Improving puncture accuracy in percutaneous CT-guided needle insertion with wireless inertial measurement unit: a...

Area of Science:

• Medical Imaging and Interventional Radiology
• Biomedical Engineering
• Surgical Navigation Technologies

Background:

• Computed tomography (CT)-guided procedures are crucial for accurate needle placement.
• Traditional methods like freehand and laser protractor guidance have limitations in real-time trajectory visualization.
• Improving precision and efficiency in CT-guided punctures is essential for patient outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and evaluate a novel inertial measurement unit (IMU)-assisted method for CT-guided needle punctures.
• To compare the performance of the IMU-assisted method against freehand and laser protractor-assisted techniques.
• To assess the impact of the IMU method on accuracy, procedure time, and radiation dose.

Main Methods:

• A phantom study was conducted involving three operators with varying experience levels.
• Five needle placements were performed for three target groups using freehand, laser protractor, and IMU-assisted methods.
• Key endpoints included mediolateral and caudocranial angle errors, procedure time, number of needle passes, and radiation dose.

Main Results:

• The IMU-assisted method demonstrated significantly fewer needle passes (1.2 ± 0.42) compared to laser protractor (2.9 ± 1.6) and freehand (3.6 ± 2.0).
• Procedure time was substantially reduced with the IMU method (3.0 ± 1.2 min) versus laser protractor (6.4 ± 2.9 min) and freehand (6.2 ± 3.1 min).
• The IMU method achieved significantly lower mediolateral and caudocranial angle errors on the first pass.

Conclusions:

• The wireless IMU-assisted method offers superior angle accuracy and speed for CT-guided needle punctures.
• This novel technique significantly outperforms laser protractor guidance and freehand methods.
• The IMU system enhances precision, reduces procedural time, and potentially lowers radiation exposure in CT-guided interventions.