Design and control system of a parallel robot for brachytherapy

Abstract

The design and control of a new parallel robot for brachytherapy is presented. In brachytherapy, a local minimally invasive oncological treatment known also as internal radiation, a needle is placed with high precision, in or near the tumor, to deliver higher doses of radiation. Currently most of the structures used for brachytherapy are designed for easy access areas, more than 70% targeting only the prostate. Due to the positive outcomes of the treatment, there is a big need for a robotic structure that could perform brachytherapy in hard-to-reach areas that are declared inoperable cases. Parallel structures have been widely appreciated for their positioning precision and stiffness, making them a viable option for brachytherapy. The control system and the user interface are presented, followed by some numerical simulations on a scale model.