Accurate stereotaxic localization using computerized tomography with geometric correction

Stereotaxic localization using computerized tomography (CT) is widely employed to guide neurosurgical procedures in critical areas of the brain. Existing methods used two-dimensional (2-D) transform to correct the localization error due to the head ring tilt, but these estimates cannot yield satisfactory results under large tilt angle. Based on three-dimensional (3-D) geometric transformation, a novel approach of correcting localization error from head ring tilt is introduced, resulting in significant improvement in localization accuracy. Experimental results also confirm the good performance of this localization scheme. A powerful stereotactic software system integrated with the proposed method, fusion of brain atlas and CT data, and surgical trajectory planning, has been successfully developed and applied to clinic application for neurosurgery in Chang Gung Memorial Hospital.