An Experimental Approach to Combine Robot-Assistance and Duplex-Navigation for Peripheral Endovascular Interventions

Abstract

Background:Peripheral endovascular interventions are now standard therapy in vascular medicine. However, an unsolved problem continues to be the need of using hazardous X-rays and kidney toxic contrast agents in these procedures. Navigation by ultrasound could be an alternative in this context. Nevertheless, the hitherto uncomfortable manual transducer guidance makes these interventions a challenging task, as it is difficult to keep the transducer always in the intervention focus and to reproduce settings exactly.Objectives:Aim of the research project is the development of a robot assistance system (RAS) for the implementation of ultrasound-supported peripheral endovascular interventions.Materials and methods:In cooperation with the Institute of Robotics and Cognitive Systems at the University of Lübeck, the development of an intelligent transducer control system for duplex sonographic navigation of peripheral endovascular interventions took place. For the project, the KUKA LBR iiwa 7 R800 robot system was used.Results:We developed a robot assistance system (RAS) which guides the transducer in peripheral endovascular interventions and always presents the intervention focus to the surgeon.Conclusion:With the help of RAS it has become possible to perform duplex-controlled peripheral endovascular interventions comfortably as an alternative to conventional X-ray assisted interventions. In addition to the avoidance of X-rays, this has the further effect of real-time information of hemodynamic parameters.