Passive 3D Needle Tip Tracking in Freehand MR-Guided Interventions with Needle Model Visualization

In freehand MR-guided interventions, the monitoring of the current needle position relative to the target is crucial. In this work, a method for fast passive needle tip tracking in 3D is presented. For a true-FISP sequence, it is shown that proper k-space sub-sampling and signal processing allow for an accurate estimation of the needle tip position. A reduction in scan time is achieved by drastically reducing the number of measurements. The calculated needle tip positions are superimposed on a pre-interventional 3D planning volume in form of a needle model to ensure a continuous monitoring of the current needle tip position.