Related Experiment Video
Updated: Apr 17, 2026
Insertion, Maintenance, and Removal of the Percutaneous Dual Lumen Cannula Right Ventricular Assist Device
Published on: July 20, 2022
Smart stylet: the development and use of a bedside external ventricular drain image-guidance system
Vaibhav Patil1, Rajiv Gupta, Raúl San José Estépar
1Department of Radiology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Mass., USA.
Background:
Placement accuracy of ventriculostomy catheters is reported in a wide and variable range. Development of an efficient image-guidance system may improve physician performance and patient safety.
Objective:
We evaluate the prototype of Smart Stylet, a new electromagnetic image-guidance system for use during bedside ventriculostomy.
Methods:
Accuracy of the Smart Stylet system was assessed. System operators were evaluated for their ability to successfully target the ipsilateral frontal horn in a phantom model.
Results:
Target registration error across 15 intracranial targets ranged from 1.3 to 4.6 mm (mean 3.1 mm). Using Smart Stylet guidance, a test operator successfully passed a ventriculostomy catheter to a shifted ipsilateral frontal horn 20/20 (100%) times from the frontal approach in a skull phantom. Without Smart Stylet guidance, the operator was successful 4/10 (40%) times from the right frontal approach and 6/10 (60%) times from the left frontal approach. In a separate experiment, resident operators were successful 2/4 (50%) times when targeting the shifted ipsilateral frontal horn with Smart Stylet guidance and 0/4 (0%) times without image guidance using a skull phantom.
Conclusions:
Smart Stylet may improve the ability to successfully target the ventricles during frontal ventriculostomy.
