Technology and principles of tomographic image-guided interventions and surgery

Image guidance of instruments can be performed by fluoroscopy, ultrasound imaging, computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and by stereotactic navigation. During the last year, there has been significant progress in MRI instrument guidance in the field of interventional radiology. Our first 168 clinical cases of MRI-guided interventional procedures, e.g., aspiration biopsy of neoplasms and tomographic microtherapy with local interstitial chemo-ablation, confirm the feasibility of MRI guidance. An expansion of MRI guidance during surgical endoscopic procedures is currently under evaluation and the initial results of this development are presented. Tomographic-guided surgery and the implementation of MRI or CT scanning within the environment of an operating room (OR) entail specific technological requirements and OR design considerations. Fast sequences, interventional protocols, in-room monitor, as well as MR-compatible probes, cannulae, catheters, instruments, endoscopes, and auxiliary equipment that are necessary for this combined surgical image-guided approach are described.