An electromagnetic tracking needle clip: an enabling design for low-cost image-guided therapy.

INTRODUCTION: In this study, we hypothesized a disposable low-cost needle clip with a specially designed electromagnetic (EM) tracking sensor. It could be mounted onto 16- to 22-gauge needles, allowing the tip of the needle to be tracked in CT or US image-guided procedures using the Aurora EM tracking system.

MATERIAL AND METHODS: A 3 D printed EM needle clip case contains a pair of specially designed electromagnetic solenoids, positioned perpendicularly to each other in order to achieve six degrees of freedom for tracking the tip of the needle. The performance of the EM tracking needle clip was evaluated.

RESULTS: A low-cost 3D-printed disposable needle clip with specially designed EM tracking sensors that can be mounted on 16- to 22-gauge needles was designed. This needle clip has a 570 mm ×600 mm ×600 mm (L × W × H) working volume, an error <0.7 mm in the axial direction and 0.8 mm in the radial direction. The targeting accuracy results are on par with the commercially available EM tracking needles.

CONCLUSION: The designed EM needle clip provided successful needle tracking, with acceptable accuracy, and competitive performance compared to existing products. This proposed design may increase the clinical adoption of EM tracking needles because of its user-friendly design and low cost.