Development of a Planning and Navigation Tool for Endoscopic Treatment of Aortic Aneurysms - Computer Supported Implantation of a Stent Graft
Bearbeiter: Martin Groher
Aufgabensteller: Prof. Gudrun Klinker Ph.D.
Betreuer: Martin Bauer
Abgabedatum: 23.12.2003
Abstract
Keyhole surgery is becoming a standard method to treat patients at a minimally invasive level. Especially in the field of cardiac and vascular surgery these treatments are fancied throughout hospitals. However, in order to enable clinicians to operate without opening the patient, certain imaging techniques are necessary to visualize regions of interest. Many procedures have been developed for this purpose, ranging from X-raying to computed tomography or magnetic resonance scanning. A problem that is raised within this context is the availability of the information created by imaging techniques since some can just be performed preoperatively whereas others are executed during an operation. The goal of this project is to enable clinicians to access imaged and processed data acquired pre- or intraoperatively during treatment, i.e. merging all visual information about a patient in order to disburden physicians when operating. In particular, a stenting operation, where leaks in the aorta are fixed by injecting a cylindrical wired tube (stent graft) that is guided to the problem region through the aorta via a catheter will be augmented virtually. Preoperatively acquired computed tomography images can be processed with the proposed system and the outcome will be visualized in the operation theatre. Moreover, intraoperative X-ray images are aligned with the CT data and hence navigational information is produced including a three-dimensional surface model, metrics, and current as well as planned locations of the stent graft. This shall help to avoid too much X-ray exposure as well as reduce damaging contrast injections and operation time.
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