A multidisciplinary research group at the UB-Toshiba Stroke and Vascular Research Center received first place for its poster presentation at the SPIE Medical Imaging 2015 meeting held last month in Orlando, Florida.

The group, led by Ciprian N. Ionita, research assistant professor in the Department of Biomedical Engineering, and Stephen Ruden, SUNY Distinguished Professor in the Department of Radiology, demonstrated that 3-D printing could be used to create a “phantom” for neurosurgeons preparing to perform minimally invasive endovascular image-guided interventions (EIGIs), the preferred procedures for treating a wide range of vascular disorders. Neurosurgeons could become familiar with a patient’s vessel anatomy by using the phantom to practice on prior to the actual procedure, allowing for adjustments to be made before the patient is in the treatment room and reducing the risk of complications or delays.

First author on the paper, titled “Treatment planning for image-guided neuro-vascular interventions using patient-specific 3D printed phantoms,” is Megan Russ, a PhD student in medical physics; second author is Ryan O’Hara, a junior biomedical engineering major. Ionita is senior author.