Postdoc Augmented Reality assisted placement of pelvic screws

The Trauma Research And Innovation Center Leuven (TRAIL) is a multidisciplinary research team with the common goal of improving the outcome of the injured patient through innovative research. As founding partners, TRAIL was created by the department of Trauma Surgery and the department of Plastic and Reconstructive surgery in conjunction with collaborators from the Catholic University Leuven (KU Leuven) and the University Hospitals Leuven (UZ Leuven). It is a multidisciplinary collaborative team of scientists (biologists, material scientists, engineers) and healthcare workers engaged in developing interdisciplinary collaborative research projects to achieve its common goal.
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Responsibilities

Overthe course of one year, this project is set to achieve two primary objectives.The first goal is to improve the accuracy of the existing intraoperativeAugmented Reality (AR) framework by integrating infrared marker tracking. 

Thisenhancement will help make the system more precise and reliable. The secondgoal of the project is to conduct testing and validation using cadavers toensure that the developed system is effective.

Furthermore,the candidate will take up an active role in scientific dissemination ofongoing and planned research and contribute to defining the future valorizationand grant application strategy.

Profile

Highly motivatedapplicants with a doctoral degree (PhD) in engineering, computer science,biomechanics, biomedical engineering or a related discipline are invited. A Ph.D. in a related field, with a strongbackground in medical imaging, computer science, or a related discipline.

·        Expertisein augmented reality, virtual reality, or medical visualization.

·        Expertisein designing, prototyping, and programming with real-time 3D engines (Unity,Unreal, OpenFrameworks, Processing, and WebGL/OpenGL, etc.)

·        Strongprogramming skills and familiarity with relevant software and tools. (Python,C++, C#, ..)

·        Excellentcommunication and teamwork skills to collaborate with a multidisciplinary team.

·        Knowledgeabout data science and machine learning is a plus.

Knowledgeof AR/VR applications, musculoskeletal simulations or mechanical design areuseful assets. We expect the candidate to demonstrate strong communication andwriting skills in English. In addition to the interest in solving scientificproblems through in-vitro biomechanical experiments, experience with, oraffinity for, the valorisation and clinical translation of biomechanicalresearch in collaboration with clinical or industrial partners is highlyvalued.

Offer

Project Description

3D visualization and mixed reality (XR = virtual reality and or augmented reality) for orthopedic and trauma surgery are gaining popularity and traction for good reasons. Using 2D and 3D image rendering from VR/AR tools, orthopedic and trauma surgeons can simulate real surgical procedures and anatomy, boosting preparedness and efficiency in the operating room. Moreover, surgeons can use virtual models of the implants and screws (templates) to optimize their sizing and positioning. This 3D templating could help predict implants type and size, decrease the risk of malpositioning, periprosthetic fracture and dislocation, and facilitate precise positioning and insertion depth planning. In UZ Leuven +/- 100 hip revision surgeries and +/- 50 sacral screw placements occur yearly for which this clinical workflow could be used.

However, to fully capitalize on XR technology, it is imperative to establish a validated clinical workflow accessible to the medical team. This workflow should enable each surgical step to be accessed, objectively evaluated, and ultimately executed seamlessly and efficiently. Consequently, a diverse array of tools should be readily available to support each phase of this surgical pipeline. In this project, we want to develop such an array of tools for a generic XR pipeline (work-flow) for the planning and execution of orthopedic and trauma surgery.

Thisfunded project involves multi-disciplinary collaborations between the TRAIL(Prof. M. Herteleer), the IORT (Prof. L. Scheys), the MIRC (Prof. F. Maes), andthe Anatomy Skills Center (Prof. P. Herijgers).

Additionally,we offer:

• a young, highly motivated andinternational team of researchers,

• a modern, dynamic working environment,

• in a state-of-the-art laboratoryconveniently located within the centre of Leuven, Belgium,

• the possibility for uniqueinteractions with high-level, research-oriented orthopaedic trauma surgeons,

•integration in our international network of academic and industrial partners.

Interested?

For more information please contact Prof. dr. Michiel Herteleer, tel.: +32 16 37 45 30, mail: michiel.herteleer@kuleuven.be.

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