ESSENTIAL REQUIREMENTS

• MSc in software engineering, computer science or related field
• Experience in the development of augmented-reality systems
• Experience in the development of medical device software under MDR
• Background in medical image analysis and AI systems
• Background in image registration
• Proficiency in spoken and written English
• Strong interest in medical devices and surgical technologies

ADDITIONAL SKILLS

• Ability to work in a challenging and international environment
• Capacity to work autonomously and collaboratively in a highly interdisciplinary environment
• Possess Analytical Reasoning skills and a growth mindset

The Italian Institute of Technology (IIT) is seeking to appoint a highly motivated technician for the role of software developer in a project dedicated to the creation of an AI-powered system for computer-guided brain tumor resection.
This position is jointly supported by IIT’s Biomedical Robotics Lab and the Multiscale Brain Communication research line. Activities will focus specifically on the development of new real-time algorithms for the registration of pre-operative images on the deformable brain tissue during surgery.
The Biomedical Robotics Lab (BRL), coordinated by Dr. Leonardo De Mattos, is part of the Department of Advanced Robotics, directed by Prof Darwin Caldwell. This laboratory focuses on research and development of human-centered medical robotic technologies, including technologies for disease detection, diagnosis and surgery, assistive user interfaces, telesurgery, and general healthcare.
The Multiscale Brain Communication (MBC) research line, directed by Prof Luciano Fadiga, studies the neural mechanisms responsible for our capacity to communicate with others. With a critical focus on translational methodologies, MBC’s research goal is to advance knowledge on brain functioning to help building the next generation of brain-computer interfaces.
With this project, MBC and BRL are joining forces to create advanced surgical technologies for precise and delicate resection of brain tumors. The team is an international multi-disciplinary group, with researchers from a range of clinical, scientific and engineering backgrounds collaborating to create novel technological solutions to address a key clinical need.
The selected candidate will play a key role in the development of software system to support neurosurgical procedures for the excision of brain tumors. Overall, the technology concept involves the development of computer methods for the registration of pre-operative images (from MRI or CT) to the real-time scene observed by the surgeon, which should be done considering the deformations and brain-shift observed during open-brain procedures. Specifically, the work will benefit from technology developed at BRL for guiding laparoscopic surgical procedures with augmented reality. Therefore, the selected candidate will work in close collaboration with our surgical guidance team, focusing on the translation and customization of the technology for neurosurgery. Work shall also involve the preparation of documentation and comprehensive system testing to prepare it for subsequent clinical trials.

References

• Penza, V., Soriero, D., Barresi, G., Pertile, D., Scabini, S., Mattos, L., “The GPS for surgery: a user-centered evaluation of a navigation system for laparoscopic surgery,” The International Journal of Medical Robotics and Computer Assisted Surgery, https://doi.org/10.1002/rcs.2119, vol. 16(5), pp. 1-13, October, 2020
• V. Penza, Z. Cheng, M. Koskinopoulou, A. Acemoglu, D. G. Caldwell and L. S. Mattos, “Vision-Guided Autonomous Robotic Electrical Bio-Impedance Scanning System for Abnormal Tissue Detection,” in IEEE Transactions on Medical Robotics and Bionics, vol. 3, no. 4, pp. 866-877, print ISSN: 2576-3202, online ISSN: 2576-3202, https://doi.org/10.1109/TMRB.2021.3098938, November, 2021
• Aravind Venugopal; Sara Moccia; Simone Foti; Arpita Routray; Robert A. MacLachlan; Alessandro Perin; Leonardo S. Mattos; Alexander K. Yu; Jody Leonardo; Elena De Momi; Cameron N. Riviere, “Real-time Vessel Segmentation and Reconstruction for Virtual Fixtures for an Active Handheld Microneurosurgical Instrument,” International Journal of Computer Assisted Radiology and Surgery, DOI: 10.1007/s11548-022-02584-5, February 2022