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A miniature accelerometer-based guidance device for percutaneous computed tomography-guided punctures

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International Journal of Computer Assisted Radiology and Surgery Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose

   Percutaneous punctures are often performed under computed tomography (CT) guidance using a freehand method. Especially in challenging cases, initial accuracy of the needle placement is highly dependent on the radiologist’s experience. Thus, a miniature lightweight guidance device was developed which is capable of assisting a radiologist during the needle placement process.

Methods

   The device utilizes an accelerometer to measure the needle’s tilt by calculating a set of orientation angles. This set can be matched with the coordinate system of the CT imaging software during a simple alignment process. After that, the needle’s orientation can be expressed in terms of projected angles in the axial and sagittal planes. The accuracy of the device was evaluated in a phantom study, and initial clinical trials were carried out performing facet joint punctures in a swine cadaver.

Results

   The sensor was embedded in a cube with dimensions of \(2\,\hbox {cm} \times 2\,\hbox {cm} \times 2\,\hbox {cm}\) and a total weight of about 11 g which can be attached to the puncture needle at its rear end or handgrip. A graphical user interface (GUÌ) has been created offering visual real-time orientation guidance. Results of the phantom experiments showed differences between planned target and performed puncture angles of \(0.96^{\circ } \pm 0.76^{\circ }\) for in-plane and \(1.78^{\circ } \pm 1.37^{\circ }\) for out-of-plane punctures.

Conclusion

   The results of the phantom and ex vivo study suggest that the device is useful to assist a radiologist in CT-guided percutaneous punctures and helps navigating the needle with high precision.

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Acknowledgments

The authors want to thank Elmar Junker and Joachim Pfeffer for their support in the hardware design and assembly process of the device.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, RWTH Aachen University Hospital, Pauwelsstraße 30, 52074 , Aachen, Germany

    Christoph Wilkmann, Nobutake Ito, Tobias Penzkofer, Peter Isfort, Hong-Sik Na, Andreas H. Mahnken, Christiane K. Kuhl & Philipp Bruners

  2. Department of Diagnostic Radiology, School of Medicine, Keio University, 35 Shinanomachi Shinjuku, Tokyo , 160-8582, Japan

    Nobutake Ito

  3. Surgical Planning Laboratory, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 75 Francis St., Boston, MA, 02115, USA

    Tobias Penzkofer

  4. Institute of Applied Medical Engineering, RWTH Aachen University, Pauwelsstraße 20, 52074 , Aachen, Germany

    Michael Hennes & Catherine Disselhorst-Klug

  5. Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, University Hospital Marburg, Philipps University Marburg, Baldingerstraße 1, 35043 , Marburg, Germany

    Andreas H. Mahnken

Authors
  1. Christoph Wilkmann
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  2. Nobutake Ito
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  3. Tobias Penzkofer
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  4. Peter Isfort
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  5. Hong-Sik Na
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  6. Michael Hennes
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  7. Catherine Disselhorst-Klug
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  8. Andreas H. Mahnken
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  9. Christiane K. Kuhl
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  10. Philipp Bruners
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Correspondence to Christoph Wilkmann.

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Wilkmann, C., Ito, N., Penzkofer, T. et al. A miniature accelerometer-based guidance device for percutaneous computed tomography-guided punctures. Int J CARS 10, 629–636 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11548-014-1096-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11548-014-1096-7

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