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In a translational neuroscience/neurosurgery perspective, sheep are considered good candidates to study because of the
similarity between their brain and the human one. Automatic planning systems for safe keyhole neurosurgery maximize
the probe/catheter distance from vessels and risky structures. This work consists in the development of a trajectories
planner for straight catheters placement intended to be used for investigating the drug diffusivity mechanisms in sheep
brain.
Automatic brain segmentation of gray matter, white matter and cerebrospinal fluid is achieved using an online available
sheep atlas. Ventricles, midbrain and cerebellum segmentation have been also carried out.
The veterinary surgeon is asked to select a target point within the white matter to be reached by the probe and to define
an entry area on the brain cortex. To mitigate the risk of hemorrhage during the insertion process, which can prevent the
success of the insertion procedure, the trajectory planner performs a curvature analysis of the brain cortex and wipes out
from the poll of possible entry points the sulci, as part of brain cortex where superficial blood vessels are naturally
located. A limited set of trajectories is then computed and presented to the surgeon, satisfying an optimality criteria
based on a cost function which considers the distance from critical brain areas and the whole trajectory length.
The planner proved to be effective in defining rectilinear trajectories accounting for the safety constraints determined by
the brain morphology. It also demonstrated a short computational time and good capability in segmenting gyri and sulci
surfaces.
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