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The Advanced Multimodality Image-Guided Operating (AMIGO) suite is a clinical translational testbed for research of the National Center for Image-Guided Therapy (NCIGT) at Brigham and Women’s Hospital (BWH) and Harvard Medical School. NCIGT and AMIGO are funded under the Biomedical Technology Resource Centers program of the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering.A unique resource for Image-Guided therapy, AMIGO represents and encourages multidisciplinary cooperation and collaboration among teams of surgeons, interventional radiologists, imaging physicists, computer scientists, biomedical engineers, nurses, and technologists to achieve the common goal of delivering the safest and the most effective state-of-the-art therapy to patients in a technologically advanced and patient-friendly environment. If you are a patient and would like to learn about the offerings of AMIGO, please visit the BWH AMIGO page.

Launched in 2011, AMIGO is one of the first operating suites in the world with a full array of imaging modalities for use during procedures, enabling less invasive, more effective therapy. Encompassing 5,700 square feet, divided into three separate, yet integrated sterile procedure rooms in which multidisciplinary teams treat patients using multiple imaging modalities. Each room has a separate entrance to the control corridor and support spaces.

MRI ROOM

The Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) room of AMIGO includes a high-performance high-field (3 Tesla) wide-bore (70 cm) MRI scanner (Siemens Magnetom Verio, Erlangen, Germany) integrated with full OR-grade medical gases, MRI-compatible anesthesia delivery and monitoring system, and therapy delivery equipment. The MR scanner is mounted and can traverse on ceiling rails to a fully draped patient on the OR table, a typical scenario for brain tumor surgery. The scanner is used for:

  • laser removal of brain tumors
  • cerebrovascular and endovascular interventions
  • biopsies
  • needle insertion-based procedures
  • minimally invasive removal of soft tissue tumors by using freezing or heating technologie

Operating Room

The center of the image-guided operating suite, the operating room (OR), is equipped with:

  • MRI-compatible anesthesia delivery and monitoring systems
  • a surgical microscope with near-infrared capability
  • surgical navigation systems that track handheld tools
  • a ceiling-mounted single plane Siemens Artis Zee angiographic C-Arm X-Ray system
  • 3D ultrasound devices

PET/CT Room

A unique feature of AMIGO is the inclusion of PET (Positron Emission Tomography) in the surgical environment. The PET/CT (Positron Emission Tomography/Computed Tomography) scanner is stationary and fixed to the floor. There is a shuttle system for transferring patients between the PET/CT table for imaging and the OR table for surgery

More About AMIGO

May 5, 2015

May 6, 2014

March 20, 2014

Tina Kapur: Understanding Biomarker Science: from Molecules to Images. Harvard Catalyst Talk.

November 5, 2012

Tina Kapur: Gynecologic Brachytherapy in AMIGO: A Collaboration between Radiology and Radiation Oncology. First Monday Seminar, Brigham and Women’s Hospital.

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