Stereotactic Neuronavigation

Registration links the patient’s actual anatomy with the three-dimensional brain map used for planning. This correspondence allows the planned target and surrounding structures to be interpreted in the patient’s specific anatomical context rather than as an abstract image. In tumor procedures, accurate registration supports more individualized planning when lesions lie close to critical brain structures.

A tracked surgical tool can be displayed in relation to both the planned target and nearby tissue on the registered brain map. This gives the procedural team a way to compare the instrument’s position with the intended trajectory during intervention. The relationship is particularly relevant when researchers evaluate whether tumor sampling, resection, or localized treatment reached its planned location.

Preoperative imaging can establish the anatomical map and planned target before treatment begins, while intraoperative imaging can provide information during the procedure. The overview supports both imaging sources, allowing the navigation process to be adapted to the available timing of anatomical information. This distinction matters when planning must account for conditions encountered during intervention.

The workflow begins with imaging-based planning of the tumor target and relevant surrounding anatomy. That information is registered to the patient, after which the tracked instrument can be viewed against the planned target and tissue structures. The resulting guidance supports decisions about instrument placement, biopsy, resection, or localized therapy delivery, followed by evaluation of targeting accuracy and treatment outcomes.

Its supported applications include tumor biopsy, tumor resection, and delivery of localized therapies. Teams may consider the approach when precise placement is important, especially for tumors near critical structures. In cancer research, it also provides a framework for studying how accurately an intervention reaches its intended target and how targeting relates to procedural or treatment outcomes.

Cancer studies can use this approach to evaluate targeting accuracy and treatment outcomes together. Targeting accuracy concerns how closely instrument placement or therapy delivery corresponds to the planned location, while treatment outcomes indicate the result of the intervention. Examining both measures helps researchers assess whether individualized, less invasive procedures achieve their intended procedural and therapeutic goals.