Development and placement accuracy evaluation of an MR conditional robot for prostate intervention

Area of Science:

• Medical Robotics
• Image-Guided Interventions
• Prostate Cancer Therapy

Background:

• Manual prostate interventions have limitations in accuracy and clinical performance.
• Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) guidance offers potential for improved precision in interventions.
• Existing robotic systems may lack MR compatibility or adequate visualization for prostate interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and evaluate an MR-conditional 6-DOF robot for MRI-guided prostate interventions.
• To establish a binocular vision system (BVS) for precise needle placement and penetration point localization.
• To assess the accuracy and feasibility of the robot-assisted system for prostate interventions.

Main Methods:

• Design and fabrication of an MR-conditional 6-DOF serial robotic system.
• Development of a custom binocular vision system (BVS) for automated needle tip tracking.
• Kinematic analysis and control flow design for robot-assisted needle placement and penetration.
• Experimental validation of BVS accuracy and overall robot positioning error.

Main Results:

• The developed binocular vision system (BVS) demonstrated errors under 0.3621 mm.
• The robot-assisted system achieved a mean position error of 2.815 mm.
• The system proved adequate accuracy for precise prostate intervention.

Conclusions:

• Robot-assisted prostate intervention under MRI guidance is a viable and accurate method.
• The developed MR-conditional robot and BVS system significantly enhance precision compared to manual methods.
• This technology holds promise for improving clinical outcomes in prostate interventions.