In-Bore Needle Robot With Rotatable Shaft for CT-Guided Accuracy
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing CT-guided minimally invasive procedures face challenges with tip-to-target accuracy due to delayed feedback and freehand control, leading to increased radiation exposure and ergonomic difficulties for physicians during needle insertions within imaging scanners.
Innovation Solution
A dexterous in-bore needle insertion robotic platform, such as CRANE, designed with redundant linkage and multi-level closed-loop control, provides enhanced dexterity and accuracy by allowing real-time visualization and precise manipulation of needles within the scanner bore, using a mechanism like a Shape-Memory-Alloy actuator for gripping and a rotatable shaft with a medical instrument gripper.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If multiple scans are performed to assist needle insertion planning and control, then tip-to-target accuracy is improved, but radiation exposure increases and procedure time is extended
Solution Approach 1:
The robotic system implements real-time feedback through continuous imaging integration, allowing the physician to monitor needle progression and adjust the trajectory dynamically without requiring multiple discrete scanning sessions. The system processes imaging data in real-time to provide feedback on needle position relative to the target, enabling accurate insertion with minimized radiation exposure.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary planning of the needle trajectory using pre-acquired imaging data before the actual insertion begins. The robotic platform pre-calculates the optimal path, identifies anatomical obstacles, and prepares the insertion plan in advance, allowing the procedure to proceed with minimal additional scanning and reduced radiation exposure during the actual insertion phase.
2Ease of operation
If the patient is withdrawn from the imaging bore for needle insertion between scans, then physician ergonomics are improved, but tip-to-target accuracy deteriorates due to delayed feedback
Solution Approach 1:
The robotic system acts as an intermediary between the physician and the needle insertion process. The robot's end-effector holds and positions the needle with high precision while the physician controls the system from an ergonomic position outside the narrow bore space. This intermediary robotic interface eliminates the need for the physician to physically maneuver within the constrained imaging space while maintaining accurate needle placement.
Solution Approach 2:
The system replaces the physician's direct manual mechanical manipulation of the needle with a robotic mechanical system. The robotic platform with its articulated arms and precision actuators performs the physical needle insertion tasks, substituting the physician's hands and providing superior positional accuracy and stability while the physician provides high-level control commands from a comfortable position.
3Adaptability or versatility
If a robotic platform with redundant linkage is used for in-bore needle insertion, then dexterity and accuracy are improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The robotic system is segmented into distinct functional modules: a gross positioning stage for large-scale motion control, an end-effector assembly for precise needle manipulation, and a control system for coordinating the components. This segmentation allows each module to be optimized independently for its specific function while reducing the overall system complexity through modular design and independent control.
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
The robotic platform improves tip-to-target accuracy, reduces radiation exposure, and enhances ergonomics by enabling precise and safe needle insertions within constrained imaging scanner spaces, supporting various human morphologies and clinical requirements.
Implementation Method 1
The mechanism employs a clutching needle gripper using a Shape-Memory-Alloy (SMA) actuator, which enables deep needle insertion with short axis length via clutching.
Data Source
AI summary
A surgical robotic platform operates within a constrained space of an imaging scanner in which a patient resides. The platform includes a gross positioning stage configured to be located outside of the constrained space An end-effector having a rotatable shaft is extendable from the gross positioning stage and into the constrained space of the imaging scanner. The shaft has a proximal end operatively coupled to the positioning stage outside of the constrained space and a distal end configured to be located in the constrained space. The distal end has a medical instrument gripper for holding a medical instrument used in a percutaneous procedure. The end-effector further includes a joint arrangement operatively coupling the shaft to the medical gripper for providing motion to the medical instrument gripper for enabling position and/or orientation control of the medical instrument. A drive module controls the joint arrangement.