankeny, Martha L, Hu, Rui, Barner, Kenneth E, Steiner, Karl V, Thakur, Mathew L
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Netherlands 2011
• Subjects: Computer Simulation; Drug Design; Humans; Imaging, Three-Dimensional - methods; Models, Biological; Molecular Imaging - methods; Neoplasms - diagnostic imaging; Neoplasms - surgery; Positron-Emission Tomography - methods; Radiopharmaceuticals - chemical synthesis; Surgery, Computer-Assisted - methods; User-Computer Interface
• ISSN: 0926-9630
• DOI: 10.3233/978-1-60750-706-2-691

We are developing agents for positron emission tomography (PET) imaging of cancer gene mRNA expression and software to fuse mRNA PET images with anatomical computerized tomography (CT) images to enable volumetric (3D) haptic (touch-and-feel) simulation of pancreatic cancer and surrounding organs prior to surgery in a particular patient. We have identified a novel ligand specific for epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) to direct PET agent uptake specifically into cancer cells, and created a volumetric haptic surgical simulation of human pancreatic cancer reconstructed from patient CT data. Young's modulus and the Poisson ratio for each tissue will be adjusted to fit the experience of participating surgeons.