Design and Evaluation of Augmented Reality-Enhanced Robotic System for Epidural Interventions

The epidural injection is a medical intervention to inject therapeutics directly into the vicinity of the spinal cord for pain management. Because of its proximity to the spinal cord, imprecise insertion of the needle may result in irreversible damage to the nerves or spinal cord. This study explores enhancing procedural accuracy by integrating a telerobotic system and augmented reality (AR) assistance. Tele-kinesthesia is achieved using a leader-follower integrated system, and stable force feedback is provided using a novel impedance-matching force rendering approach. In this domain, augmented reality employs a magnetic-tracker-based approach for real-time 3D model projection onto the patient's body, aiming to augment the physician's visual field and improve needle insertion accuracy. Preliminary results indicate that our AR-enhanced robotic system may reduce the cognitive load and improve the accuracy of ENI, highlighting the promise of AR technologies in complex medical procedures. However, further studies with larger sample sizes and more diverse clinical settings must comprehensively validate these findings. This work lays the groundwork for future research into integrating AR into medical robotics, potentially transforming clinical practices by enhancing procedural safety and efficiency.