The National Center for Image Guided Therapy (NCIGT) is a Biomedical Technology Resource Center funded by the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering. Under the leadership of Dr. Clare Tempany, NCIGT serves as a national resource for all aspects of research into medical procedures enhanced by imaging, with the common goal of providing more effective patient care.
The Advanced Multimodal Image-Guided Operating (AMIGO) Suite is the clinical translational test-bed for research in NCIGT. A unique resource for image-guided therapy, AMIGO represents and encourages multidisciplinary cooperation and collaboration among teams of surgeons, interventional radiologists, imaging physicists, computer scientists, biomedical engineers, nurses and technologists to reach the common goal of delivering the safest and the most effective state-of-the-art therapy to patients in a technologically advanced and patient-friendly environment.
Since its inception in 2005, NCIGT has created a portfolio of clinical and research activities at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston and has provided local, regional, national, and international researchers with access to these capabilities through collaborations, service, training and dissemination activities.
Our core strategy is the close integration of translational research, engineering activities, and a broad coverage of clinical areas. The current goal of NCIGT is to develop novel tumor localization and targeting technologies for achieving complete resection or focal ablation of cancer with preservation of structure and function of adjacent normal tissues. We are working to achieve this by improving tumor characterization with accurate definition of its margin, localization and targeting of diseased tissue, and using image guidance technologies to optimize surgical and interventional treatments for improving outcomes and decreasing complications by reducing adjacent tissue damage.
Four Core Areas of Research
Prostate
The Prostate Core, led by Dr. Clare Tempany, is developing novel platforms to allow for molecular profiling of prostate cancer and imaging to allow for improved predictive markers for guiding biopsy and focal therapy, and by use of image processing methods for monitoring treatment effect. Learn more about NCIGT prostate research.
Neurosurgery
The Neurosurgery Core, led by Dr. Alexandra Golby, is using molecular biomarker, mass spectrometry, for intraoperative surgical decision making to better define tumor extent. Advanced functional mapping using fMRI+DTI will be used for individualized treatment planning. Learn more about NCIGT neurosurgery research.
Computation
The Computation Core, led by Dr. William Wells, is developing specialized multimodal image registration algorithms and custom hardware for motion compensation to improve tumor localization and functional mapping. Learn more about NCIGT computation research.
Guidance
The Guidance Core, led to Dr. Noby Hata, is developing novel instrument and tumor tracking technologies to accurately deliver therapy despite significant physiological motion and tissue deformation. The proposed Image-Guided Therapy methods that introduce new ways to visualize images, guide procedures, and track changes will be integrated with our open source software platform, 3D Slicer. Learn more about the NCIGT guidance research.