{"677788":{"#nid":"677788","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Improving the Odds for Patients with Atrial Fibrillation","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EAtrial fibrillation, or AF, is the unpredictable musician throwing the symphony of the heart out of whack, causing the upper chambers to beat haphazardly, out of sync with the steady rhythm of the lower chambers.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAnd unfortunately, AF is all too common, affecting one in 100 people. It can be brief or persistent. It can wear you out, leaving you dizzy and out of breath, causing chest pains and palpitations. By itself, AF usually isn\u2019t life-threatening, but it reduces the heart\u2019s efficiency and can lead to blood clots and strokes \u2014 which definitely are life threatening.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThere are some helpful treatments for AF, but they are suboptimal,\u201d said \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/bme.gatech.edu\/bme\/faculty\/Yue-Chen\u0022\u003EYue Chen\u003C\/a\u003E, assistant professor of biomedical engineering in the Coulter Department, where he runs the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/sites.google.com\/view\/bm2lab\u0022\u003EBiomedical Mechatronics Lab\u003C\/a\u003E. \u201cFor too many patients, the treatment is incomplete.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETreatments like radiofrequency ablation (RFA), for example, have proven effective. \u0026nbsp;A catheter delivers radiofrequency energy to create scar tissue inside the heart. Scar tissue can\u2019t conduct electricity, so it blocks AF\u2019s abnormal signals, restoring normal rhythm to the heart. But 30-50% of patients have a recurrence of symptoms.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIt\u2019s partly because controlling the surgical tools inside the heart\u2019s complex environment isn\u2019t easy. The idea is to create a continuous line of lesions without any gaps, to completely block the faulty electric signals.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cSometimes, there are gaps,\u201d said Chen, who aims to close them, and he\u2019s using a National Science Foundation CAREER Award to find a solution. Chen and his collaborators are developing a continuum robotic system that can efficiently perform procedures like RFA while the patient is inside a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanner.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThis CAREER Award means a lot to me and my lab,\u201d said Chen, one of three Coulter BME faculty members, with \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/bme.gatech.edu\/bme\/news\/investigating-brain-change\u0022\u003EMing-fai Fong\u003C\/a\u003E and \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/bme.gatech.edu\/bme\/news\/ahmet-coskun-wins-nsf-career-award\u0022\u003EAhmet Coskun\u003C\/a\u003E, to win the honor this year.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cI\u2019m honored that my past work as well as my future research visions are being recognized,\u201d he added. \u201cThis is a great opportunity for us to explore some new directions \u2014 MRI-safe continuum robots. Our goal is to develop robot-based medical interventions for improved treatment outcomes.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESmart Snake\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003EContinuum robots are long and slender and made of flexible materials that allow them to bend and twist and move with a great deal of dexterity, like a snake.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIt makes them perfect for minimally invasive surgeries, such as cardiac ablation, intracerebral hemorrhage removal, drug delivery, and many other procedures,\u201d Chen said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBut that\u2019s not what makes the Chen team\u2019s system unique. Unlike traditional robotic systems, this one is designed to work inside an MRI machine, offering doctors more precision than ever.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMRI provides high-resolution tissue imaging and real-time tracking, making it superior to other types of imaging. In addition to its diagnostic power, MRI is being used increasingly as part of clinical procedures.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBut most robotic surgical systems haven\u2019t been compatible with MRI, said Chen, \u201cmainly due to the strong magnetic field generated by the MRI scanner, which precludes the use of ferromagnetic materials.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETo overcome this problem, Chen\u2019s team created a new type of flexible robot made from polymers, including a plastic, 3D-printed transmission mechanism. The motors that give the robot mobility are made of 3D-printed resin and are powered by pressurized air. Since no electricity is used, there is no interference with the MRI\u2019s magnetic fields.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe\u2019ve also devised a controller that ensures the motors will move accurately and designed them in a way that allows easy customization with just a few key settings,\u201d Chen said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EControlling the Outcome\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003EA key challenge in RFA is manipulating the catheter in the heart, which is not unlike driving a car through a twisting, unfamiliar road. Chen\u2019s robotic system is basically a smart GPS that ensures the car stays on the right path at the right speed.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cOur system will use MR imaging and catheter tracking to provide real-time feedback to the physician, which will help them guide the catheter more accurately,\u201d Chen said.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAdditionally, the research team has developed sensors that will monitor the contact force between the catheter and the heart tissue \u2014 the right amount of pressure is crucial for delivering heat energy, creating effective and continuous lesions, and reducing the chances of AF recurrence.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe project has multiple phases,\u201d Chen said. \u201cFirst, we\u2019ll develop the navigation software to merge MR imaging, catheter tracking, and contact force estimation into a single interface. This will provide physicians with comprehensive feedback during the procedure.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe team will enhance the robotic system to control both the catheter, developing algorithms to ensure precise placement inside the patient. Then they\u2019ll test the system on a heart model in an MRI scanner before testing it on animal models.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis is a multi-institutional effort. In addition to Chen\u2019s students \u2014 Yifan Wang, Anthony L. Gunderman, and Milad Azizkhani \u2014 his collaborators include Ehud Schmidt and Aravindan Kolandaivelu from Johns Hopkins University, and Junichi Tokuda from Harvard University.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe believe this platform will significantly improve the outcomes of AF treatments by providing physicians with better tools to perform precise, effective ablations,\u201d said Chen. \u201cThis technology could improve the quality of life for many patients.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"Georgia Tech biomedical engineer Yue Chen using NSF CAREER Award to develop MRI-safe surgical robot"}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech biomedical engineer Yue Chen\u0027s team is developing new MRI-safe robots to improve atrial fibrillation treatment, making heart procedures more precise and effective.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Georgia Tech biomedical engineer Yue Chen using NSF CAREER Award to develop MRI-safe surgical robot."}],"uid":"28153","created_gmt":"2024-10-21 21:06:22","changed_gmt":"2024-10-23 15:17:18","author":"Jerry Grillo","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2024-10-21T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2024-10-21T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"675384":{"id":"675384","type":"image","title":"Yue Chen, BME researcher","body":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech researcher Yue Chen is using his NSF CAREER Award to lead development of a new MRI-safe surgical robot.\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1729544395","gmt_created":"2024-10-21 20:59:55","changed":"1729544513","gmt_changed":"2024-10-21 21:01:53","alt":"Yue Chen, BME roboticist","file":{"fid":"258999","name":"YueChen2.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/10\/21\/YueChen2.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/10\/21\/YueChen2.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":3610936,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2024\/10\/21\/YueChen2.jpg?itok=618dqrD4"}},"675385":{"id":"675385","type":"image","title":"Yue Chen with robotic device","body":"\u003Cp\u003EYue Chen\u0027s MRI-safe surgical robot\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1729544530","gmt_created":"2024-10-21 21:02:10","changed":"1729544595","gmt_changed":"2024-10-21 21:03:15","alt":"Yue Chen and his surgical robot","file":{"fid":"259000","name":"Yue with Device.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/10\/21\/Yue%20with%20Device.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/10\/21\/Yue%20with%20Device.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":4723014,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2024\/10\/21\/Yue%20with%20Device.jpg?itok=Au2EMpXe"}}},"media_ids":["675384","675385"],"groups":[{"id":"1292","name":"Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience (IBB)"}],"categories":[{"id":"138","name":"Biotechnology, Health, Bioengineering, Genetics"},{"id":"152","name":"Robotics"}],"keywords":[{"id":"187991","name":"go-robotics"},{"id":"187423","name":"go-bio"},{"id":"167861","name":"surgical robotics"},{"id":"194041","name":"atrial fibrillation"},{"id":"194042","name":"MRI-safe robots"},{"id":"1613","name":"Biomedical Engieering"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"},{"id":"39521","name":"Robotics"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71891","name":"Health and Medicine"},{"id":"71881","name":"Science and Technology"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EJerry Grillo\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["Jerry.grillo@ibb.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}