Experimental Study Regarding Needle Deflection in Robotic Assisted Brachytherapy of Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Abstract

An experimental study regarding brachytherapy needle deflection is presented in this paper. The experimental study is conducted using a collaborative robotic arm with a force/torque sensor mounted on its TCP. The deflection of the needle is measured using the forces and torques recorded during the experiment and at the same time using a millimeter sheet screen mounted in the background of the experimental set-up. The deflection of the needle is recorded using a sample material with characteristics close to the human tissue. The aim of the experimental study is to evaluate the force needed to insert the brachytherapy needle during the robotic assisted hepatic cancer treatment procedure in order to establish the normal tissue resistance forces and possibly the limits where the needle will deflect from its imposed trajectory.