Glossary of Terms

I

• Image-Guided Robotic Interventions

  Medical procedures, primarily minimally invasive surgery, performed through a small incision or natural orifice using robotic tools operated remotely by a surgeon with visualization by devices such as cameras small enough to fit into a minimal incision.

• imaging probe

  an agent used to help visualize features or processes inside the body, used in some types of medical imaging

• Immunofluorescence

  A biological staining technique in which the fluorescent signaling molecule is bound to an antibody to a protein of interest. When the “fluorescently tagged” antibody binds to its target protein the site or distribution of that protein can be visualized with the appropriate imaging devices.

• Implantable Devices

  Man-made medical devices implanted in the body to replace or augment biological functions. Such devices range from those that provide structural support, such as a hip replacement to those that contain electronics, such as pacemakers. Some implants are bioactive such as a drug-eluting stent used to open a blocked artery.

• In vitro

  A laboratory experiment or process performed in a test tube, culture dish, or elsewhere outside a living animal.

• Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell (iPSC)

  A stem cell that is formed by the introduction of stem-cell inducing factors into a differentiated cell of the body, typically a skin cell.

• Ionizing Radiation

  A type of electromagnetic radiation that can strip electrons from an atom or molecule – a process called ionization. Ionizing radiation has a relatively short wavelength on the electromagnetic spectrum. Examples of ionizing radiation include gamma rays, and X-rays. Lower energy ultraviolet, visible light, infrared, microwaves, and radio waves are considered non-ionizing radiation.