We are pleased to announce that Paul E. Bigeleisen, MD, Professor, and Bhavani Shankar Kodali, MBBS, MD, Professor, of the Department of Anesthesiology, were the #1 Awardees in the $25,000 category for their innovation as a part of the the UMMC Innovation Challenge.

Hololens Guided Lumbar Puncture: Cha-Min Tang, MD, PhD, Roger Eastman, Sarah Fredrich, Bhavani Kodali, MD, Suzanne Alton, and Paul Bigeleisen, MD.

Lumbar puncture is currently performed as a blind procedure.  Ultrasound and xray technology can be used to make lumbar puncture a real time vision guided procedure in obese patients or in patients with spinal deformities.  Ultrasound can be augmented by the use of a 3-D virtual reality headset (HoloLens), that allows the user to find the easiest path to the intrathecal space. After an ultrasound image of the best path to the subarachnoid space has been found, a diagnostic marker (QR code) can be placed on the skin of the patient as well as the handle of the ultrasound probe. After the ultrasound probe is removed from the back, this software creates a virtual needle that can be placed along the desired path from the skin to the subarachnoid space. The QR markers can also adjust this path if the patient moves.  In principle, this should provide a useful tool to teach lumbar puncture, as well at facilitate lumbar puncture in patients with difficult anatomy.

This competition offers opportunities for three awards of up to $25K and three awards of up to $125K. This competition builds off our UMMC values of excellence and innovation, welcoming ideas for improved solutions and novel practices that advance health outcomes for patients, families, or team members located on the Downtown and/or Midtown Campuses and in collaboration with University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB).