Robot-Assisted Needle Insertion for CT-Guided Puncture: Experimental Study with a Phantom and Animals.

Area of Science:

• Medical Robotics
• Image-Guided Therapy
• Minimally Invasive Procedures

Background:

• Accurate needle placement is crucial for diagnostic and therapeutic interventions.
• Minimizing radiation exposure and patient trauma is a key goal in interventional radiology.
• Robotic systems offer potential for enhanced precision and control in medical procedures.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the accuracy and safety of a novel robotic system for CT-guided needle insertion.
• To compare the performance of robotic needle insertion with manual techniques in phantom and animal models.
• To assess the impact of robotic assistance on procedure efficiency and radiation dose.

Main Methods:

• A robotic system was developed for CT-guided needle insertion.
• Phantom experiments involved 15 robotic and manual insertions, comparing accuracy, time, needle count, and radiation dose.
• Animal experiments included 20 robotic needle insertions targeting simulated pulmonary nodules in swine lungs.

Main Results:

• Phantom experiments showed comparable accuracy between robotic (1.9 ± 0.2 mm) and manual (1.8 ± 0.3 mm) insertions.
• Robotic insertion significantly reduced the number of needle insertions and radiation dose compared to manual methods.
• In swine lungs, robotic insertion achieved a mean accuracy of 3.8 ± 1.3 mm with a mean procedure time of 14.4 ± 4.8 minutes; one mild pneumothorax occurred.

Conclusions:

• CT-guided robotic needle insertion demonstrates accuracy comparable to manual methods.
• The robotic system significantly decreases the number of needle insertions, confirmatory scans, and radiation exposure.
• Further clinical application of the robotic system is planned based on these promising results.