Thursday, March 21, 2024
Improving patient care and making diagnoses more precise is the motivation of many technological scientists working in health care. This is also the case for Antonio López Marín, a Medical Delta PhD candidate at Erasmus MC. With this drive, he is exploring the possibilities to enhance intravascular imaging, including the use of light and sound.
This interview is the thirteenth in a series of interviews with PhD candidates and postdoctoral researchers funded by Medical Delta. Antonio's research is funded by the Medical Delta NIMIT: Novel Instruments for Minimally Invasive Techniques program.
What are you researching, and how did you come to this topic?
“I am focusing on the development of minimally invasive instruments for intravascular imaging, particularly in the field of intravascular photo-acoustics. This advanced technology helps to create detailed images of coronary arteries. This provides doctors with insight into conditions such as atherosclerosis, also known as artery hardening. This is a common disorder of the blood vessels and a significant cause of heart failure.
Intravascular photo-acoustics utilizes light and sound to obtain comprehensive images of arterial structures and lipid deposits. Light and sound are used like lightning and thunder: we shoot light onto the lipids and wait for the sound to be heard. With this technology, we can precisely identify the problem areas in the arteries, which aids in the placement of stents to prevent future cardiac events.
With my research, I contribute to the fight against cardiovascular diseases.
My journey into this field of research began during my exchange program in 2018. I was drawn to the Biomedical Engineering department at Erasmus MC, where I started working on my master's thesis project. Subsequently, I was offered a PhD position within the Medical Delta program. My research focuses on the development of minimally invasive instruments for intravascular imaging.”
What keeps you motivated during your research?
“My goal is to make a tangible difference in people's lives. With my research, I contribute to the fight against cardiovascular diseases. It motivates me to develop solutions that can have a positive impact on patients, especially those undergoing cardiac interventions. I witnessed firsthand how a family member was confronted with this. This made me more driven than ever to contribute to advancements in medical technology.”
Photo: Guido Benschop
Photo: Guido Benschop
What have you learned during your research?
“I have learned some valuable lessons along the way. The research proved more difficult than I first thought, as I intended to build a system that could be implemented in the clinic. In developing clinical applications, I realized that reliability is the key to success. One other learning experience has been bridging the gap between engineering and clinical expertise. Effective collaboration between researchers, clinicians, and engineers has proven essential in complex translational research such as this.
In developing clinical applications, I realized that reliability is the key to success.
I am optimistic about the future applications of our work. While there are still challenges to overcome, such as ensuring the manufacturability and reliability of these instruments, I'm confident in the potential impact of this technology. The next steps are to have the prototypes evaluated and then clinical trials to hopefully bring this technology to market in the next few years. Being part of the Medical Delta program, I felt a responsibility to make use of the connections across disciplines. By continuing to collaborate across disciplines with clinicians, the Experimental Medical Instrumentation Department of Erasmus MC, and the Department of Precision and Microsystems Engineering in the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering of Delft University of Technology, we are harnessing the power of innovation and can pave the way for safer and more effective intravascular imaging techniques.”
What have you learned from your collaborations within the Medical Delta program?
“What I found interesting was that we as engineers tend to come up with completely new ideas and solutions. However, I found that it is better to come up with solutions that are not brand new, but familiar to the user. Therefore, I presented the cardiologists with photo-acoustics as an add-on to ultrasound, their most used technology, to be more precise in their procedure.
I would advise future generations of young Medical Delta researchers to engage with people across different knowledge fields as soon as possible. Do not be discouraged by the lack of knowledge that you think you have from an unfamiliar discipline. Usually, these conversations make you gain new perspectives and spark motivation on both ends.”
I found that it is better to come up with solutions that are not brand new, but familiar to the user.
The previous interviewee, Rosan Kuin, is curious: what are you most proud of, and what part of your research gets you energized?
“The fact that I kept going with my research even though this involved a lot of steps that did not show immediate results makes me proud. I kept going with my strong methodology until I found a reliable solution. To then see that the hours of experimenting result in something useful and reliable gives an immediate boost to your morale. With each breakthrough, the promise of improved patient care and enhanced diagnostic capabilities becomes even more attainable.”
