Application of open source image guided therapy software in MR-guided therapies

Area of Science:

• Medical Engineering
• Software Engineering
• Open-Source Software Development

Background:

• Magnetic Resonance (MR)-guided therapy requires sophisticated software for precise surgical interventions.
• Sharing and adapting such specialized software across multiple clinical sites presents significant challenges.
• Existing software solutions may lack the necessary integration and multi-platform compatibility for widespread adoption.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present robust software engineering methods for developing and distributing free, open-source software for MR-guided therapy.
• To highlight critical software components essential for effective MR-guided therapy, including graphical tool representation, tracking device integration, patient-to-image registration, and MRI-based thermal mapping.
• To validate the feasibility of the proposed software engineering process in a multicenter clinical setting.

Main Methods:

• Developed a software process incorporating a network-based distribution mechanism using CMake for multi-platform compiling.
• Integrated quality assurance software (DART) and version control systems (CVS) into the development workflow.
• Employed graphical representation of surgical tools, real-time tracking device interconnectivity, patient-to-image registration, and MRI-based thermal mapping as core software functionalities.

Main Results:

• Successfully developed and implemented free, open-source software for MR-guided therapy.
• Demonstrated the crucial role of integrated graphical tools, tracking, registration, and thermal mapping for effective therapy guidance.
• Conducted six procedures across four distinct clinical sites, confirming the feasibility and utility of the proposed software engineering methods.

Conclusions:

• The presented software engineering methods and processes are feasible for facilitating multicenter clinical trials in MR-guided therapies.
• The developed open-source software provides a valuable platform for advancing MR-guided therapeutic interventions.
• Future research will explore the application of this software in non-MR-guided therapies, expanding its potential clinical impact.