Mrs A Harling
No more applications being accepted
Funded PhD Project (European/UK Students Only)
About the Project
FULLY FUNDED STUDENTSHIP at THE NATIONAL PHYSICAL LABORATORY and IMPERIAL COLLEGE LONDON
Funding for 4 years from October 2018
The ‘iKnife’ is based on an electrosurgical device that uses an electrical current to rapidly heat tissue, cutting through it while minimising blood loss. This creates a ‘surgical smoke’ that is normally sucked away by extraction systems. The iknife exploits this source of biochemical information by coupling the sampling knife with a mass spectrometer for the real-time analysis of surgical aerosols. The ultimate ‘vision’ for iKnife technology is that the complex mass spectrometric data generated will be translated to clinically relevant information using machine learning methods for classifying the vast data obtained. This will enable immediate decision making regarding the continuation of the surgical intervention and real time diagnostic information.
Metrological validation of acquired data and interpretation is cruicial for patient safety and to satisfy regulatory requirements before clinical uptake. The successful student will undertake a programme of fundamental mass spectrometry studies, metrology and rigourous validation using REIMS coupled to tandem mass spectrometry instruments. We will determine effects of handling geometry, rate of ablation, sampling, volume of material consumed, optimum sampling rates and sensitivity to key tissue constituents. Over the course of the project we will optimise routines to ensure repeatability of sampling, sensitivity and classification performance.
This student will be based at NPL and Imperial College London. The research team has an excellent publication output and provides a supportive environment to further research careers. A mutually supportive group ethos is encouraged and successful applicants will work as part of a motivated and dynamic multidisciplinary team.
2:1 or higher in a physical sciences or relevant degree required.
The supervisors for this project are Prof Josephine Bunch and Prof Zoltan Takats
Closing date 30th June
Interviews to take place early July