Augmented Reality Guided Needle Biopsy of Soft Tissue: A Pilot Study

Area of Science:

• Medical Imaging
• Surgical Navigation
• Augmented Reality

Background:

• Percutaneous biopsies are cost-effective and minimally invasive cancer diagnostic tools.
• Poor visualization of needles and tumors during biopsies can lead to misdiagnosis (false negatives).

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and evaluate a system for improved needle and tumor visualization during percutaneous biopsies.
• To compare the efficacy of 3D augmented reality (AR) overlay versus a traditional monitor (TV) display for biopsy needle guidance.

Main Methods:

• An electromagnetic tracking system was used to visualize the needle and tumor in 3D space.
• Ten untrained participants performed simulated biopsy procedures on artificial tumors using either an AR overlay or a TV display.
• Performance was assessed by measuring needle tip deviation and angular deviation from the target.

Main Results:

• Participants using AR guidance had a needle tip deviation of 6.5 ± 3.3 mm and an angle deviation of 1.96 ± 1.10°.
• Participants using the TV display had a needle tip deviation of 4.5 ± 2.3 mm and an angle deviation of 2.70 ± 1.67°.
• The results indicate AR is non-inferior to TV displays for simple, stationary surgical tasks.

Conclusions:

• Augmented reality visualization systems show promise for improving accuracy in percutaneous biopsies.
• AR displays offer comparable performance to traditional monitor displays for specific surgical guidance tasks.