IGT:ToolKit

The wiki pages here present the tool kit we are using or developing at Brigham and Women's Hospital for the purpose of image guided therapy (IGT). The IGT kit is a set of open source software tools with supported hardware devices. We encourage you download and use the free tools if you find them useful to you and welcome any comments or feedback from your experience

Slicer 3 for IGT

Install Slicer3

IGT example data

Tutorials

Slicer3 Training

Navigation Tutorial

Volume rendering with Real-time Imaging

Step 3: Install IGSTK

IGSTK is used to acquire tracking data from NDI Aurora tracking system.

• If you can find a proper binary here for your computer, download the file and unzip it to igt-tutorial. You should find directory IGSTKSandbox-build:
  • For Linux box (x86, 32-bit), click here.
  • For Windows box (32-bit), click here.
  • For Mac box, click here.
• If you'd like to build IGSTK from the source code, find the instructions here.

Step 4: Connect NDI Aurora tracking device

• Set up your NDI Aurora tracking device
• Connect it to the computer where IGSTK will be run.
  • By default, Aurora has only serial port connection.
  • If your computer doesn't have a serial port, you need to have a serial-to-USB converter.

Step 5: Perform navigation

• Run Slicer3

your-slicer3-build(install)-directory/Slicer3 (Linux/Mac) or
your-slicer3-build(install)-directory/Slicer3.exe (Windows with Cygwin)

• Configure OpenIGTLink module in Slicer3
  • In Slicer3, get to the interface of OpenIGTLink module
  • Expand Connector Browser
  • Press Add button to add a connector
  • Click Server as the connector type
  • Click Active for the connector

Now Slicer3 is ready to receive tracking data.

• Run IGSTK
  • Cd to IGSTKSandbox-build
  • Run this command

./bin/igstkSandboxTests igstkAuroraTrackerToolObserverToOpenIGTLinkRelayTest localhost 18944 10000 0 1

At this moment, the tracking data from NDI Aurora is being sent to Slicer3.

• Load a 3D image for navigation
  • Download the data set from [1]
  • Load the SPGR volume into Slicer3
  • Get to the interface of the Slicer3 data module
  • Inside the MRML tree, drag the SPGR volume node under the transform node
• Do navigation
  • Move the Aurora probe
  • You should see the updated view of the SPGR image following the movement of probe

Core Open Source Software and Protocol

Slicer IGT

Open IGT Link

Optional Open Source Tool Kit

IGSTK, an interface to commercial IGT tracking device

Robot Control Toolkit, an interface to surgical robots

Contact Info

If you have any comments or requests, please contact Dr. Nobuhiko Hata at: hata {at-mark} bwh.harvard.edu. Dr. Hata leads the development of Slicer IGT at National Center for Image Guided Therapy.