Tokyo Women's Medical University

Graduate School of Medical Science

Advanced Techno-Surgery

About us

The Faculty of Advanced Techno-Surgery (FATS) conducts research and development to bring about higher levels of quality in medical care. At the core of our research is image-guided surgery (IGS) performed in our intelligent operating theater. We adopted intraoperative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in March 2000; as of July 2023, we have performed IGS on over 2300 patients, and in doing so, have contributed to the spread of this modality from its inception. Now that we are entering the age of information-guided surgery, FATS aims to improve the quality of multidisciplinary medical care, not only via existing modalities of intraoperative MRI and updated neuro-navigation systems, but also through the addition of a range of innovative modalities that can deliver seamless support in pre-, intra-, and post-surgery settings. Examples of these techniques and procedures include MR spectroscopy; awake craniotomy; intraoperative examination monitoring for awake surgery (IEMAS); rapid intraoperative pathological diagnosis; intraoperative diagnosis of malignancy using flow cytometry; photodynamic diagnosis and treatment; touchless interface (Opect); automated tracking robotic arm (iArmS); and higher brain function testing. We are also working to realize the integration of these technologies in our Smart Cyber Operating Theater (SCOT) by expanding our research and development (R&D) framework to encompass interdisciplinary partnerships in the field of medical engineering with academia, industry, and government.
In the field of oncology, we are striving to realize the fourth modality of cancer therapy after surgery, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy, namely sonodynamic therapy, combining the use of high intensity focused ultrasound therapy and sonosensitization. However, our emphasis is not solely on technological development, and we are also focused on initiatives to match international standard.
Our faculty bring a multidisciplinary approach to all of our processes, from basic research to clinical application and product development. Their efforts are forging a model for our next-generation collaborative (interdisciplinary) medical engineering research, translational research, and commercialization of product..

Research

Joint Clinical Trials and Inter-Departmental Research

・Research and development of neurosurgical support systems
・Development of smart treatment rooms for digital twinning of operating rooms
・Development of intraoral dermoscope for AI diagnosis of intraoral lesions
・Development of a digital bible for endovascular treatment to facilitate swift learning by neurosurgical trainees
・Development of biocompatible implants using cell sheet engineering
・Development of a scrub nurse system for surgical treatment
・Development of an operating room human flow analysis system to improve the work efficiency of surgical staff and for performance evaluation
・Development of minimally invasive neonatal biomonitoring technology for the NICU
・Development of a wireless power supply system for medical equipment
・Development of a tele-surgical support system for cerebrovascular treatment using 5G
・Development of a mobile treatment unit to mitigate regional medical disparities
・AI-based denoising of MRI images
・Construction of new models of medical society involving patients participation through peer support DX

The above are just a few examples of the many issues in various medical fields that are being addressed, including clinical research on jointly developed themes with graduate students.

Faculty

Professor: MASAMUNE Ken, MURAGAKI Yoshihiro (on joint appointment)
Associate Professor: TAMURA Manabu, KITAHARA Shuji,
IIZUKA Yukie (on joint appointment)
Assistant Professor: YOSHIMITSU Kitaro, SAITO Taiichi (on joint appointment), INANOBE Naoko (on joint appointment)
TOMINAGA Ayako (on joint appointment)

Related links

Research Achievements Database

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