Path planning for percutaneous lung biopsy based on the loose-Pareto and adaptive heptagonal optimization method

Area of Science:

• Medical Imaging
• Surgical Planning
• Oncology

Background:

• Lung cancer is a leading cause of cancer deaths globally.
• Accurate diagnosis of lung masses relies on biopsies, often via CT-guided percutaneous lung biopsy.
• Manual path planning for biopsies requires significant physician expertise.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a computer-assisted system for percutaneous lung biopsy path planning.
• To improve the efficiency and feasibility of surgical path planning for lung biopsies.

Main Methods:

• A computer-assisted path planning system was developed using clinical objectives.
• Five constraints were defined to identify feasible skin entry points.
• The loose-Pareto and adaptive heptagonal optimization (LPHO) method was employed for optimal path planning.
• CT images from 29 patients were used for retrospective and test experiments.

Main Results:

• The proposed system demonstrated clinical feasibility for 89.7% of patient cases.
• The computer-assisted planning system proved applicable and robust for lung biopsy procedures.
• The LPHO method effectively planned optimal puncture paths.

Conclusions:

• The developed computer-assisted system offers a robust solution for percutaneous lung biopsy path planning.
• This technology has the potential to aid physicians in diagnosing lung cancer more effectively.
• The system's high success rate indicates its clinical applicability and value in surgical interventions.