The InstaTrak System utilizes the patient’s preoperative CT scan and electromagnetic tracking technology to provide positional feedback of instrument location within the patient's sinuses. The InstaTrak System's computer compiles the patient’s image data from the CT scan and renders three orthogonal views of the sinus anatomy - axial, coronal and sagittal.

The electromagnetic tracking system correlates the movement of surgical instruments to the CT images. Two electromagnetic sensors provide positional information on the preoperative CT images displayed on the monitor. One sensor is attached to the instrument and the other is located on the InstaTrak headset. The patient wears the headset during the preoperative CT scan and surgical procedure. The headset enables automatic registration, which is the process of correlating the patient's medical images to the patient's actual anatomy. The electromagnetic sensors attached to the instrument and headset are registered to show the position of the instrument tip with respect to the CT images of the patient.

The surgical instruments act as pointers that allow the surgeon to visualize, localize and navigate through the patient's sinuses during the procedure. The tip of the instrument is displayed on the InstaTrak System monitor as a set of crosshairs in the axial, coronal and sagittal planes, allowing the surgeon to visualize critical structures such as the cranial bone and orbit.

Preparing for Surgery:

During the preoperative CT scan, the patient wears the headset, which is placed on the bridge of the nose and on the external ear canals. Once the CT scan is obtained, the headset is removed and the images are transferred to the InstaTrak System.

Surgery:

During surgery the System’s monitor is positioned for optimal surgeon viewing. Electromagnetic sensors are attached to the headset and the surgical instrument. The headset is again placed on the patient and automatic registration occurs instantly correlating the CT images with the patient's anatomy. The patient's CT images are then displayed on the InstaTrak System's monitor. During the surgical procedure the System plots the precise movement of surgical instruments and correlates them to the patient's medical images.