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Catheter Navigation for Slicer

Key Investigators

• Wenran Cai (University of Tokyo)
• Kazuaki Hara (University of Tokyo)
• Rina Nagano (University of Tokyo)
• Junichi Tokuda (Brigham and Women’s Hospital)

Project Description

Intra-arterial chemotherapy requires knowing the position of the catheter tip in the body in order to insert the catheter accurately. Currently, the position is confirmed by X-ray irradiation during the operation. To reduce exposure and contrast agents, it is necessary to apply a new method to track the catheter tip. Electromagnetic tracking system with a TMR (Tunnel Magnetoresistance) sensor is helpful to track the catheter movement. Here, we developed an extension of 3D Slicer to connect 3D Slicer and our TMR tracking system.

Objective

1. Create an extension that can show catheter path from an electromagnetic tracking with TMR sensors in real time.

Approach and Plan

A vessel model will be reconstructed from a preoperative 3D CT. During the operation, real-time data from the sensor is imported into 3D Slicer via OpenIGTLink. A first version is already done.

Progress and Next Steps

1. Connect TMR position tracker system to our extension via OpenIGTLink.
2. Testing.

Illustrations

• Extension interface

• Experimental setup

Background and References

1. R.Nagano, etal. CARS 2021: Development of an electromagnetic catheter tracking system using TMR sensor for superselective intraarterial chemotherapy, 2021. Int J CARS 16, 1–119 (2021).