Robotic Assistance System for Cone-Beam Computed Tomography-Guided Percutaneous Needle Placement.

Area of Science:

• Medical Imaging
• Robotics
• Interventional Radiology

Background:

• Image-guided percutaneous procedures are crucial in modern medicine.
• Accurate needle placement is essential for effective treatment and diagnosis.
• Robotic assistance systems offer potential for enhanced precision and control.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate a novel robotic assistance system (RAS) for needle placement.
• To assess the RAS in conjunction with a C-arm angiography system and cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT).
• To determine the system's precision and efficiency in a phantom setting.

Main Methods:

• The RAS included a tool holder, planning software, and a robotic arm for image-guided needle placement.
• CBCT imaging was used for robotic arm calibration and trajectory planning.
• Needle placement accuracy and time were measured after manual insertion guided by the robot.

Main Results:

• 16 needle insertions were performed targeting in- and out-of-plane sites.
• Mean angular deviation was 1.12°, with mean positional deviation of 2.74 mm.
• Mean placement time was 361 seconds, with significant differences between in- and out-of-plane trajectories (p=0.0214).

Conclusions:

• The robotic assistance system (RAS) proved precise for image-guided needle placement.
• The system demonstrated efficiency in a phantom setting when combined with CBCT.
• This technology holds promise for improving percutaneous procedures.