Angular needle tracker and stabilizer for image-guided interventions.

Area of Science:

• Medical Devices
• Interventional Radiology
• Biomedical Engineering

Background:

• Minimally invasive image-guided interventions rely on precise needle placement for safety and efficacy.
• Existing needle targeting devices are often costly or disrupt clinical workflows, limiting their adoption.
• A novel, low-cost, disposable angulation tracking device was developed using a modified commercial needle holder.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and evaluate a low-cost, user-friendly angulation tracking device for precise needle placement.
• To provide real-time angulation feedback to guide operators during image-guided procedures.
• To assess the accuracy and potential clinical utility of the novel device.

Main Methods:

• A redesigned commercial passive needle holder incorporated two potentiometers as angulation sensors.
• A 3D-printed bridge structure connected sensors to the needle holder's arch.
• An Arduino-based control unit with Bluetooth transmitted real-time angulation data to a smartphone app.

Main Results:

• Open-air tests showed average errors of 1.03° (left-right) and 1.08° (head-foot).
• Animal cadaver tests demonstrated an average angular error of 3.2° and radial distance error of 3.1 mm.
• The device provided real-time angulation information displayed on a smartphone app.

Conclusions:

• The developed needle tracking device achieves accuracy comparable to commercial solutions.
• Its low cost and ease of use make it a viable option for enhancing precision in image-guided therapies.
• The device has the potential to improve both the planning and execution of image-guided interventions.