AngleNav: MEMS Tracker to Facilitate CT-Guided Puncture

Area of Science:

• Medical Devices
• Interventional Radiology
• Surgical Navigation

Background:

• CT-guided needle punctures are crucial for diagnosis and treatment.
• Improving accuracy and efficiency in these procedures is an ongoing clinical need.
• Freehand insertion can lead to significant errors and a steep learning curve for operators.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the accuracy and feasibility of AngleNav, a novel needle navigation system, for CT-guided interventions.
• To quantify the angular and distance errors associated with AngleNav compared to freehand insertion.
• To assess the potential of AngleNav in reducing the learning curve for CT-guided procedures.

Main Methods:

• AngleNav, featuring a wireless MEMS tracker attached to a needle, was tested in benchtop, phantom, and in vivo swine models.
• Accuracy was assessed by measuring angular and needle tip-to-target distance errors.
• In vivo studies involved guiding needles to liver targets in swine (n=8).

Main Results:

• Benchtop testing showed minimal angular error (0.01° ± 0.62°).
• Phantom studies yielded mean angular error of 0.87° ± 1.19° and distance error of 4.89 mm ± 1.57 mm.
• In vivo swine studies demonstrated mean angular error of 6.6° ± 1.9° and distance error of 8.7 mm ± 3.1 mm, with significant reductions compared to freehand insertion.

Conclusions:

• AngleNav is feasible for CT-guided interventions, enhancing needle placement accuracy.
• The system demonstrated significant reductions in angular and distance errors compared to freehand techniques.
• AngleNav has the potential to simplify CT-guided procedures and shorten the learning curve for physicians.