Augmented reality visualization for aiding biopsy procedure according to computed tomography based virtual plan.

Area of Science:

• Medical Imaging
• Surgical Navigation
• Augmented Reality

Background:

• Navigated biopsy procedures require precise instrument guidance.
• Traditional external displays can obstruct the surgical field of view.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate an intraoperative module for navigated biopsy using an optical see-through head-mounted display (HMD).
• To compare the accuracy and ergonomics of HMD-based augmented reality visualization against external display visualization.

Main Methods:

• Preoperative planning of biopsy trajectories, including entry and endpoints, considering resection margins.
• Performance of navigated biopsy procedures on a brain phantom by two users.
• Comparison of two visualization techniques: HMD-based augmented reality with personalized calibration versus external display visualization.

Main Results:

• Averaged errors for the external display were 2.04 ± 0.83 mm and 2.69 ± 1.11 mm.
• Averaged errors for the HMD were 2.50 ± 0.93 mm and 2.17 ± 0.82 mm.
• Both methods achieved comparable accuracy, with HMD potentially offering ergonomic benefits.

Conclusions:

• Personalized calibration and proper HMD use enable navigated biopsy with accuracy comparable to external displays.
• Augmented reality visualization via HMD improves ergonomics and maintains direct line of sight to the surgical field.
• Achieving high accuracy with HMD-based AR requires meticulous calibration and user experience.