ENHANCING ENDOSCOPIC IMAGE PERCEPTION USING A MAGNETIC LOCALIZATION SYSTEM

Localization and navigation of an endoscope within a patient’s body is usually based on anatomical landmarks recognized by the surgeon. However, this technique can be complicated when a long and flexible endoscope is used. The present study describes a novel system that provides longitudinal position and orientational stabilization of the endoscopic image using a miniature magnetic sensor located at the tip of a flexible endoscope. As a result, the surgeon’s perception of anatomical features is enhanced enabling accurate localization of the endoscope. To evaluate the performance of the proposed system and its applicability to clinical use, an in vivo experiment was performed in which surgeons used the system to perform neuroendoscopy surgery on a pig’s spinal cord