Design of a Robotic Stereotactic Device for Biopsy and Minimally Invasive Interventions in the Breast With Real Time MRI Guidance

The objective of this work was to develop a robotic device to perform biopsy and therapeutic interventions in the breast with real-time MRI guidance. This is the first US made surgical robotic device to perform real time MR-guided interventions in the breast. The device was designed to allow for (i) conditioning of the breast by compression, (ii) definition of the interventional probe trajectory, by setting the height and pitch of a probe insertion apparatus, and (iii) positioning of an interventional probe by setting the depth of insertion. The apparatus is fitted with five computer-controlled degrees of freedom for delivering an interventional procedure. The entire device is constructed of MR compatible materials, i.e. non-magnetic and non-conductive, to eliminate artifacts and distortion of the local magnetic field. The apparatus is remotely controlled by means of ultrasonic actuators and a graphical user interface, providing real-time MR-guided planning and monitoring of the operation.