Development of MRI-powered modular robotic system

Abstract

This study proposes a novel robotic system controlled by the magnetic forces generated from Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scanner. In the proposed system, ferromagnetic particles are used to actuate the device, while all other parts are made of nonmagnetic materials. The possible range of motion for the particles is investigated by using the common sequence which is usually available for MR imaging. We then designed a mechanism that extends the observed pendular motion to rotational movement. By using the designed mechanism, we realized a MRI-powered multiaxial robotic system. The potential application of this system covers the automation for under MRI inspections such as esthesiometry and needle biopsy. In this paper, we described the fundamental principle of the MRI-powered robotic system and also report on the performance evaluation of the robotic system.