Abstract
Cryoablation is a minimally invasive technique that uses extreme cold to destroy cancerous tumors. However, it remains challenging to plan and navigate during the procedure. We present Cryotrack, a novel planning and navigation system for computer-assisted cryoablation.
This work was published at the 27th International Conference on Medical Image Computing and Computer Assisted Intervention (MICCAI 2024), Marrakesh, Morocco, October 6-10, 2024.
Motivation
Cryoablation offers several advantages over thermal ablation:
- Precise control of the ablation zone
- Minimal pain for the patient
- Ability to treat tumors near sensitive structures
However, planning cryoablation procedures remains challenging due to:
- Complex ice ball formation dynamics
- Difficulty in visualizing the ablation zone in real-time
- Lack of dedicated planning tools
Cryotrack System
Cryotrack provides:
Pre-operative Planning
- 3D visualization of the target tumor
- Simulation of ice ball growth
- Optimization of probe placement
Intra-operative Navigation
- Real-time tracking of cryoprobes
- Augmented reality overlay of predicted ablation zone
- Integration with imaging systems
Visualization
- Clear visualization of the lethal ice zone vs. the benign cold zone
- Heat sink effect awareness near blood vessels
Results
The system was validated through:
- Phantom experiments
- Ex-vivo tissue testing
- Clinical feasibility studies
Authors
- Henry J. Krumb
- Jonas Mehtali
- Juan Verde
- Anirban Mukhopadhyay
- Caroline Essert
ICube Laboratory, University of Strasbourg
Conference Experience
Presenting at MICCAI 2024 in Marrakesh was an incredible experience. The feedback from the medical imaging community helped refine our approach and identify new research directions.
Related Work
This work complements my later research on thermal ablation: