title: Robot-assisted prostate brachytherapy.
abstract: In contemporary brachytherapy procedures, needle placement at the desired target is challenging due to a variety of reasons. A robot-assisted brachytherapy system can improve the needle placement and seed delivery resulting in enhanced patient care. In this paper we present a 16 DOF (degrees-of-freedom) robotic system (9DOF positioning module and 7 DOF surgery module) developed and fabricated for prostate brachytherapy. Techniques to reduce needle deflection and target movement have been incorporated after verifying with extensive experiments. Provisions for needle motion and force feedback have been included into the system for improving the robot control and seed delivery. Preliminary experimental results reveal that the prototype system is quite accurate (sub-millimeter) in placing brachytherapy needles.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY 14642, USA
authors.forename: Yan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: Tarun
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Podder
authors.forename: Yongde
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Wan-Sing
authors.initials: WS
authors.lastname: Ng
authors.forename: Vladimir
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Misic
authors.forename: Jason
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sherman
authors.forename: Luke
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Fu
authors.forename: Dave
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Fuller
authors.forename: Edward
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Messing
authors.forename: Deborah
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Rubens
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Strang
authors.forename: Ralph
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Brasacchio
mesh_terms: D001918:Brachytherapy / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D004867:Equipment Design; D019544:Equipment Failure Analysis; D006801:Humans; D009339:Needles; D019919:Prosthesis Implantation / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D011881:Radiotherapy, Computer-Assisted / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D012371:Robotics / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D018084:Ultrasonography, Interventional / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods