Enhancing medical needle placement with auditory display

Radiofrequency ablation is a minimally invasive procedure used to treat a tumor by applying local radiofrequency energy using a needle that is inserted into the patient through the skin. Current methods for guiding needle placement require the radiologist to remove the view from the patient and instead use a computer screen for guidance. We present two auditory display methods to guide needle placement that allow visual attention to remain on the patient. Initial results indicate that the needle placement task can be accomplished using almost solely auditory support, increasing user attention on the patient and reducing head and neck movements.