Intelligent navigation strategies of a markerless FESS navigation by prioritizing multimodal context information

Introduction:

For the development of a markerless navigation system (BIOPASS) the comprehensive recording of characteristics (image data, endoscope, surgical step, etc.) of the surgical situation is crucial. For the first time, this paper summarizes processing and presentation measures for the user and situation-specific provision of information in navigation strategies for intelligent assistance systems.

Methods:

The starting point is an expert survey, supplemented by information about anat. Lead structures and a preoperative CT checklist. The survey results have the greatest importance for the provision of information. The data are based on multimodal situation data (position sensors, image and process data, etc.) collected in FESS interventions on NNH phantoms. Subsequently, a data evaluation was performed and compared with the information requirements of the survey in order to formulate potential navigation strategies in the form of situation heuristics.

Results:

In the expert survey, the assessed relevance for additional information increased from maxillary sinuses, ethmoidal sinusea, frontal sinuses to sphenoid sinuses. There was a classification of navigation strategies according to the criteria: (a) in-situ cavity diameter or depth, (b) in-situ visibility and presentation quality (c) complication risk. The desired information correlates with the weighted relevance for diameter/depth, visibility, and risk assessment for collected sensor data.

Conclusion:

Risk structures are crucial for the selection of information. The formulated heuristics reflect basic behaviors in an in-situ orientation. At the same time, their definition reveals a new approach to making intelligent assistance systems more effective and understandable through predictable rules of conduct.

Publication History

Publication Date:
18 April 2018 (online)