Robotic Treatment Option for Prostate Cancer
- Detailed Technology Description
- Prostate cancer is the second leading cause of death from cancer inmen. When detected early, the majorityof cases are confined to the prostate gland itself. Focal therapies for treating localizedcancerous tumors, which focus only on those parts of the prostate affected bythe cancer, have emerged as an alternative to whole-gland procedures, which canlead to impotence and incontinence. Focallaser ablation (FLA) is a leading focal therapy which efficiently treats thetumor while minimizing damage to surrounding tissues. Though widely used, current FLA methods areinefficient, inaccurate, and require a great deal of manual guidance by thephysician. This technology successfully addressesthese problems without compromising efficacy, placing itself at the forefront ofprostate cancer treatment.
- *Abstract
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ExistingFLA technologies use a grid template consisting of rows and columns of holes toguide the laser fiber. However, this isa suboptimal solution because it has limited accuracy (just 5mm between holes),does not allow angling of the needle apparatus to avoid sensitive areas, doesnot support remote insertion of the needle (meaning the patient must be removedfrom the MRI scanner every time the needle is reinserted), and does not includea user interface for effective treatment planning.
Thistechnology addresses these problems by utilizing a robotic apparatus to moreeffectively administer the procedure. Ithas superior accuracy, angulation, and remote insertion capabilities to otherFLA methods. The product also includes asoftware platform allowing planning of the treatment and real-time visualfeedback during the procedure. Thisminimizes the number of patient removals from the scanner, increasing procedureefficiency and cutting down on costly MRI scans. Further, the robotic apparatus removes theneed for the physician to manually guide the needle, making the procedure moreefficient and straightforward. Mostimportantly, it makes the procedure safer, as the increased accuracy greatlyreduces chance of damage to surrounding tissue. Overall, this technology is safer, more efficient, and less costly thanexisting technologies and thus represents the future of prostate cancertreatment.
Thetechnology comprises a needle guidance robot for MRI-guided prostate focallaser ablation and a custom software platform allowing treatment planning andreal-time tracking of the procedure. Therobot is mounted upon a platform on the MRI table and positioned under theprostate. The robotic apparatus guides aneedle to a target location. A roboticframe allows vertical and horizontal movement of the apparatus, and a separateremote movement mechanism allows the needle to change yaw so that it may be angledto most effectively target the cancerous area while avoiding sensitive areas. After the robotic apparatus is in position, hephysician need merely push the needle in to the required depth so that ablationmay begin. The software meanwhile calculatesthe minimal number of ablations while covering the entire tumor and minimizescollateral damage. It communicates withthe MRI scanner and gives updated images of the prostate after each ablationuntil the tumor is fully treated. Thisprovides optimal tumor coverage with high accuracy but without the need forscanning the patient between ablations.
Withimproved accuracy and optimal tumor coverage, the technology makes prostatecancer treatment more efficient by necessitating fewer ablations and costly MRIscans, safer by reducing damage to surrounding tissue, and more effective bycovering all of the tumor without sacrificing efficiency and safety.
Lead Researcher: Dr. Tsz Ho "Zion" Tse, UGA College of Engineering
- Country/Region
- USA
