MRI: Acquisition of a High-Speed Biplanar Fluoroscopy System for Non-Invasive Quantitative Imaging of Human Movement

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Movement is a critical to the human condition. The most common instrumentation used for measuring functional human movement relies on tracking the position of skin-mounted markers. Unfortunately, those systems have insurmountable limitations in accuracy which in turn limit research and teaching efforts from advancing our understanding of human movement. We seek to acquire a high-speed three-dimensional x-ray system to revolutionize the quantitative imaging of functional human movement across engineering, exercise science, biology, orthopedics, rehabilitation, and robotics. This acquisition will fill a critical gap in our capability to advance scientific discovery at UNC Chapel Hill (UNC-CH) while catalyzing collaboration with five regional institutions, including the largest historically black college (HBCU) in the country. The acquisition will also enhance coursework and experiential learning for ~3000 undergraduates and ~300 graduate students spanning 6 colleges and departments. We will further serve the national interest through outreach and engagement activities, collaborations with UNC-CH diversity and equity programs and our local HBCU, and creation of a unique summer Research Experience for Undergraduates proposal for the training of undergraduates historically disadvantaged in STEM fields.We propose to acquire a high-speed biplanar fluoroscopy (HS-BF) system for the non-invasive quantitative imaging of functional human movement across a wide range of scientific disciplines. HS-BF systems provide cine x-ray images at up to 1000 samples/s and directly quantify three-dimensional bone positions, orientations, and articulating surface mechanics that are impossible to capture with even the most sophisticated of comparable technologies. Our HS-BF system will be made broadly available to an enthusiastic network of faculty and students at UNC-CH and our five partnering institutions through an established Collaborative Fluoroscopy Research Core. This acquisition will address critical limitations in our region’s ability to objectively quantify the fundamental mechanics of human movement with opportunities for significant impact. Specifically, our network of researchers and collaborators, as well as the diverse student bodies we serve, will have the capability to measure with unparalleled resolution the precise complexities of bone motion critical to overcoming the contemporary challenges across our research disciplines and for the benefit of society, including: (1) understanding how musculoskeletal mechanics and function are achieved and maintained over the mammalian lifespan, (2) developing mechanistic links between movement biomechanics and underlying biology, (3) identifying opportunities for surgical innovation, (4) advancing ergonomics and occupational science for a strong and vibrant workforce, (5) developing more sophisticated bioengineered materials/tissues, and (6) advancing next generation rehabilitation robotics.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.