Fiber Optic Distributed Sensing Network for Shape Sensing-Assisted Epidural Needle Guidance

Area of Science:

• Medical Devices
• Biomedical Engineering
• Pain Management Technologies

Background:

• Epidural anesthesia is crucial for pain management, involving precise needle insertion into the lumbar epidural space.
• Manual insertion of epidural needles has inherent failure rates and efficiency challenges.
• Guidance systems can enhance the accuracy and success of epidural procedures.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and evaluate a novel guidance system for epidural needle insertion.
• To assess the system's ability to provide real-time feedback on needle trajectory and tissue interaction.
• To explore the potential of sensor data for identifying the epidural space.

Main Methods:

• A guidance system utilizing a network of externally mounted fiber optic distributed sensors was designed.
• The system employs a strain-to-shape detection method to reconstruct the needle's silhouette in real-time.
• The system was experimentally validated in a phantom model over 25 trials.

Main Results:

• The fiber optic sensor system successfully reconstructed the epidural needle's shape in real-time (1-second intervals).
• The system accurately identified characteristic bending patterns associated with varying tissue stiffness during simulated epidural insertions.
• Analysis of curvature metrics and temporal changes provided potential identifiers for epidural space localization.

Conclusions:

• The developed fiber optic guidance system shows promise for real-time needle tracking during epidural anesthesia.
• The system's ability to recognize tissue-dependent bending patterns can aid operators in identifying the epidural space.
• This technology has the potential to improve the efficiency and success rates of epidural procedures.