EASI

• Dr. Frans A. Gerritsen
  

  Philips Medical Systems
  P.O. Box 10.000 Building QV-1105 NL-5680 DA Best The Netherlands	tel: 31-40-27.62.381 fax: 31-40-27.63.393 frans.gerritsen@best.ms.philips.com
  url: http://home.planet.nl/~frans.gerritsen/EASI/EASI.html

• The following simplified usage scenario applies. The lesion is visualized in 3 dimensions (3D) in its spatial relationship to its anatomical environment (nerves, vessels, organs). A thorough pre-operative surgical plan is made, transferred to the operating room and onto the patient via registration tools. During surgery, this plan needs to be checked and, if necessary, updated using intra-operative information. This is done by using localizer/ motion tracking principles and extending them to include real-time imaging for position verification and/or updating of the plan. Updates of the surgical plan are especially relevant to reduce patient risks and to improve the quality of the intervention when changes have occurred compared to the pre-operative situation, either because of re-oriented anatomy, or as a result of the surgery itself.
• The project will help to improve effectiveness and quality of surgery while reducing patient risks and overall cost of treatment. This goal is reached via added-value services and systems with tools which enhance the capabilities of relevant clinical healthcare professionals. Telematics services will be developed and integrated to provide an optimal working environment, bridging the gap between radiological diagnosis and new surgical approaches. Advanced techniques will be developed and validated to combine 3-dimensional visualization, virtual environments and advanced navigation tools in therapy planning, quality improvement of surgery and minimally invasive surgery.
• The world market for Image-Guided Surgery systems for neurosurgery of the head is estimated at 200 M ECU. The market for IGS systems for vascular surgery is potentially much larger, but at present still more risky.

• Neurosurgeons, involved in the field of brain surgery.
• Vascular surgeons, involved in Transfemoral Endovascular Aneurysm Management.
• Radiologists, performing pre- and intra-operative imaging for both kinds of surgery.

• Patients of neurosurgery may benefit though shorter and more accurate procedures.
• Patients of vascular surgery will benefit through less invasive procedures, shorter procedures and recoveries, and increased success rates.

• The project will play a major role in maintaining and increasing the competitiveness of European industry in both EU and global markets - the primary objective of the EU’s industrial policy.
• The project will promote R&D activities necessary for other common policies (an aim contained in the Treaty on the European Union), more specifically ‘promoting new forms of work organisation’ (in the hospital), ‘improving the quality of life’ (via better quality of surgical treatment), and ‘improving the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of public services’.
• For two surgical applications, the project aims at covering tasks identified by the EU as important for the healthcare telematics domain: development and validation of improvements of the cooperative working environment of healthcare professionals, enhancements of departmental Systems, and virtual environments, advanced imaging and hypermedia.
• The work in the project will be based on experience gained under the Third Framework Programme.