Repeatable assessment protocol for electromagnetic trackers

In the past decades, many new trends appeared in interventional medicine. One of the most groundbreaking ones is Image-Guided Surgery (IGS). The main benefit of IGS procedures is the reduction of the patient's pain and collateral damage through improved accuracy and targeting. Electromagnetic Tracking (EMT) has been introduced to medical applications as an effective tool for navigation. However, magnetic fields can be severely distorted by ferromagnetic materials and electronic equipment, which is a major barrier towards their wider application. The focus of the study is to determine and compensate the inherent errors of the different types of EMTs, in order to improve their accuracy. Our aim is to develop a standardized, simple and repeatable assessment protocol; to determine tracking errors with sub-millimeter accuracy, hence increasing the measurement precision and reliability. For initial experiments, the NDI Aurora and the Ascension medSAFE systems were used in a standard laboratory environment. We aim to advance to the state-of-the art by describing and disseminating an easily reproducible calibration method, publishing the CAD files of the accuracy phantom and the source of the evaluation data. This should allow the wider spread of the technique, and eventually lead to the repeatable and comparable assessment of EMT systems.