[Neuronavigation. Methods and prospects]

A concept for a 3D-printed patient-specific stereotaxy platform for brain biopsy -a canine cadaver study

The treatment of intracranial lesions requires a precise diagnosis with subsequent identification of an adequate therapeutic approach. Stereotactic tumor biopsy may be considered the safest neurosurgical procedure in terms of anticipated results and potential surgical complications. The aim of the present paper was to demonstrate a new method of stereotactic biopsy, based on a patient-specific 3D printed platform in dogs. The system was tested on two canine cadavers, a small (Shih Tzu) and a large (Labrador) breed. Imaginary biopsy targets were defined in a superficial (caudate nucleus) and a deep (piriform lobe) position. Based on 3 Tesla MRI, individualized stereotactic platforms were designed using a semi-automatic approach, and manufactured additively using ABS M30. A pre- and intra-operative CT was performed to compare the planned vs. the realized needle position for precision analyses of the procedure. The target points varied with a precision between 0.09 mm and 0.48 mm. Manufacturing time required 480 to 700 min per platform. The presented patient-specific stereotactic system seems a suitable instrument for application in small animal neurosurgery. In particular, the implementation of relevant stereotactic data may help performing the procedure in rapid sequence and with higher precision than currently-used systems. Required adjustments and adaptions to the respective anatomical conditions are omitted and make the procedure reliable and safe.

Registration strategy using occlusal splint based on augmented reality for mandibular angle oblique split osteotomy

BACKGROUND

An augmented reality tool allows for visual tracking of real anatomic structures in superposition with volume-rendered computed tomographic or magnetic resonance imaging scans and thus can be used for navigated translocation of important structures during operation. In this feasibility study, ARToolKit was used in mandibular angle oblique split osteotomy to define the cutting planes according to an operative plan.

METHODS

We overlay the operative plan on the model of a mandible made by rapid prototyping technology, and the technology was successfully used in 15 patients. Before the operation, all patients underwent computed tomographic scan, and dental casts were prepared by surgeons. Then, surgeons make the occlusal splint according to a dental cast to fix the marker, which can be recognized by the ARToolKit. The occlusal splint and marker were transformed to three-dimensional data using a laser scanner, and a programmer that runs on a personal computer named Rapidform matches the marker and the mandible image to generate the virtual image. By this step, the virtual image describing the marker, occlusal splint, and the mandible image of the patient are integrated. During the operation, the operative plan was overlaid on the rapid prototyping model of the mandible as soon as the ARToolKit recognized the marker.

RESULTS

The technology was successfully used in 15 patients; the virtual image of the mandible and the cutting-plane both overlaid the real model of the mandible.

CONCLUSIONS

This study has reported a new and effective way for mandibular angle oblique split osteotomy, and using occlusal splint might be a powerful option for the registration of augmented reality. Augmented reality tools like ARToolKit may be helpful for control of maxillary translocation in orthognathic surgery.

Comparison of different registration methods for surgical navigation in cranio-maxillofacial surgery

BACKGROUND

Surgical navigation requires registration of the pre-operative image dataset with the patient in the operation theatre. Various marker and marker-free registration techniques are available, each bearing an individual level of precision and clinical practicability. In this study the precision of four different registration methods in a maxillofacial surgical setting is analyzed.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A synthetic full size human skull model was registered with its computer tomography-dataset using (a) a dentally mounted occlusal splint, (b) the laser surface scanning, (c) five facial bone implants and (d) a combination of dental splint and two orbital bone implants. The target registration error was computed for 170 landmarks spread over the entire viscero- and neurocranium in 10 repeats using the VectorVision2 (BrainLAB AG, Heimstetten, Germany) navigation system. Statistical and graphical analyses were performed by anatomical region.

RESULTS

An average precision of 1mm was found for the periorbital region irrespective of registration method (range 0.6-1.1mm). Beyond the mid-face, precision linearly decreases with the distance from the reference markers. The combination of splint with two orbital bone markers significantly improved precision from 1.3 to 0.8mm (p<0.001) on the viscerocranium and 2.3-1.2mm (p<0.001) on the neurocranium.

CONCLUSIONS

An occlusal splint alone yields poor precision for navigation beyond the mid-face. The precision can be increased by combining an occlusal splint with just two bone implants inserted percutaneously on the lateral orbital rim of each side.

Image-to-patient registration techniques in head surgery

Frame-based stereotaxy was developed in neurosurgery at the beginning of the last century, evolving from atlas-based stereotaxy to stereotaxy based on the individual patient's image data. This established method is still in use in neurosurgery and radiotherapy. There have since been two main developments based on this concept: frameless stereotaxy and markerless registration. Frameless stereotactic systems ('navigation systems') replaced the cumbersome stereotactic frame by mechanically and later also optically or magnetically tracked instruments. Stereotaxy based on the individual patient's image data introduced the problem of patient-to-image data registration. The development of navigation systems based on frameless stereotaxy has dramatically increased its use in surgical disciplines other than neurosurgery, but image-guided surgery based on fiducial marker registration needs dedicated imaging for registration purposes, in addition to the diagnostic imaging that might have been performed. Markerless registration techniques can overcome the resulting additional cost and effort, and result in more widespread use of image-guided surgery techniques. In this review paper, the developments that led to today's navigation systems are outlined, and the applications and possibilities of these methods in the field of maxillofacial surgery are presented.

Computer-aided navigation in neurosurgery

The article comprises three main parts: a historical review on navigation, the mathematical basics for calculation and the clinical applications of navigation devices. Main historical steps are described from the first idea till the realisation of the frame-based and frameless navigation devices including robots. In particular the idea of robots can be traced back to the Iliad of Homer, the first testimony of European literature over 2500 years ago. In the second part the mathematical calculation of the mapping between the navigation and the image space is demonstrated, including different registration modalities and error estimations. The error of the navigation has to be divided into the technical error of the device calculating its own position in space, the registration error due to inaccuracies in the calculation of the transformation matrix between the navigation and the image space, and the application error caused additionally by anatomical shift of the brain structures during operation. In the third part the main clinical fields of application in modern neurosurgery are demonstrated, such as localisation of small intracranial lesions, skull-base surgery, intracerebral biopsies, intracranial endoscopy, functional neurosurgery and spinal navigation. At the end of the article some possible objections to navigation-aided surgery are discussed.

[A computer system for planning and carrying out neurosurgical interventions]

Neurosurgical interventions have to be planned carefully using different sources of information like anatomical MR images, segmented brain structures, functional data (EEG, MEG, fMRI) and atlas information. We developed a 3D planning system that incorporates this important data. The planning procedure is performed by the neurosurgeon in less than 15 minutes. The results of the planning phase, i.e. an optimal trajectory, localizations of the electrical sources and information about the brain tissue can be used intraoperatively. Therefore the planning system is connected with a navigation system. The simultaneous visualization of the planning information and the actual position of the instrument during the surgical procedure is extremely valuable for the outcome and quality of the intervention.

Iterative neuronavigation using 3D ultrasound. A feasibility study

Intra-operative ultrasound (iUS) can generate 2D images in real-time as well as near real-time 3D datasets of the current situation during an intervention. Tracked ultrasound can locate the images in 3D space and relate them to patient, devices, andpre-operative planning data. Therefore, tracked US is an efficient means for controlling the validity of pre-operative planning, recognition of changes (brain shift) during the intervention, replanning of the operational path due to situational changes (iterative navigation), and finally, controlling the results (residual tumor). This paper describes a neuronavigation system exploiting this potential of interventional tracked US for permanent control of intervention progress and iterative adaptation of the planned procedure to the current situation.