View source for Stealthlink Protocol

Medtronic Navigation StealthLink Research Portal

(This information is provided by Medtronic for the OpenIGTLink Community)

StealthLink 1.X:

StealthLink 1 is our released application.  This API is available with our Mach Cranial, Spine Synergy, FrameLink, and LandMarX applications.  The API is a simple query/retrieve interface with static data structures.  The API consists of a C library available for Windows and Linux.

Data available via StealthLink 1 includes:

*Tool transforms for multiple tools
*Frame transforms 
*Image space to frame space registration transforms 
*Surgical plan target and entry points 
*Registration exam information
*Working exam information (with merge transform to the registration exam)
*Microscope information
*Probe tip in image space 
*Functional procedure specific information

All transforms are float[4][4] and points are float[3].

StealthLink 2:

StealthLink 2 is currently under development and will initially be released with our new Cranial application (Synergy Cranial 2.2) in Spring, 2011.  StealthLink 2 will build on the functionality of StealthLink 1.  The API will support a query/retrieve mechanism, but will also contain a subscription mechanism for frequently updated data.  The API will consist of a C++ library and will be available for Windows and Linux in its first release.

StealthLink 2 data consists of data classes and methods to enable convenient access.  All data will have an optional timestamp.  Available data will include:

*Instrument
**Name, image space tip, transforms, marker information, status information, etc.
*Frame
**Registration
*Name, transforms, point sets, etc.
**Exam
*Image set, properties, merge transforms, etc.
**Planning information
**Surgical plans, segmented models
*Footswitch status, task information, localizer data

==Update (June 3, 2015)==

* [http://www.plustoolkit.org PLUS toolkit] includes a StealthLink/OpenIGTLink bridge for receiving live tool position information, planning image volume, registration results through StealthLink and sending it to Slicer through OpenIGTLink
* Demo video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UHmv5u-sB5g
* Documentation: http://perk-software.cs.queensu.ca/plus/doc/nightly/user/DeviceStealthLink.html