General
Exact matches only
Search in title
Search in content
Search in excerpt

Electromagnetic Measurement Systems

Electromagnetics is a key technology used in the exceptional NDI 3D measurement systems Aurora and 3D Guidance. All the Aurora value-creation stages take place at our Radolfzell location. 3D Guidance is developed and produced globally in close cooperation between all our locations.

Our electromagnetic position measurement systems are primarily sold to medtech companies that integrate them into their systems. Integrated into the customer’s system, our technology supports the surgeon in navigating the medical instruments to the correct position. Our electromagnetic measurement system calculates the position of a sensor integrated into the instrument. The position information is then forwarded to our customer’s system, where it is processed along with other data. Finally, our customer’s system displays the instrument’s position to the surgeon in real time on a medical image. Within the last few years, NDI has become the global market leader for position measurement systems used by medtech companies.

Principle of Operation

  • A sensor is integrated in the tip of a flexible or rigid object (e.g. needle, catheter, probe, guidewire)
  • This object must be within the system’s measurement range so that the system can accurately detect its 3D position and orientation.
  • The system transmits the position and orientation data to the application software, which processes it according to the application requirement, e.g. for visualization

Benefits

  • No radiation exposure because magnetic filed technology poses no health risks
  • Real-time 3D measurement (position and orientation)
  • Extremely small sensors (e.g. 0.45 mm x 6.4 mm)
  • No visual contact to the sensor in the object necessary
  • The human body does not influence the measurement result

Henning Themke

Product Support Engineer

Do you have technical questions?

Agreement

14 + 6 =

Our customers’ fields of application for electromagnetic measurement systems

Interventional Imaging

Finally the fusion of ultrasound images with pre-operative CT or MRT images is possible. The real-time position determination of the ultrasound probe opens up new options in ultrasound imaging.

Interventional Oncology

3D positioning of medical tools such as biopsy needles or ablation catheters based on the ultrasound image, determining the ideal route to the organ.

Pulmonology

Reaching the organ directly and quickly: by position determination of the tip of a bronchoscope or a pulmonary catheter in the lung with reference to a CT image.

ENT Surgery

Preventing perforation of the skull base and injury of the optic nerve: by position determination of ENT tools during endoscopic sinus operations.

Electrophysiology / Cardiology

Effectively preventing cardiac fibrillation: thanks to position determination of electromagnetic ablation catheters.

Other fields of application

Training future doctors: by position determination of medical instruments during simulated operations.

Aurora and 3D Guidance compared

Compare productsAurora3D Guidance
Product image
Max. measurement sizeup to 0.5 m³ (e.g. 1.0 x 1.0 x 0.5 m)up to 0.15 m³ (e.g. 0.46 x 0.56 x 0.6 m)
3D volumetric accuracyup to 0.48 mm RMSup to 1.4 mm RMS
Angular accuracyup to 0.2° RMSup to 0.5° RMS
Max. number of sensorsup to 32 simultaneouslyup to 4 simultaneously
Max. measurement rate66 Hz20 - 255 Hz
Product rangeExtremely modular, flexible system for good application integrationStandardized system with two different measurement ranges
Adaptabilitypossible to a high degreepossible to a limited extent
Sensorsdiameters from 0.3 mm, low-cost for single usediameters from 1.3 mm, ideal for multiple use

To find out more, please go to the website of our parent company
Northern Digital Inc. →