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Hand-held Clinical Photoacoustic Imaging System for Real-time Non-invasive Small Animal Imaging
Published on: October 16, 2017
Fully automated image-guided needle insertion: application to small animal biopsies
A Ayadi1, G Bour, M Aprahamian
1LSIIT, UMR ULP-CNRS 7005, Pole API, Bd. S. Brant, 67412 Illkirch, France.
Summary
Developing novel automated biopsy techniques for small animals enables serial tissue sampling. This image-guided robotic system minimizes invasiveness and organ deformation for biological process evolution studies.
Area of Science:
- Biomedical Engineering
- Small Animal Imaging
- Robotic Surgery
Background:
- Studying biological process evolution in small animals typically involves extensive population analysis.
- Serial analysis of individual animals offers a more efficient alternative but requires non-invasive tissue sampling methods.
- Existing methods often lack the precision needed for targeted tissue retrieval from specific areas in living subjects.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and validate an image-guided robotic system for automated, minimally invasive biopsy in small animals.
- To enable precise, serial tissue sampling from living animals for longitudinal studies.
- To overcome workspace limitations in micro CT scanners for robotic procedures.
Main Methods:
- Utilized a micro CT scanner, a robotic arm, and a vision system for image-guided needle insertion.
- Developed a procedure to remove the animal from the scanner and position it relative to the robot.
- Implemented a vision system (grid projector and camera) for automated registration and needle calibration.
- Synchronized automated biopsy with animal respiration using a high-velocity pneumatic translation device to minimize organ deformation.
Main Results:
- Successfully designed and experimentally tested an automated biopsy system capable of image-guided needle insertion.
- The system demonstrated precise needle positioning and orientation calibration.
- High-velocity pneumatic actuation minimized organ deformation during the biopsy procedure.
- The system was validated using various needle types.
Conclusions:
- The developed image-guided robotic biopsy system provides a minimally invasive solution for serial tissue sampling in small animals.
- This technology facilitates longitudinal studies of biological process evolution by enabling precise, repeated biopsies.
- The system addresses challenges related to workspace limitations and organ deformation in small animal imaging and procedures.
