Image-Guided Robotic Flexible Needle Steering
Daniel Glozman1, Zipi Neubach1 and Moshe Shoham1
1 Robotics Laboratory, Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, Technion - Israel Institute of Technology
Abstract
Steering of a flexible needle in soft tissue is achieved by maneuvering the needle base along a certain trajectory causing the needle distal end to follow a given curved path. Given a target and possible obstacle locations, the computer calculates the needle-tip trajectory that avoids the obstacle and hits the target. Using an inverse kinematics algorithm, the needle base maneuvers required for the needle tip to follow a given path, are calculated and transferred to a robot that performs the controlled needle insertion. Assuming small displacements, the flexible needle is modeled as a linear beam supported by virtual springs, where the stiffness coefficients of the springs can vary along the needle. Using this simplified model, the forward and inverse kinematics of the needle are solved analytically, enabling both path planning and path correction in real time. The needle shape is detected in real time, and the controller commands the robot to maneuver the needle base so that the needle tip deviation is minimized. This approach was verified experimentally using a robot to insert flexible needles into biological tissues under three kinds of imaging modalities: CT, fluoroscopy and ultra sound. These experiments demonstrated the ability to perform closed-loop control and steering of a flexible needle by maneuvering the needle base so that its tip achieves a planned trajectory.
Related Publications
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Glozman, D., Shoham, M.: "Image-guided Robotic Flexible Needle Steering," IEEE Transactions on Robotics, Vol. 23, No. 3, pp. 459-467, 2007.
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Neubach, Z., Shoham, M. :”Ultrasound-Guided Robot for Flexible Needle Steering,” IEEE Transactions on Bio-Medical Engineering, Vol. 57, No. 4, pp. 799-805, 2010
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