Optimizing a head-tracked stereo display system to guide hepatic tumor ablation

Area of Science:

• Minimally invasive surgical techniques
• Medical imaging and visualization
• Oncology and tumor ablation

Background:

• Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) is a minimally invasive treatment for non-resectable hepatic tumors.
• Tumor recurrence after RFA often occurs due to peripheral placement errors of the ablation probe.
• Current 2D ultrasound guidance may limit precise probe targeting in complex hepatic anatomy.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and evaluate a prototype 3D guidance system to improve probe placement accuracy during RFA of hepatic tumors.
• To test the hypothesis that a contextually correct 3D display aids targeting and decreases tumor recurrence.
• To detail the design and component selection process for a novel head-tracked 3D display and motion-tracked instrument system.

Main Methods:

• Development of a prototype guidance system integrating a head-tracked 3D display and motion-tracked instruments.
• Evaluation of system components, including augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) display options.
• System design based on defined requirements for intraoperative guidance.
• Testing of the operational guidance system using phantoms and animal models.

Main Results:

• A functional prototype 3D guidance system was successfully designed, constructed, and tested.
• The system integrates head-tracked 3D visualization with motion-tracked instruments for enhanced spatial awareness.
• Initial testing on phantoms and animals demonstrated the system's operational capability for guiding ablation probes.

Conclusions:

• A novel 3D guidance system shows promise for improving probe placement accuracy in radiofrequency ablation of liver tumors.
• The developed system has the potential to reduce peripheral recurrence rates and enhance treatment efficacy.
• Further clinical evaluation is warranted to validate the benefits of 3D visualization in RFA procedures.