OpenIGTLink

Overview

The Open IGT Link protocol is a simple but extensible data format to transfer various types of data among software and devices used in image-guided therapy (IGT) scene e.g. surgical navigation software, tracking device, robotic device, imaging scanner. The protocol can handle image, tracking data, transform, device control and monitoring command, and other user-defined data types. It is designed to work in the application layer of the TCP/IP stack, but not limited to it; developers can use this protocol with UDP/IP or other network protocol models. 3D Slicer' supports Open IGT Link and has interface module as OpenIGTLinkIF, which is currently available in 3D Slicer ver. 3.4 and 3.5.

This is a generalization of the previous Tracker Daemon.

Integration of transperineal prostate robot (BRP -- Brigham and Women's Hospital/Johns Hopkins University/Queen's University/Acoustic Med Systems

Integration of transperineal prostate robot and navigation software (BRP -- Brigham and Women's Hospital/Johns Hopkins University/Queen's University/Acoustic Med Systems

Prototype integration of a neurosurgical robot and Slicer3 using OpenIGTLink, Hideo Fujimoto, Nagoya Inst Tech., Japan

Screenshot of tracker tool visualization on the 3D Slicer. Brigham and Women's Hopsital

What's New

• July 21, 2009, An article about OpenIGTLink has been published in The International Journal of Medical Robotics and Computer Assisted Surgery. The article describes the overview of OpenIGTLink protocol, performance evaluation and several use-cases.
• February 7, 2009, Jeff Stanley from Northern Digital Inc. (NDI) demonstrated Aurora System integrated with 3D Slicer / IGSTK at IGSTK User Group Meeting. See NDI Press Release.
• January 14, 2009, The OpenIGTLink Library now supports Sun C Compiler on Solaris.
• January 8, 2009, Added a link to the new OpenIGTLink Slicer interface documentation.
• December 19, 2008, The OpenIGTLink Library now works with Solaris 8 and 10. (Tested with GNU C++ compiler. We haven't tested on Solaris 9.)
• November, 2008, 3D Slicer OpenIGTLink Interface module is now available in the 3D Slicer trunk repository. It is coming with several new features. (you need to enable OpenIGTLink option explicitly before compiling the 3D Slicer)
• Oct 20, 2008, Several updates in OpenIGTLink/Matlab page. Now Matlab OpenIGTLink interface supports sending transform data.
• Sep 5, 2008, OpenIGTLink was presented in MICCAI 2008 Workshop on Systems and Architectures for Computer Assisted Interventions. The slides are available here.

Protocol

Version 1

• Standard Protocol
• Site and Project Specific Extended Protocols
  • MRI robot project at Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD
  • Transrectal Ultrasound-guided biopsy, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD
  • MRI real-time Imaging acquisition and control, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA

Version 2 (in draft)

• Protocol description (draft)
  • (Discussions for version 2)

C++ Implementation (library)

• The OpenIGTLink Library (Tutorial) (Discussions)
• The best approach to build your OpenIGTLink application

Interfaces / Software

• Interface for 3D Slicer
  • (Old) Interface for 3D Slicer
• Simulator programs
• Interface for Matlab / Octave
• Interface for IGSTK

Devices

Please see the list of the OpenIGTLink-compliant hardware and software.

• MRI real time image (currently supporting GE, planning to invite other vendors)
• JHU robots and encoders - JHU page
• List all devices supported by IGSTK
• NDI Optotrak
• Robin Medical EndoScout (by BWH)
• Aurora
• FlockOfBirds
• Polaris

(Please contact us if you would like to include other devices.)

Tutorial / Workshops

• Tutorial on image guided therapy (IGT) using Slicer 3 and Open IGT Link is available at IGT:ToolKit
• Systems & Architecture for Computer Assisted Intervention @ MICCAI 2008, NY

People / Organizations

• Luis Ibanez, Kitware
• Junichi Tokuda, BWH
• Csaba Csoma, JHU
• Jack Blevins, Acousticmed
• Patrick Cheng, Georgetown University
• Haying Liu, BWH
• Insight Software Consortium
• Jumpei Arata, Nagoya Institute of Technology, Japan (Nagoya robot control)

Supports

• Enabling Technologies for MRI-Guided Prostate Interventions funded by National Institute of Health (PI: Clare Tempany, MD)
• National Center for Image Guided Therapy (NCIGT)
• National Alliance for Medical Image Computing (NA-MIC)
• Intelligent Surgical Instrument Project sponsored by The Ministry of International Trade and Industry, Japan

License

New BSD license ©2008 Insight Software Consortium

Related pages

• Slicer 3 Image Guided Therapy (IGT) suite
• Slicer 3 Daemon
• OpenDMTP - Open Device Monitoring and Tracking Protocol
• Uniform Driver Interface (UDI)
• Meetings concerning Open IGT Link

Contact

Please contact Junichi Tokuda for further information.