Study demonstrates feasibility of hologram technology in liver tumor ablation

FAIRFAX, Va., June 15, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Data from one of the first clinical uses of augmented reality guidance with electromagnetically tracked tools shows that the technology can help doctors quickly, safely, and accurately deliver targeted liver cancer treatments, according to research presented during a virtual session of the Society of Interventional Radiology's 2020 Annual Scientific Meeting on June 14. The technology provides a three-dimensional holographic view inside a patient's body, allowing interventional radiologists to accurately burn away tumors while navigating to avoid organs and other critical structures.

In this initial in-human pilot study, the technology was used to deliver a treatment known as percutaneous thermal ablation of solid liver tumors. To apply this technology, interventional radiologists from the Cleveland Clinic use multi-phase CT to record coordinate markers placed on a patient's body. This imaging data is added to a software application that allows for segmentation of the tumor and nearby structures within the marked coordinate space. This information is fed into a proprietary augmented reality application, which utilizes Microsoft's HoloLens technology, a virtual reality headset with transparent lenses, to project a segmented hologram of the patient's imaged anatomy directly onto the patient. The hologram is registered to the coordinate markers to ensure accurate location of the relevant anatomy.

Utilizing electromagnetic tracking, instruments including the ablation probe can also be visualized in the augmented reality space during the procedure, thus allowing for true holographic intraprocedural guidance. Interventional radiologists can then use the combination of the holographic images of the patient's anatomy and tracked tools to find the tumor in the patient's liver quickly, check for optimal targeting of the tumor by the ablation probe, and avoid key structures.

The study included five patients who were selected for microwave ablation of their liver tumors. For safety during this IRB-approved study, the gold standard of ultrasound was used for primary clinical decision making and probe guidance, with direct comparison to holographic guidance. Following ablation, images and video from post-procedural sonography, cone beam and multi-detector row CT, and HoloLens recordings were evaluated. In all five cases, intra-procedural holographic guidance was in agreement with the standard ultrasound-based guidance. Post-procedural imaging showed adequate tumor ablation, and no patients experienced tumor recurrence at the three-month follow-up.

The technology has only been tested for feasibility and therefore cannot yet be used as a standalone method for delivering a treatment.

Additional information about the clinical trial is available at ClinicalTrials.gov, using the identifier NCT03500757. This work was funded through internal enterprise grants from Cleveland Clinic, as well as the Ohio-based biotechnology startup, MediView.

Abstract 297: True 3D holographic visualization for performance of percutaneous thermal ablation of solid liver tumors (3D-HPA): An update on in-human evaluation.  G. Gadodia, et al

About the Society of Interventional Radiology
The Society of Interventional Radiology is a nonprofit, professional medical society representing more than 8,000 practicing interventional radiology physicians, trainees, students, scientists, and clinical associates, dedicated to improving patient care through the limitless potential of image-guided therapies. SIR's members work in a variety of settings and at different professional levels—from medical students and residents to university faculty and private practice physicians. Visit sirweb.org.

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SOURCE Society of Interventional Radiology