Body-Mounted Robot for Image-Guided Percutaneous Interventions: Mechanical Design and Preliminary Accuracy Evaluation

Area of Science:

• Medical Robotics
• Percutaneous Interventions
• Medical Imaging

Background:

• Image-guided percutaneous interventions require precise instrument navigation.
• Existing robotic systems may lack portability or compatibility with specific imaging modalities.
• There is a need for compact, body-mounted robotic solutions for minimally invasive procedures.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present a novel body-mounted, four degree-of-freedom (4-DOF) parallel mechanism robot.
• To optimize the robot for lightweight, compact design suitable for patient mounting.
• To demonstrate compatibility with Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) and Computed Tomography (CT) for various interventions.

Main Methods:

• Mechanical design and control system development of a modular parallel robot.
• Integration of imaging-compatible components for MRI and CT guidance.
• Development of a Z-shaped fiducial frame for accurate robot registration in MRI.
• Kinematic analysis, calibration, and bench-top accuracy assessment.

Main Results:

• The robot is designed to be lightweight and compact for body mounting.
• Preliminary bench-top accuracy assessment showed average translational errors of 1.01 mm (X-axis) and 0.96 mm (Z-axis).
• Average rotational errors were 3.06 degrees (X-axis) and 2.07 degrees (Z-axis).

Conclusions:

• The presented 4-DOF parallel robot is suitable for image-guided percutaneous interventions.
• The modular design and imaging compatibility allow for versatile application in procedures like arthrography, biopsy, and brachytherapy.
• The robot demonstrates promising accuracy for MRI-guided interventions, specifically shoulder arthrography.