Image-guided Control of Flexible Bevel-Tip Needles

Area of Science:

• Robotics
• Medical Imaging
• Control Systems

Background:

• Percutaneous therapies rely on precise needle placement.
• Image guidance improves accuracy and expands the scope of needle interventions.
• Automating flexible needle insertion presents significant challenges.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and evaluate an automated controller for flexible bevel-tip needles.
• To enable autonomous guidance of needles within a planar slice of tissue.
• To maintain physician control over insertion speed while automating trajectory.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a nonholonomic kinematic model for flexible needles.
• Developed a nonlinear observer-based controller.
• Employed stereo image guidance and feedback control based on needle tip position relative to a target plane.

Main Results:

• Demonstrated stable and robust control of flexible needles within a planar slice via numerical simulations.
• Showcased controller performance under parametric uncertainty.
• Presented successful pilot experiments using phantom tissue and stereo image guidance.

Conclusions:

• Automated control of flexible needles is feasible for percutaneous procedures.
• The proposed controller can maintain needle trajectory within a target plane.
• This approach enhances precision and safety in image-guided interventions.