Title
Absolute vs. relative error characterization of electromagnetic tracking accuracy
Abstract
Electromagnetic (EM) tracking systems are often used for real time navigation of medical tools in an Image Guided Therapy (IGT) system. They are specifically advantageous when the medical device requires tracking within the body of a patient where line of sight constraints prevent the use of conventional optical tracking. EM tracking systems are however very sensitive to electromagnetic field distortions. These distortions, arising from changes in the electromagnetic environment due to the presence of conductive ferromagnetic surgical tools or other medical equipment, limit the accuracy of EM tracking, in some cases potentially rendering tracking data unusable. We present a mapping method for the operating region over which EM tracking sensors are used, allowing for characterization of measurement errors, in turn providing physicians with visual feedback about measurement confidence or reliability of localization estimates. In this instance, we employ a calibration phantom to assess distortion within the operating field of the EM tracker and to display in real time the distribution of measurement errors, as well as the location and extent of the field associated with minimal spatial distortion. The accuracy is assessed relative to successive measurements. Error is computed for a reference point and consecutive measurement errors are displayed relative to the reference in order to characterize the accuracy in near-real-time. In an initial set-up phase, the phantom geometry is calibrated by registering the data from a multitude of EM sensors in a non-ferromagnetic ("clean") EM environment. The registration results in the locations of sensors with respect to each other and defines the geometry of the sensors in the phantom. In a measurement phase, the position and orientation data from all sensors are compared with the known geometry of the sensor spacing, and localization errors (displacement and orientation) are computed. Based on error thresholds provided by the operator, the spatial distribution of localization errors are clustered and dynamically displayed as separate confidence zones within the operating region of the EM tracker space.
Year
DOI
Venue
2010
10.1117/12.844326
Proceedings of SPIE
Keywords
Field
DocType
Interventional guidance,electromagnetic tracking,calibration,performance characterization,localization and tracking technologies
Computer vision,Electromagnetic environment,Imaging phantom,Optics,Tracking system,Artificial intelligence,Rendering (computer graphics),Distortion,Observational error,Approximation error,Calibration,Physics
Conference
Volume
ISSN
Citations 
7625
0277-786X
1
PageRank 
References 
Authors
0.37
0
5
Name
Order
Citations
PageRank
Mohammad Matinfar1144.67
ganesh narayanasamy210.37
Luis Gutierrez3131.60
Raymond C Chan4527.35
ameet kumar jain5256.16