Electromagnetic Tracker Measurement Error Simulation and Tool Design

Electromagnetic tracking is prone to errors due to the distortions caused by the metallic objects situated in the electromagnetic field’s proximity. Hence, a tool with electromagnetic sensors has first to be tested in different environments before it could be safely used in a surgical intervention. Such tests are often succeeded by design iterations meant to minimize the effect of such distortions. In order to accelerate this process, a simulation software was proposed to virtually test the tools before the physical building. The simulated tests are based on apriori measurements which yield a characterization of the error filed for the specific environments.