IASON
The IASON research project aims to fundamentally improve the treatment of aneurysms in the brain using innovative AI-supported simulation and analysis tools.
There is currently no holistic solution in vascular neurosurgery that covers all relevant aspects (decision support for the need for treatment, surgical planning, simulation, risk and outcome analysis). IASON offers a comprehensive neurosurgical research platform that maps advanced technologies for the entire patient journey. The goal is to revolutionize surgical planning, patient selection and surgical training.
The vision of IASON is an emerging research platform that allows surgeons to assess planned interventions through realistic flow simulations and enables the development of optimal clipping strategies. AI-supported analyses will enable complex situations to be efficiently simulated and evaluated. IASON will create ideal surgical preparation, innovative training opportunities and increased patient safety through precise detailed planning, leading to better treatment outcomes, fewer risks and an overall higher quality of medical care.
Project goals and solutions:
- Research into AI methods for precise segmentation and deformation of vascular trees.
- Development of optimized methods for determining hemodynamic indicators and creating patient-specific risk predictions.
- AI-based real-time interaction and simulation of nonlinear material models for realistic aneurysm clipping simulations.
- Obtaining information from pre- and postoperative blood flow simulations to optimize surgical strategies.
The project results are to be utilized in the long term to create an overall system in vascular neurosurgery that can be marketed internationally. The project strengthens the scientific reputation of the participating institutions and promotes the transfer of knowledge through publications, conferences and training courses.
Successful MEDUSA preliminary project
The MEDUSA research project aimed to develop a revolutionary training and planning platform for neurosurgeons in order to simulate complex brain surgery in detail and holistically. The follow-up project, IASON, aims to use state-of-the-art AI methods to calculate realistic deformations of detailed anatomical models in real time. This involves simulating non-linear material models and ruptures.
The latest AI methods
Deep learning-based surrogate models and Physically-Informed Neural Networks (PINNs), which have already been successfully used to accelerate fluid and structural mechanics simulations, play a central role. A unique feature of IASON is the novel combination and integration of optimized methods from the fields of fluid-structure interaction (FSI) and machine learning (ML). This enables more precise statements about suitable treatment strategies, optimized resource allocation and improved risk prediction. In addition, fast and accurate collision detection is an essential part of the project to ensure realistic interaction between surgical instruments and deformable anatomical models, aiming for an optimal balance between realism and computational effort.
This work was supported by research funding from the Province of Upper Austria via the FFG (Austrian Research Promotion Agency) [grant number 921391, IASON project].
Project partners
Project details
- Project short title: IASON
- Project long title: Intracranial Aneurysm Simulation and Outcome prediction for vascular Neurosurgery
- Funding call: Call for proposals AI region Upper Austria
- Project partners:
- RISC Software GmbH (consortium management)
- eularian solutions e.u.
- Faculty of Medicine of the Johannes Kepler University Linz
- Institute for Polymer Product Engineering (IPPE) of the Johannes Kepler University Linz
- alpha medical concepts e.U.
- R’n’B Consulting
- Budget volume: 912,811 euros
of which funding (total): 762,132 euros - Term: 04/2025 – 03/2028 (36 months)
Ansprechperson
Dr. Michael Giretzlehner
Head of Unit Medical Informatics