Dual-Robot Needle Insertion with Optical Tracking for Respiratory Motion
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Solution Overview
Problem
During minimally invasive surgeries, the deviation of a needle body is prone to occur due to respiratory motion or tissue extrusion, leading to inaccurate puncturing and additional patient damage from repeated needle insertion corrections.
Innovation Solution
A compound robotic system comprising a first robot, a second robot, a needle insertion device, optical positioning balls, skin markers, an optical tracker, and a computer calculation unit, which collaboratively adjust attitudes and account for respiratory motion to guide precise needle insertion.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If CT images are used to guide puncture surgery, then the planning path can be obtained, but the positioning accuracy deteriorates due to respiratory motion and tissue extrusion
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary registration of skin markers before surgery to establish a mapping relationship between skin surface positions and internal lesion positions. This preliminary action allows the system to predict and compensate for position changes during surgery, maintaining positioning accuracy despite respiratory motion and tissue extrusion.
Solution Approach 2:
The system continuously tracks the positions of skin markers during surgery and uses this feedback to update the planning path in real-time. By monitoring position deviations caused by respiratory motion and tissue extrusion, the system dynamically adjusts the needle insertion path to maintain accuracy without requiring repeated CT scans.
2Measurement precision
If a single robot is used for needle insertion, then the device complexity is low, but the positioning accuracy deteriorates due to limited movement range and positioning precision
Solution Approach 1:
The robotic system is divided into two independent robots: a first robot responsible for positioning the base with large movement range, and a second robot responsible for precise needle insertion with high positioning accuracy. This segmentation allows each robot to be optimized for its specific function, achieving overall high positioning accuracy without requiring a single complex robot to perform all functions.
Solution Approach 2:
The system merges the capabilities of two robots with different strengths into a coordinated system. The first robot provides large-scale positioning capabilities while the second robot provides fine-positioning capabilities, and their combined operation achieves both large movement range and high positioning accuracy that would be difficult to achieve with a single robot.
3Measurement precision
If the puncture needle is withdrawn and re-inserted to correct deviation, then the positioning accuracy can be improved, but the loss of time increases and patient damage worsens
Solution Approach 1:
The system maintains continuous tracking of skin markers and real-time update of the planning path throughout the needle insertion process. This continuous monitoring and adjustment allows the needle to stay on the correct path without interruption, eliminating the need for withdrawal and re-insertion to correct deviations, thereby saving time and reducing patient damage.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses skin markers as intermediaries to indirectly track the position of internal lesions without requiring repeated invasive CT scans. By monitoring skin marker positions and using the pre-established mapping relationship, the system can predict lesion position changes and adjust the needle path continuously, maintaining accuracy without interrupting the surgical procedure.
4Reliability
If repeated CT scans are performed during surgery to confirm safety and accuracy, then the puncture safety can be ensured, but the radiation damage increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses skin markers placed on the patient's skin as non-invasive intermediaries to track the position of internal lesions. By continuously monitoring skin marker positions and using the pre-established mapping relationship between skin surface and internal structures, the system can ensure puncture safety without requiring repeated invasive CT scans, thereby eliminating radiation exposure during the surgical procedure.
Solution Approach 2:
The system replaces the mechanical/radiological measurement method (CT scans) with an optical tracking method using skin markers and optical trackers. This substitution allows continuous monitoring of position information during surgery without radiation exposure, ensuring puncture safety through optical rather than radiological means.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Improves puncturing accuracy and reduces patient discomfort by using a compound robotic system that estimates lesion positions non-invasively and adjusts robot attitudes to guide the needle on a planned path, enhancing surgical success rates.
Implementation Method 1
The optical tracker is configured to measure the first optical positioning ball module to obtain a position of the second robot
Implementation Method 2
to measure the skin markers to estimate a planning path
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3A
AI summary
A compound robotic system includes a first robot, a second robot, a needle insertion device, a first optical positioning ball module, plural skin markers, an optical tracker, a shared controller and a computer calculation unit. The volume and movement range of the second robot are respectively less than the volume and movement range of the first robot, and the positioning accuracy of the second robot is greater than the positioning accuracy of the first robot. The first optical positioning ball module is located on the second robot. The optical tracker is configured to measure the first optical positioning ball module to obtain a position of the second robot, and to measure the skin markers to estimate a planning path. The shared controller is configured to adjust a collaborative rate of the first robot to the second robot by regulating a shared weighting.