Electromagnetic Tracking System for Medical Micro Devices: A Review

Area of Science:

• Medical Engineering
• Surgical Technology
• Biomedical Instrumentation

Background:

• Minimally invasive surgery (MIS) is preferred for faster recovery and less trauma.
• Accurate intraoperative feedback is crucial in MIS.
• Radiation exposure reduction is a key goal in medical imaging and tracking.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review advances in micro-scale electromagnetic tracking systems (EMTS) for medical applications over the past five years.
• To focus on EMTS specifically designed for medical micro-devices like robotic catheters, endoscopes, and capsule robots.
• To emphasize the clinical translation and applications of EMTS.

Main Methods:

• Comprehensive literature review of research published in the last five years.
• Analysis of working principles, system architectures, and research progress of EMTS.
• Presentation of representative research studies and commercial systems with clinical implementations.

Main Results:

• Significant progress in EMTS for medical micro-devices, enhancing intraoperative feedback.
• Demonstrated clinical translation of EMTS in various applications, including robotic surgery.
• Identification of key challenges and opportunities for EMTS integration into clinical workflows.

Conclusions:

• EMTS are vital for improving precision and safety in minimally invasive procedures.
• Further research is needed to overcome challenges and facilitate wider clinical adoption of EMTS.
• EMTS hold significant potential for advancing the future of medical robotics and MIS.