Stability of miniature electromagnetic tracking systems

Area of Science:

• Medical Devices
• Surgical Navigation
• Electromagnetic Tracking

Background:

• Electromagnetic tracking systems are crucial for surgical navigation.
• Previous electromagnetic tracking technologies faced challenges with accuracy and stability due to instrument interference.
• Recent advancements aim to improve performance in simulated operating room (OR) conditions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To comparatively evaluate the performance and stability of two new electromagnetic tracking systems: Medtronic StealthStation (Treon-EM) and NDI Aurora.
• To assess the impact of surgical instruments on the accuracy of these systems under simulated OR conditions.
• To compare current systems against historical electromagnetic tracking technology.

Main Methods:

• Simulated operating room (OR) conditions were established for reproducible testing.
• A Langenbeck hook, dental drill, and ultrasonic (US) scanhead were used as sources of electromagnetic distortion.
• The accuracy and stability of the Treon-EM and Aurora systems were measured in the presence of these instruments at varying distances.

Main Results:

• The Treon-EM system exhibited minimal deviation (0.21-0.56 mm) in the presence of instruments.
• The NDI Aurora system showed greater susceptibility to distortion, with deviations ranging from 0.53 mm to 2.37 mm.
• Root Mean Squared Error (RMSE) values were consistently lower for Treon-EM (max 1.4 mm) compared to Aurora (max 5.1 mm) across all tested instruments.

Conclusions:

• The new generation of electromagnetic tracking systems, including Treon-EM, offers significant improvements in performance and stability.
• Both evaluated systems are generally suitable for routine clinical application in surgical navigation.
• Treon-EM demonstrates superior resilience to electromagnetic interference from surgical instruments compared to the Aurora system.