Robotic-Assisted Real-Time Image-Guided: From System Development to Ex Vivo Experiment

Various robotic devices for extracting blood from the brain in individuals who have had a hemorrhagic stroke have been proposed. In order to take a step ahead, this research designs and fabricates a neurosurgery robot (6-DOF) with a unique remote center motion to save space. The robot is compatible with Computed tomography (CT) and can be mounted on a scanner bed with a special mounting device. A calibration procedure employing an Optical tracking system (OTS) establishes the kinematic connections of the relevant parts. A sliding mode observer controller was designed and implemented to add accuracy and precision to the robot. The controller perfectly trailed the desired output with very high accuracy. The robot can place a needle tip and orient its axis with a precision of 1.64 +/- 0.90 mm and 0.99 +/- 0.11 degrees, insert and rotate it along its axis with a precision of 0.90 +/- 0.11 mm and 0.97 +/- 0.31 degrees. An ex vivo experiment using a layer-by-layer motion planning technique was conducted with a phantom under CT to evacuate the hematoma with 87% aspiration achieved.