Evaluation of Model-Enhanced Ultrasound-Assisted Interventional Guidance in a Cardiac Phantom

Minimizing invasiveness associated with cardiac procedures has led to limited visual access to the target tissues. To address these limitations, we have developed a visualization environment that integrates interventional ultrasound (US) imaging with preoperative anatomical models and virtual representations of the surgical instruments tracked in real time. In this paper, we present a comprehensive evaluation of our model-enhanced US-guidance environment by simulating clinically relevant interventions
in vitro
. We have demonstrated that model-enhanced US guidance provides a clinically desired targeting accuracy better than 3-mm rms and maintains this level of accuracy even in the case of image-to-patient misalignments that are often encountered in the clinic. These studies emphasize the benefits of integrating real-time imaging with preoperative data to enhance surgical navigation in the absence of direct vision during minimally invasive cardiac interventions.