We have introduced an open MRI into the operating room. When taking intraoperative open MR (iMR) images conventionally, since it was impossible to have used a conventional head coil for diagnosis because of need of space, we used to wrap the body coil around the patient' head to get signals. However, the body coil was less sensitive, and wrapping the body coil was very rough. Then we have developed Hitchcock Coil for intraoperative open MRI (iMRI). Hitchcock Coil works not only as more sensitive receiving coil than conventional one, but also as iMRI-guided Hitchcock stereotactic device (Hitchcock device), that is to say Navigation System using markers for iMRI. This time we confirmed that Hitchcock Coil was more excellent than the conventional receiving coil in respect of contrast and space resolution, and Navigation System was acceptable to iMRI-guided stereotactic surgery.

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Recently, MRI compatible robots for assisting surgery are focused with the advancement of image guided stereotactic surgical procedure under the MRI environment. To develop the surgical robot which is MR compatible, we should consider not only the severe clinical condition of the design for safety or sterilizations, but also the specific requirements to use under the strong magnetic field in MRI. Because of the existence of the strong magnetic fields, conventional materials, actuators are not allowed to use. In this paper, we developed the newly design of MRI compatible needle insertion manipulator with 6 degrees of freedom movement. To evaluate the validity to install in the MRI environment, we proposed to use the three dimensional marker system, by which we can measure the three dimensional space distortion caused by the manipulator. Phantom testing and the measurement result of the distortion are described.

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We have been developing data fusion system for open surgery and laparoscopic surgery. The system projects 3D reconstructed image of patient's organs in the surgical field and enable to observe the internal structure of the organs. We applied the system to robotics surgery system “da Vinci”. In order to superimpose 3D reconstructed images of the organs to laparoscope's view in real-time, we used optical location sensor and digital video processing system. Using this system, the surgeon is able to observe inner conditions of organs with stereoscopic view.

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