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Updated: Apr 22, 2026
Design and Implementation of a Bespoke Robotic Manipulator for Extra-corporeal Ultrasound
Published on: January 7, 2019
A Cable-Driven Wearable Robot Design for Multi-Needle Positioning and Manipulation
Background:
Multi-needle puncture is essential for clinical procedures such as multi-target biopsy. However, existing robotic systems face the challenge of providing simultaneous 6-DoF multi-needle control while maintaining CT/MRI compatibility.
Methods:
This paper presents a cable-driven wearable robot for the manipulation of multiple needles, which integrates a 4-DoF parallel module for needle positioning, a miniaturized 2-DoF puncture module for individual steering, and a dual-stiffness mounting module for rapid and stable installation. A hybrid cable-driven transmission combined with non-metallic materials ensures CT/MRI compatibility. A prototype was developed for the dual-needle case, and kinematic models were established for accurate closed-loop control.
Results:
The prototype demonstrated a static positioning accuracy below 0.5 mm, a maximum puncture force of 10.2 N, and a torque of 2.5 N mm.
Conclusion:
The proposed design is validated by a prototype capable of accurate multi-needle positioning and manipulation while maintaining full MRI/CT compatibility.
