SUMMARY :
 For the past 30 years we have seen diagnostic imaging revolutionized and also watched as significant advances in robotics and robotic assisted surgery occur.  Now with further integration of the computer through software developments and image processing advances, a stronger bridge is being developed between diagnostic techniques and surgical treatment.  At this meeting, our two speakers will present a historical view of image-guided surgery, explain current technologies and implementation challenges, and show us what is emerging in a broad array of clinical areas including neurosurgery and cardiac surgery.

Student Poster Awards

Ric Soto greets the attendees

INVITED SPEAKERS :
Dr. Terry Peters is a Scientist in the Imaging Research Laboratories at The John P. Robarts Research Institute (RRI), London, ON, and Professor in the Departments of Radiology & Nuclear Medicine and Medical Biophysics at the University of Western Ontario, as well as a member of the Graduate Programs in Neurosciences and Biomedical Engineering. Dr. Peters received his graduate training at the University of Canterbury in New Zealand in Electrical Engineering, under the direction of Richard Bates. This work resolved fundamental issues in Computed Tomography and resulted in a seminal paper in 1971.
For the past 20 years, his research has focused on the application of computational hardware and software advances to medical imaging modalities in surgery and therapy. Starting in 1978 at the Montreal Neurological Institute (MNI), Dr. Peter’s lab pioneered many of the concepts and applications that are used for surgical treatment of epilepsy.  In 1997, Dr. Peters was recruited to the University of Western Ontario to establish a focus of image-guided surgery and therapy within the Imaging Research Laboratories (IRL) at the John P. Robarts Research Institute (RRI). In the past three years, his lab has expanded to encompass the new field of robotically assisted, minimally invasive coronary bypass surgery.
Dr. Peters has authored over 140 peer-reviewed papers and book chapters, and delivered over 130 invited presentations.  He is a Senior Member of the IEEE, and a Fellow of the Canadian College of Physicists in Medicine; the Australian College of Physical Scientists and Engineers in Medicine, and the Institute of Physics.  For the past 15 years he has been funded by the over eight Canadian grant programs has also received numerous industrial grants.

Dr. Richard A. Robb received the B.A. degree in Mathematics in 1965, the M.S. degree in Computer Science in 1968, and the Ph.D. degree in Computer Science and Biophysics in 1971, all from the University of Utah.  He is currently the Scheller Professor in Medical Research and Professor of Biophysics and Professor of Computer Science in the Mayo Medical School and Mayo Graduate School.  He is Associate Dean for Academic Affairs in the Mayo Graduate School.  He is Director of the Biomedical Engineering Program and Director of the Mayo Biomedical Imaging Resource at Mayo Foundation/Clinic.
He has been involved in the development and application of computer systems for processing, analysis, and display of biomedical image data for over twenty-eight years.  He is a member of the American Physiological Society, the BMES, the IEEE, the Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers, the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the Association for Computing Machinery, the National Computer Graphics Association and the International Society for Computer Assisted Surgery.

 
Dr. Robb has been and is principal investigator on several NIH research grants and has over 300 publications in the field of biomedical image processing, including 5 books and 30 book chapters.  He has patented several inventions related to display, manipulation and analysis of computer-generated medical images.  He has directed development of comprehensive software packages, used worldwide, which provide advanced capabilities for multidimensional biomedical image visualization and analysis.  He has developed several specific clinical applications, including 3D image-guided neurosurgery for brain cancer and epilepsy, prostate cancer diagnosis and treatment, quantification and treatment of coronary artery disease, catheter-based myocardial ablation, radiation therapy planning, craniofacial reconstructive surgery and computerized histological analysis. (pictures are from one of his books)