Ultrasound guided robots
Although ultrasound does not offer comparable resolution to either MR of CT imaging,
it is by far the more affordable and more practical imaging modality. Ultrasound
probes can also be quite small, and can be used in environments were CT or MR scanning
would be impossible. Moreover, because the scanning times for ultrasound are shorter
than those for MR and (in some cases) CT, ultrasound is more suited to real time control
applications. Although the low resolution makes the technology a poor candidate for fully
automated systems, it is quite conducive to master slave control. Figure 1 below contains
images and descriptions of a few ultrasound guided robotic systems.
| CT guided master-slave robot designed to provide surgeons with the advantages of a 3D image guidance without exposing them to radiation. The device can be directly co registered with the CT scan, and is equipped with force sensors that are used to provide the operator with haptic feedback. Like most image guided robots, this robot was design for needle surgeries. |
References
| [1] | E.M. Boctor, M.A. Choti, E.C. Burdette, and R.J. Webster Iii, “Three-dimensional ultrasound-guided robotic needle placement: an experimental evaluation,” The International Journal of Medical Robotics + Computer Assisted Surgery: MRCAS, vol. 4, Jun. 2008, pp. 180-191. |
| [2] | V.G. Mallapragada, N. Sarkar, and T.K. Podder, “Robotic system for tumor manipulation and ultrasound image guidance during breast biopsy,” Conference Proceedings: ... Annual International Conference of the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society. IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society. Conference, vol. 2008, 2008, pp. 5589-5592. |
| [3] | D. Ni, W. Chan, J. Qin, Y. Qu, Y. Chui, S.S.M. Ho, and P. Heng, “An ultrasound-guided organ biopsy simulation with 6DOF haptic feedback,” Medical Image Computing and Computer-Assisted Intervention: MICCAI ... International Conference on Medical Image Computing and Computer-Assisted Intervention, vol. 11, 2008, pp. 551-559. |
| [4] | P.M. Novotny, S.K. Jacobsen, N.V. Vasilyev, D.T. Kettler, I.S. Salgo, P.E. Dupont, P.J. Del Nido, and R.D. Howe, “3D ultrasound in robotic surgery: performance evaluation with stereo displays,” The International Journal of Medical Robotics + Computer Assisted Surgery: MRCAS, vol. 2, Sep. 2006, pp. 279-285. |
| [5] | Z. Wei, G. Wan, L. Gardi, G. Mills, D. Downey, and A. Fenster, “Robot-assisted 3D-TRUS guided prostate brachytherapy: system integration and validation,” Medical Physics, vol. 31, Mar. 2004, pp. 539-548. |
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