Marco Trovatelli1, Stefano Brizzola1, Davide Danilo Zani1, Antonella Castellano2, Paola Mangili3, Marco Riva4, Max Woolley5, Dave Johnson5, Ferdinando Rodriguez Y Baena6, Lorenzo Bello4, Andrea Falini2, Riccardo Secoli6. 1. Department of Veterinary Medicine, Universitá degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy. 2. Neuroradiology Unit and C.E.R.M.A.C., Vita-Salute San Raffaele University and IRCCS Ospedale San Raffaele, Milan, Italy. 3. Medical Physics Unit, Vita-Salute San Raffaele University and IRCCS Ospedale San Raffaele, Milan, Italy. 4. Department of Oncology and Hematology-Oncology, Universitá degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy. 5. Renishaw Neuro Solutions Ltd., Wotton-Under-Edge, UK. 6. The Mechatronics in Medicine Laboratory, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Imperial College London, London, UK.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: The brain of sheep has primarily been used in neuroscience as an animal model because of its similarity to the human brain, in particular if compared to other models such as the lissencephalic rodent brain. Their brain size also makes sheep an ideal model for the development of neurosurgical techniques using conventional clinical CT/MRI scanners and stereotactic systems for neurosurgery. METHODS: In this study, we present the design and validation of a new CT/MRI compatible head frame for the ovine model and software, with its assessment under two real clinical scenarios. RESULTS: Ex-vivo and in vivo trial results report an average linear displacement of the ovine head frame during conventional surgical procedures of 0.81 mm for ex-vivo trials and 0.68 mm for in vivo tests, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: These trial results demonstrate the robustness of the head frame system and its suitability to be employed within a real clinical setting.
BACKGROUND: The brain of sheep has primarily been used in neuroscience as an animal model because of its similarity to the human brain, in particular if compared to other models such as the lissencephalic rodent brain. Their brain size also makes sheep an ideal model for the development of neurosurgical techniques using conventional clinical CT/MRI scanners and stereotactic systems for neurosurgery. METHODS: In this study, we present the design and validation of a new CT/MRI compatible head frame for the ovine model and software, with its assessment under two real clinical scenarios. RESULTS: Ex-vivo and in vivo trial results report an average linear displacement of the ovine head frame during conventional surgical procedures of 0.81 mm for ex-vivo trials and 0.68 mm for in vivo tests, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: These trial results demonstrate the robustness of the head frame system and its suitability to be employed within a real clinical setting.