Increasing the precision of the biopsy with robots: two case studies

Robotics is a rapidly advancing field and its introduction in healthcare can have a multitude of benefits for clinical practice. Especially applications depending on the radiologist’s accuracy and precision, such as percutaneous interventions, may profit. Percutaneous interventions are relatively simple and the quality of the procedure increases a lot by introducing robotics due to the improved accuracy and precision. This paper provides the description of two robotic systems for percutaneous interventions: breast biopsy and prostate biopsy. The systems presented here are complete prototypes in an advanced state ready to be tested in clinical practice.https://youtu.be/KZxfRtg0afg https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AB3Qa6LyHP

Needle and Biopsy Robots: a Review

Purpose of the review Robotics is a rapidly advancing field, and its introduction in healthcare can have a multitude of benefits for clinical practice. Especially, applications depending on the radiologist\u2019s accuracy and precision, such as percutaneous interventions, may profit. This paper provides an overview of recent robot-assisted percutaneous solutions. Recent findings Percutaneous interventions are relatively simple and the quality of the procedure increases a lot by introducing robotics due to the improved accuracy and precision. The success of the procedure is heavily dependent on the ability to merge pre- and intraoperative images, as an accurate estimation of the current target location allows to exploit the robot\u2019s capabilities. Summary Despite much research, the application of robotics in some branches of healthcare is not commonplace yet. Recent advances in percutaneous robotic solutions and imaging are highlighted, as they will pave the way to more widespread implementation of robotics in clinical practic

Robot-assisted technologies for targeted prostate biopsy: a literature review

One key aspect in treating any cancer is timely diagnosis and treatment. Obtaining the right diagnosis depends mainly on running the biopsy algorithm. Most studies show a significant increase in sensitivity and specificity in the targeted tissue sampling method compared to standard biopsy. The human factor can result in more medical errors. This can be solved by replacing the standard biopsy method with a more advanced one. The human factor is excluded from the biopsy sampling process using the semi-automatic robotic biopsy needle guidance. This paper presents a literature review development in robot assisted prostate biopsy. A literature review was performed using PubMed and Scopus databases. Papers reporting on experiments using semi-automatic robotic systems were included. Using the literature, we described the prerequisites for the development the software for semi-automatic targeted biopsy to increase the sensitivity and specificity of prostate cancer diagnosis

Image-guided prostate biopsy robots: A review

At present, the incidence of prostate cancer (PCa) in men is increasing year by year. So, the early diagnosis of PCa is of great significance. Transrectal ultrasonography (TRUS)-guided biopsy is a common method for diagnosing PCa. The biopsy process is performed manually by urologists but the diagnostic rate is only 20%–30% and its reliability and accuracy can no longer meet clinical needs. The image-guided prostate biopsy robot has the advantages of a high degree of automation, does not rely on the skills and experience of operators, reduces the work intensity and operation time of urologists and so on. Capable of delivering biopsy needles to pre-defined biopsy locations with minimal needle placement errors, it makes up for the shortcomings of traditional free-hand biopsy and improves the reliability and accuracy of biopsy. The integration of medical imaging technology and the robotic system is an important means for accurate tumor location, biopsy puncture path planning and visualization. This paper mainly reviews image-guided prostate biopsy robots. According to the existing literature, guidance modalities are divided into magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), ultrasound (US) and fusion image. First, the robot structure research by different guided methods is the main line and the actuators and material research of these guided modalities is the auxiliary line to introduce and compare. Second, the robot image-guided localization technology is discussed. Finally, the image-guided prostate biopsy robot is summarized and suggestions for future development are provided

Robotic Transrectal Ultrasound Guided Prostate Biopsy

We present a robot-assisted approach for transrectal ultrasound (TRUS) guided prostate biopsy. The robot is a hands-free probe manipulator that moves the probe with the same 4 DoF that are used manually. Software was developed for three-dimensional (3-D) imaging, biopsy planning, robot control, and navigation. Methods to minimize the deformation of the prostate caused by the probe at 3-D imaging and needle targeting were developed to reduce biopsy targeting errors. We also present a prostate coordinate system (PCS). The PCS helps defining a systematic biopsy plan without the need for prostate segmentation. Comprehensive tests were performed, including two bench tests, one imaging test, two in vitro targeting tests, and an IRB-approved clinical trial on five patients. Preclinical tests showed that image-based needle targeting can be accomplished with accuracy on the order of 1 mm. Prostate biopsy can be accomplished with minimal TRUS pressure on the gland and submillimetric prostate deformations. All five clinical cases were successful with an average procedure time of 13 min and millimeter targeting accuracy. Hands-free TRUS operation, transrectal TRUS guided prostate biopsy with minimal prostate deformations, and the PCS-based biopsy plan are novel methods. Robot-assisted prostate biopsy is safe and feasible. Accurate needle targeting has the potential to increase the detection of clinically significant prostate cancer