Experiences Using a Special Purpose Robot for Focal Ultrasound Based Tissue Ablation

摘要

This paper describes implementation, empirical set‐up and ex vivo trial results of a non‐invasive robotic surgery system, called FUSBOT‐BS, to treat tumours/cancers by the use of High Intensity Focused Ultrasound (HIFU). The desired surgical effects of ultrasonic irradiation are decided by a pre‐planned delivered dosage and the temporal aspects of wave propagation. The temperature rise in the target site depends upon the exposure conditions. A multiple transducer approach is adopted in this research.Surgical planning and deployment of the probes in a given location and specified trajectory is accomplished using robotic techniques. The test results for ablation were conducted in biological phantoms and in various animal tissues, in vitro, such as fat, muscle, and kidney from lamb, beef and pork. The representative results obtained in these empirical studies are presented, which help to understand dependence of crucial HIFU parameters to decide the treatment planning and surgical protocols. The robotic system achieved an end‐point accuracy of ±0.5mm. It is possible to precisely position target lesions and ablate remote target sites of varying shapes and sizes with flexible protocols.