Abstract
We developed an augmented reality navigation system for MR-guided interventions. A head-mounted display provides in real-time a stereoscopic video-view of the patient, which is augmented with three-dimensional medical information to perform MR-guided needle placement procedures. Besides with the MR image information, we augment the scene with 3D graphics representing a forward extension of the needle and the needle itself. During insertion, the needle can be observed virtually at its actual location in real-time, supporting the interventional procedure in an efficient and intuitive way. In this paper we report on quantitative results of AR guided needle placement procedures on gel phantoms with embedded targets of 12mm and 6mm diameter; we furthermore evaluate our first animal experiment involving needle insertion into deep lying anatomical structures of a pig.
