Computed Tomography and Ultrasound-Guided Robotic Assistance in Percutaneous Puncture in Abdominal Phantom and Porcine Liver Models

Percutaneous puncture is a pivotal technique in diagnosing and treating hepatic lesions; however, traditional manual puncture methods rely heavily on the expertise of medical practitioners. This study aimed to evaluate the feasibility, safety, and efficacy of percutaneous needle placement through the innovative utilization of computed tomography-ultrasound fusion-guided robotic assistance in abdominal phantom and porcine liver models. The abdominal phantom and eight Bama miniature pigs were selected as experimental subjects. Two puncture methods (handheld and robot-assisted puncture) were administered to each simulated tumor with an 18-gauge biopsy needle. All pigs exhibited stable conditions without any complications following the puncture. The Euclidean distance between the needle tip and the predetermined target point of robot-assisted puncture was <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$3.30~\pm ~1$ </tex-math></inline-formula>.48 mm in the pig model and <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$2.15~\pm ~0$ </tex-math></inline-formula>.82 mm in the phantom model. The planning time required for the physician to perform robot-assisted needle insertion was <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$8.25~\pm ~2.59$ </tex-math></inline-formula> min. Robot-assisted needle insertion in percutaneous puncture was accurate and safe in the pig liver model, highlighting its feasibility and potential clinical application.