Abstract
BACKGROUND: Stereotactic neurosurgical planning for the placement of depth electrodes requires the integration of wide-ranging 3D datasets on the anatomy of the patient. OBJECTIVE: Our goal was to create an interactive group-based holographic visualization tool (HoloSNS) that facilitates evaluation of depth electrode positioning relative to the available medical imaging data, as well as models of the anatomical nuclei and structural connectivity of the brain. METHODS: HoloSNS is currently designed to run on the HoloLens 2 platform, and was developed using the Unity Game Engine and the Mixed Reality Toolkit from Microsoft. RESULTS: HoloSNS currently supports research analyses with deep brain stimulation (DBS) and/or stereo-electroencephalography (SEEG) electrodes. Two example software applications (HoloDBS and HoloSEEG) are available for free download on the Microsoft App Store. CONCLUSIONS: HoloSNS is the latest culmination of our efforts to integrate advances in brain imaging data, intracranial electrode modeling, and advanced visualization techniques to enhance stereotactic neurosurgery research.