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Research of a collaboration as part of a Ph.D. thesis applied
to image processing in a biomedical and biomechanical
environment.
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Introduction:
Our department would like to set up a collaboration as
part of a research grant. We are looking for a laboratory or
a department that would agree to receive a member of our
department, mister S. Van Sint Jan, for a period to be defined
( from September 1993 ?). S. Van Sint Jan would receive a
training in image processing and related specific biomechanic
problems. This training should allow him to present a doctorate
thesis. The aim of the thesis is the development of a software
being both a clinical and biomechanical research tool. As a
clinical tool the software must help orthopaedic physicians to
make a diagnosis, to simulate surgical operation (osteotomy,
tendon transfer) and to foresee physiologic consequences of
operations. As research tool the software must allow the study
of some biomechanical parameters of the living being. The "in
vivo" abilities of the project would be possible thanks to use
of medical imagery (MR- and CT-Scan).
These technologies, perpetually in development, allow to
personalize the result of image treatment to the anatomy
of a patient. The main interest of our department being the
limbs, particularly the upper limb, we would be able to adapt
the software to this particular body segment.
Program specifications:
1- Joints reconstruction from input pictures (MR- or CT-
Scan).
2- Determination and visualisation (colour or grey scale)
of the joint contact area, quantify of the joint spaces.
3- Approximation and visualization of instantaneous centre
of rotation.
4- Automated or semi-automated reconstruction of muscles
and ligaments moments from the input images.
5- Manual addition of missing muscles and ligaments, and
manual correction (with the help of an anatomical database).
6- Determination of joint stresses for several muscular
tension values ( data from literature, muscular diameter,
electromyography ).
-> Model of the system.
7- Simulation:
- on the model of point 6: picture manipulation
( e.g., osteotomy ).
- back to point 2-,
3-,
(4-),
5-: allows the simulation of a
tendon transfer.
6-: model of the system after the
simulation of one or more
surgical operation.
Such a tool would allow, beyond a help for diagnosis and
simulation, a better comprehension in stress distribution
within a joint and effects of these mechanical stresses on
some degenerative pathology. Some utilities ( scaling,
rotating, multiple window, two points distance, perimeter,
surface measurements, ... ) would be integrated. Although
the realisation of the seven previous points would be the
best conclusion of the training, we realize that such software
is not built so easily. So, we believe that knowledge of the
indispensable techniques and realisation of the five or six
first steps of the software, is more than enough for the
writing of a Ph.D. thesis. The last steps could be made as
part of a post-doctoral research.
Collaboration specifications:
We are looking for a laboratory that would agree to begin
a collaboration as part of the above-mentioned project and to
receive the candidate who hopes to acquire a training in the
mathematical and informatical techniques needed to bring the
project to a successful conclusion. Therefore the host
department would agree to instruct the candidate mainly in
biomechanic and/or image processing. The candidate could be also
integrated in an already existing similar project.
For our part we can purchase:
- MR- and CT-Scan pictures.
- Anatomical data( muscular volume, ligaments and
muscles insertions locating ).
- EMG data.
- The main part of our research team investigates
the upper limb ( shoulder, elbow, wrist and hand ). So all the
experience and the data of our searchers are available for
this project. Furthermore the head of our department is
orthopaedics surgeon and thus qualified for any surgical
advice.
We dwell on the fact that the aim of this collaboration
is not to create a software with the label of our department
but well to give the candidate a training in the required
techniques. The candidate would come in the host department
to be instructed, to learn and to work at the project. The
potential benefits ( e.g., order of the authors in the
publication or communications, ... ) should be in proportion
to the work of each one.
The last modalities of the collaboration are to be set up
later.
Sample calender of the collaboration:
Date
? - Set up of the collaboration with the host
laboratory and common request to obtain a research
grant.
? + 1day - Remote collaboration between the laboratories:
- Preparation by the candidate of the data
( sources pictures, anatomical data ).
- Study, by the candidate, of the image processing
techniques.
- Study, by the candidate, of any technique
required by the host department.
Sept 93 - Stay in the host department:
(or later)
- If the grant is given; stay of the candidate
in the host department.
- After the stay: redaction and presentation of
the thesis.
Information about the candidate:
Serge Van Sint Jan is working in our department since
January 1990. He is teaching assistant in anatomy. Recently,
he followed a course of analyst-programmer. His fields of
interest are the biomechanics of the hand and the image
processing of MR- and CT- Scan pictures. He is already making
programs to rebuild MR pictures and would like now to receive
a deeper training. He is a member of the Belgian Society for
Medical Informatics (M.I.M.) and secretary of the Informatics
Commission of the Faculty of Medicine.
If you are interested, please contact:
either
Professor M. Rooze (roozem@ulb.ac.be)
Department for functional anatomy
University of Brussels.
Faculty of Medecine, CP 619
808, Route de Lennik
1070 Brussels
Belgium
Fax: 32 2 555 63 78
Phone: 32 2 555 63 24
63 76
or directly Serge Van Sint Jan (sintjans@ulb.ac.be)
at the same address.
Phone: +32 2 555 63 25