Experimental validation of robot-assisted cardiovascular catheterization: model-based versus model-free control

Area of Science:

• Robotics in Medicine
• Cardiac Electrophysiology
• Human-Robot Interaction

Background:

• Robot-assisted catheterization is used for arrhythmia treatment, but tele-operation disorientation remains a challenge.
• Current systems lack robust solutions for precise catheter control during complex cardiac procedures.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate a platform for robot-assisted cardiac EP catheterization.
• To quantitatively compare model-based and model-free control methods for catheter navigation.

Main Methods:

• A validation platform was created using an MR Safe robot, an EP catheter, and a human-robot interface.
• Ten participants performed simulated radiofrequency ablation tasks using both control methods, with a virtual endoscopic view provided.
• Targeting accuracy and efficiency were assessed using defined metrics.

Main Results:

• Model-free control demonstrated 19.1% shorter average distance to lesion targets compared to model-based control.
• Model-free control reduced missed targets by 35.8% and continuously missed targets by 46.2% (p<0.05).

Conclusions:

• Model-free control significantly outperformed model-based control in accuracy and efficiency for cardiac catheterization.
• The superior performance suggests model-free methods better adapt to soft interactions and environmental contacts.