Motion Study to Improve PET Scan Quality

Patient motion during PET scans can be a major detriment to image quality, leading to quantification errors and radiologists potentially missing malignant lesions. In order to study these problematic effects and potentially mitigate them through motion correction algorithms, anthropomorphic phantoms with accurate anatomy and realistic motion are needed.

Anthropomorphic, or humanoid, phantoms are essentially model patients made of specific materials that simulate human tissue in their shape and their interactions with the gamma radiation of the PET scan. While anatomically accurate phantoms exist, none have been created with the realistic movement of a human, which makes them ineffective for motion studies. This is what we set out to do. The phantom can be scanned many times, unlike a real patient, and under precisely known and controlled conditions such as lung trajectory, breathing rate, and breathing tidal volume. This allows new scanning methods and algorithms to be developed and rigorously tested as was previously impossible, thus hopefully leading to better quantification and tumour detection in PET for the future.

Read more in our recent blog post.

Evaluating the Socket Strength of 3D Printed Sockets

Barber Prosthetics Clinic, BCIT MAKE+ & Aimee Lizcano

3D printing is gaining exposure in the world of prosthetics.  Many of our patients have begun to ask us why we don’t use 3D printing in our clinic and if this technology could be right for them.  Currently, the largest limitation to using 3D printed sockets for lower extremity prosthetic applications is that there is no information available regarding their strength and safety when used by our patients outside of our clinics.  There is also little information available regarding the strength of current fabrication techniques.  The goal of this project is to apply the ISO standard for the Structural testing of Lower Limb Prostheses standard to evaluate the static socket strengths of transtibial sockets made using conventional and 3D printing technologies.

Phase one of this project has been completed!  We found preliminary evidence that statically, sockets made for cushion liners are strong enough to be used in clinical practice as they pass the ISO standard.  You can find more information here. 

We are now looking at the feasibility of completing cyclical testing to see how these sockets function under repeated stress.  To see the beginning of this project and our 3D printer in action, check out our blog post.   

USEIT

Examining the Use of Lower Limb Prostheses in Older Adults in the Community following Inpatient Prosthetic Training at Holy Family Hospital  

Providence Health Care

At Holy Family Hospital, a local rehab facility, approximately 22 to 36 older adults with amputations complete inpatient prosthesis training on a yearly basis.  This training seeks to improve their functional independence and prepare them for reintegration into society.  However, the question we often ask ourselves is, “What happens when they go home?”

In order to answer this question, a team of Physiotherapists, Occupational Therapists, Physiatrists, and Prosthetists was formed, with funding from the Providence Heath Care Practice-based Research Challenge. Our goal is to measure the use of a prosthesis and explore factors that contribute to its use, in order to improve the prosthetic rehab program and promote a higher level of physical functioning and community participation for older adults with amputations.

M.A.S.S. Impact

Barber Prosthetics Clinic & MENRVA Research Group at SFU

In recent years, several multi-articulated hands have become commercially available, allowing for more complex function than the previous generation of hands. However, the strategies available to control electric hands remain largely unchanged and are the largest barrier to patients using these new hands to their full potential. To address this need, Barber Prosthetics Clinic has partnered with biomedical engineers and kinesiology researchers from Dr. Carlo Menon’s MENRVA Research Group at Simon Fraser University in Burnaby, BC. Our aim is to provide a more natural and intuitive control strategy for upper-limb prostheses with the Muscle Activity Sensor Strip (M.A.S.S.).  

We attended the Cybathlon competition in Zurich, Switzerland in October 2016 to showcase this technology. The main goal of the Cybathlon was to provide a platform for the development of novel assistive technologies that are useful for daily life and it was incredible to see the wide range of devices featured. The competition received worldwide media coverage from major news broadcasters, just a few of them being BBC, CNN, CBC, CTV.   Check out our blog post to learn more about this amazing experience.  

Team Website | Youtube video | Cybathlon Trailer | Twitter | Instagram | Vancouver Magazine Article

Biomechanical characteristics, patient preference and activity level with different prosthetic feet

Barber Prosthetics, with a team from BCIT, Orthocare Innovations, University of Southern Florida, UBC & Instituto Nacional de Rehabilitacion

Providing appropriate prosthetic feet to those with limb loss is a complex and subjective process influenced by professional judgment and payer guidelines. 

This was the first randomized double blind study in which prosthetic users have expressed a preference for a specific biomechanical characteristic of prosthetic feet: those with lower peak sagittal moments were preferred, and specifically preferred on slopes, stairs, uneven terrain, and during turns and maneuvering during real world use. Read the full article.