Design And Evaluation Of Robotic Needle Steering Methods For Clinical Application

Tavakkolmoghaddam, Farid

Etd

Design And Evaluation Of Robotic Needle Steering Methods For Clinical Application

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The success of needle-based interventions, such as targeted drug delivery, tissue biopsy, and brachytherapy, significantly depends on precise needle placement. Robotic needle placement and steering can correct unwanted needle deflections, improve targeting accuracy, and potentially reduce the number of insertion attempts. Steering with asymmetric (beveled) tip needles leverages the natural tendency of these needles to deflect in the direction of the bevel, allowing for redirection within tissue to reach the desired target. This dissertation describes the development of algorithms for robotic needle steering, with a particular application in image-guided robotic prostate biopsy, designed to integrate within the constraints of clinical environments. The design, implementation, and experimental validation of three needle steering and error compensation models are presented, each aimed at enhancing needle placement accuracy in clinical environments. The first model introduces a passive, model-based technique to compensate for the planar deflection of bevel-tip needles by predicting the deflection and adjusting the needle entry point accordingly. The second model proposes a model-based steering method capable of achieving variable curvature needle profiles and can be used with wired sensorized needles. The third model presents a model-free steering approach, which enables closed-loop placement of bevel-tip needles in 3D without requiring prior knowledge of the tissue or needle properties.

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