CEO and Co-Founder, 2011-present
Founded company to commercialize orthopaedic visualization
and analysis software and services. Developed medical
image analysis architecture, combining open source data
and visualization tools (Python, C++, VTK, GDCM), with
novel multimodal renderer allowing real time simultaneous
volume rendering of high resolution CT and SPECT (C++,
OpenGL). Authored business plan for delivering orthopaedic
surgeon targeted software to the orthopaedic
market. Interfaced directly with orthopaedic surgeon
customers to guide product development. Successfully
managed development of 3D SPECT/CT-based measurement
software from concept demonstrator to initial market
prototype.
CEO and Founder, 2010-2012
Founded company to deliver high end software consulting
and 3D data analysis services for the orthopaedic
community. Projects included: implementing wear patch
analysis software for orthopaedic implants (Matlab),
developing software to streamline orientation reports from
CT scans (Python, VTK), collaborating with researchers to
develop a platform for rapid segmentation of medical
images (C++, CUDA, FLTK), and helping to develop rapid
prototyped bone and implant models for demonstration, and
implementing 3D registration techniques for pre-
vs. post-op evalutation of joint replacement implants
(Python, ITK, VTK). In collaboration with
Dr.med. Hirschmann of Kantosspital Bruderholz, developed
IntroSPECT visualization software for orthopaedic analysis
of 3D SPECT/CT images.
Research Scientist and Co-Founder, 2009 to 2010
Authored research grants to NIH for 3D medical image
processing techniques for orthopaedics
applications. Developed proof-of-concept multimodal
visualization software in Python for orthopaedic analysis
using open source toolkits (VTK, ITK and GDCM).
Senior Mechatronics Engineer, 2008 to 2009 Led
hardware development team for next-generation active
constraint robot for orthopaedic surgery. Designed
specification (including low inertia, low friction
back-drivable transmission), developed mechanical designs
in Solidworks, designed electronic interfaces (PCB layout
in KiCAD), wrote kinematics and calibration software.
Research Engineer, 2007
Authored research grants to DoD, NASA, NIH for robotic, medical, and machine vision applications.
Managed engineering team on several Phase I and Phase II
projects, including a project to develop intelligent
message translation algorithms (implemented in C++) for modular robotic
agents.
Served as Principal Investigator to develop novel vibrotactile display technology for helicopter pilots (Tactile Situational Awareness System).
Research Engineer, Fall 2006 Co-authored research
grants to NIH, NSF to use accelerometer-based inertial
measurement units to track gait outside of a laboratory.
Implemented low-cost, wide field-of-view virtual
environment system using real-time lens distortion in
OpenGL, standard LCD projector and curved screen.
Research Engineer, Summer 2006
Developed 3D stereo vision system to validate the configuration of a steerable surgical needle.
Designed novel machine vision algorithm for automatic segmentation of 3D lines using dynamic contours (snakes).
Research Assistant, 2000-2006
Demonstrated benefits of force feedback in surgical robotics by constructing force reflecting telemanipulators, implementing haptic (sense of touch) interfaces, running human factors experiments. Developed force sensing grippers for minimally invasive surgical robots using shape deposition manufacturing (SDM).
Developed robust tactile shape display using RC servomotors; supervised undergraduate students in optimal tactile display design research.
Implemented haptic interface for atomic force microscope (10 million times force scaling).
Research Assistant, 1999-2000 Designed FPGA circuit
to simultaneously control 25 pneumatic valves at 300 Hz,
implemented pneumatic low-pass filters for use with
compliant (silicone rubber based) tactile display.
1998-1999
Intern, Imaging & Distributed Computing Group - Tested
efficacy of multicast network communications protocol by
implementing distributed control of a microscope over the
internet using Java (client-side) and C server-side).
Student Programming Assistant, Center for X-Ray Optics -
Implemented C++ objects, LabView UI that controlled the
interface between a VXI crate and motors, stages, and
slits to operate the X-Ray Microprobe Beamline at the
Advanced Light Source.
Awards and Honors
Finalist, Best Paper, Haptics Symposium, 2006
Finalist, Best Student Paper, World Haptics Symposium, 2005
National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship, 2001-2004
Harvard University Certificate Of Distinction in Teaching, 2002
George Epstein Scholarship (awarded by the Society of Plastics Engineers), 1999, 2000, 2001
University Of California Alumni Emerging Leadership Scholarship, 1999, 2000
Efficient curvature estimations for real-time (25Hz)
segmentation of volumetric ultrasound data (peer reviewed
abstract), SPIE Medical Imaging: Image Processing, 2008
Wagner, C.R., Christiana, A.L.
Cable-Driven Tactor for Tactile Situational Awareness
Systems (short paper), 16th International Symposium on
Haptic Interfaces for Virtual Environment and Teleoperator
Systems, Reno, NV, 2008
A Compliant Tactile Display for Teletaction, 2000 IEEE International Conference
on Robotics and Automation, San Francisco, CA, 2000
Posters and Movies
Underwood, R., Cann, P., Hart, A., Ilo, K., Skinner, J., Wagner, C.R.
Development of Protocol for Measuring Wear in Explanted
Hip Joints Using Roundness Machine (poster). 56th Annual
Meeting of the Orthopaedic Research Society, New Orleans, USA,
2010
The Benefit Of Orthopaedic Specific Imaging
Software. The unhappy total knee replacement - a
comprehensive review and management guide. Hirschmann, MT,
ed. Nova Science Publishers, Inc. 2013 (pending
publication)