Measurement and stochastic modeling of kidney puncture forces

The development of needle insertion robots and training simulators requires knowledge of the forces that arise when a needle is inserted into soft-tissue. The present study aims to construct stochastic models of the force required to puncture a kidney using a trocar needle, based on measurements. To this end, a total of sixty insertions were performed into porcine kidneys (ex vivo), at constant speed, using a linear motion stage. Axial force was measured at the needle hub and an ultrasound probe moved with the needle to enable identification of anatomical structures. Two force peaks were observed for each tissue layer punctured, one caused by the tip and one by the edge of the cannula. Based on ultrasound data these double-peaks were classified into four groups, related to kidney capsule and internal structures. Group size varied from 7 to 55 double-peaks. Force peaks in each group were evaluated in terms of peak force and drop in force for both tip and cannula, and stochastic models were constructed that describe the multivariate distribution of these metrics. Peak forces in the capsule and internal structures ranged up to 2 N and 8 N, respectively. The resulting models can be used to simulate kidney puncture events in a variety of applications.