A new imaging method for intraoperative therapy control in skull-base surgery.

CAS-computer assisted surgery-is a new imaging method supporting skull base surgeons. Support is granted not only for preoperative planning of therapy but also for pathfinding during surgery itself and in the postoperative phase as therapy control. The CAS-system consists of high technology items such as -a digital image generation system (CT, MR) -a real-time image processing system -a 3 D position recognition system. Robotics are not incorporated in this system but a hand-guided manipulator houses the surgeon's instrument. Accuracy of the method has been experimentally determined to be within 1 mm. Follow up systems are under development to permit microsurgery support as well.