In vivo model estimation and haptic characterization of needle insertions

During percutaneous interventions, the haptic perception of transitions and ruptures in the tissues is fundamental. In the medical robotics context, these events should be conveyed to a remote telemanipulating practitioner or should be taken into account in a robotic control scheme. However, this problem is extremely complex given the nature and the variety of tissues involved in percutaneous procedures. In this article, in vivo percutaneous experiments associated with an online model estimation of the interaction between tissues and a surgical needle are presented for the first time. The estimation scheme is then used to provide a robust method to automatically detect the transitions that occur during needle insertion. Finally, the principle of a modified teleoperation scheme that would allow better haptic discrimination of ruptures is proposed and illustrated.