Design and development of a new general purpose stereotaxic device

This paper describes the design and development of a new device which allows the surgeon to locate an internal point following two X-ray views with an image intensifier. Three dimensional coordinates of the target point are directly estimated by means of two ring-and-bead sights and no computer calculations are necessary. After the location of the target point it is possible to choose any track to it by means of the rotation of an arc and the circumferential sliding of the arc. The system reduces radiation doses and it can be used for many purposes such as percutaneous discectomies and chemonucleolysis, biopsies and screw insertion of interlocking nails.