Rotatable flexible neck-model for the evaluation of minimally invasive operation procedures with the help of an ultrasound-based navigation system.

Future minimally invasive neck surgery requires a navigation system adapted to the actual intraoperative bedding of the patient. The detection of the bedding-caused tissue shift is essential for a safe orientation for the surgeons' new endoscopic operation procedures in neck surgery. It is essential to visualize the relation between important anatomic landmarks and operation instruments at any time. Within the scientific project SACAS we focus on developing an ultrasound supported navigation system based on preoperative imaging which considers the intraoperative tissue shift. A rotatable, flexible neck-model provides the basis for our analyses to evaluate the tissue shift and to invent the new navigation system for endoscopic neck surgery. The total registration error of the system was 2 mm.