You will earn 6 research credits over 6 weeks, conducting a faculty-supervised, hands-on, directed study research projects with results that will culminate in the preparation of a research paper. You will complete a minimum of 240 hours on research in and out of the laboratory.
Faculty mentors will work closely with you to direct your continued growth and knowledge development in the chosen research topic discipline.
| Course ID | Title | Credits | Syllabus |
|---|---|---|---|
| KING RSLW 392S | International Independent Research in STEM Fields | 6 |
Aortic aneurysm is characterized by an abnormal bulging of the aorta in the abdominal (AAA) or thoracic (TAA) region. In the United States alone, approximately 10,000 deaths are attributed to AAAs annually. Therefore, prompt treatment is imperative, with interventional options including synthetic blood vessel replacement or endovascular aortic repair (EVAR). EVAR is often the first-line option due to its minimally invasive nature. In this procedure, a catheter is inserted into the femoral artery, guided to the aneurysm while carrying a stent graft, which is then deployed into place. However, EVAR is not devoid of complications, with misalignment of fenestrations being a notable issue. These misalignments can result in inadequate sealing and leaks, necessitating additional interventions. The increasing incidence of aortic aneurysms coupled with an aging population has resulted in an escalating demand. However, this demand surpasses the available healthcare capacity. This is partly due to the extensive training required and the complexity and long duration of these procedures. Therefore, there is scope to develop novel solutions in this field that will increase patient, staff and healthcare system benefit for this disease.
The aim of this project is to develop a novel robotic system for endovascular aortic aneurysm repair, featuring innovative design elements to address the limitations of existing commercial systems. Specifically, we will focus on development of a robotic platform that employs a shared-autonomy paradigm. In this system, the surgeon guides the catheter carrying the stent graft to the aneurysm, while the robot precisely positions and aligns the stent graft. This shared-control system will be designed with a minimized size and lower cost. We will evaluate this system by simulating fenestrated EVAR on an anthropomorphic aorta phantom. The work will be extended to evaluate automation of the entire procedure, with minimal operator intervention.
Skills developed: Knowledge, understanding and skills in abdominal aortic aneurysms, EVAR procedures, mechatronics systems, CAD, clinical evaluation of healthcare technologies, and research methods.
Endovascular aortic repair (EVAR) is an established treatment for aortic aneurysmal disease, offering lower morbidity and mortality compared to open surgery. Fenestrated endovascular aortic aneurysm repair requires precise planning and positioning to prevent misalignment. Branched endovascular aortic aneurysm repair with external branches conforms to a wider range of anatomies but requires a wider working aortic lumen and longer aortic cover, posing a risk of spinal cord ischaemia. There are no in vivo, in vitro, or in silico studies to understand the haemodynamic effects of different repair designs. This project attempts to build and test a bench model to investigate these effects.
Skills developed: Knowledge, understanding and skills in vascular disease, EVAR procedures, additive manufacturing, CAD, clinical evaluation of healthcare technologies, and research methods.
Cardiac ablation is a possible treatment for arrhythmias. Ablation catheters are introduced through small incisions in peripheral blood vessels and used to destroy parts of the myocardium that are responsible for the arrhythmia. The catheters are manually controlled by cardiologists. These procedures require substantial training for cardiologists.
The project aims to develop and evaluate novel cardiac phantoms that can be used for training cardiologists for ablation procedures. The phantoms will be designed using patient images and additive manufacturing. Challenges include the use of flexible filaments for 3D printing, thermochromic paints for recording ablations, and simulation of electrical activity.
Skills developed: Knowledge, understanding and skills in human anatomy, cardiac arrhythmias, cardiac ablation procedures, image segmentation, CAD, additive manufacturing, clinical evaluation of healthcare technologies, and research methods.
Hydrogels and other liquid media are ideal for manufacturing complex anatomical models. Commercial 3D printers exist for such media, but they can be expensive and have large footprints.
This project aims to develop and evaluate a low-cost 3D printer for direct extrusion of cold liquid media, such as hydrogels. Our team has already developed a prototype, and this project will aim to refine this prototype to achieve robust printing.
Skills developed: Knowledge, understanding and skills in human anatomy, image segmentation, CAD, additive manufacturing, mechatronics, clinical evaluation of healthcare technologies, and research methods.
X-ray fluoroscopy is routinely used to guide interventional procedures. Radiation dose is of concern and keeping the dose as low as possible means that the images can be noisy.
The project aims to evaluate the use of deep learning algorithms to denoise X-ray fluoroscopy images. We have already developed a series of convolution neural networks to perform the image denoising and evaluated these. The project will focus on the evaluation of our latest networks in the clinical setting of the cardiac catheterization laboratory.
Skills developed: Knowledge, understanding and skills in X-ray imaging, interventional procedures, signal processing using Matlab, deep learning, clinical evaluation of healthcare technologies, and research methods.
The Life Sciences Museum at Guy’s Hospital hosts a large collection of animal skeletons. Many of these have become damaged or are incomplete. Furthermore, many are too fragile to allow handling by students for teaching and learning.
This project will involve using state-of-the-art technology to repair and reproduce a range of animal skeletons for the Museum. We will use the Einscan Pro+ surface scanning system or computer tomography scanning to create 3D models of the skeletons. These will then be 3D printed using our range of additive manufacturing facilities at Guy’s and St. Thomas’ hospitals and ported to our online 3D viewing environment, King’s Virtual Anatomy & Histology. The models will be evaluated by our team of anatomists and used for teaching and learning in the School of Life Sciences and Medicine at King’s.
Skills developed: Knowledge, understanding and skills in surface imaging, CT scanning, image processing, 3D computer models, 3D printing, CAD, and research methods.
Medical robotic systems have been used clinically since the 1980s and have proliferated in many different fields. We have developed a robotic system for holding and controlling an extra-corporeal ultrasound probe. With its potential for high precision, dexterity, and repeatability, the self-tracked robotic system can be employed to improve the acquisition and utility of real-time ultrasound. This may include field of view extension resulting from the integration of several 2-D images, multi-modality image fusion for improved visualization and robotic-based advanced ultrasound-guided surgery.
This project will use the robotic system and an abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) phantom to explore the use of the robot in AAA screening.
Skills developed: This project is suited to students who would like to be involved in interdisciplinary research between robotics and medical imaging. It will help to improve their knowledge of ultrasound imaging and robotic control, as well as develop experimental and problem-solving skills.
Additive manufacturing, or 3D printing, has opened up new possibilities for recreating human anatomy and physiology via high-fidelity anatomical models. These can be used for surgical training, procedure rehearsal, medical device testing, and education. Anatomical models present a more ethical and cost-effective alternative to cadavers or animal models.
This project will identify an area of need where anatomical models may be effective. We will use medical image data to create computer models of the target anatomy. These will then be manufactured using the knowhow and techniques that we have developed within the research team over the last 10 years. An evaluation study will be formulated to measure the effectiveness of the models in the target scenario. We cover a large range of organs, organ systems and parts of the body – head and neck, brain, thorax, heart, lungs, limbs, hands, kidneys, prostate, reproductive system, vascular structures, etc.
Skills developed: Knowledge, understanding and skills in human anatomy, image segmentation, CAD, additive manufacturing, clinical evaluation of healthcare technologies, and research methods.
The following information is vetted and provided by the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (AACRAO) on the Electronic Database for Global Education (EDGE).
| Percentage | Description | U.S. Equivalent |
| 70 – 100% | First Class | A |
| 60 – 69% | Second Class Upper | B+ |
| 50 – 59% | Second Class Lower | B |
| 40 – 49% | Third Class/Pass | C |
| 0 – 39% | Fail | F |