Robot-based ultrasound guidance: Pilot study on robot-assisted ultrasound-guided peripheral endovascular intervention on a phantom—The RoGUS-PAD project

Abstract

Background: Peripheral endovascular surgery is still a procedure with potential risks and side effects due to the use of X‑rays and contrast agents for the intraprocedural navigation of instruments. Objective: The aim of the robotic-guided ultrasound system for peripheral arterial disease (RoGUS-PAD) project is the development of a robot-based ultrasound-guided assistance system for peripheral endovascular interventions to reduce or even avoid X‑rays and contrast agents as well as improve real-time visualization. Material and methods: For imaging purposes, a 2D ultrasound linear probe (L12‑3, Philips Healthcare, Best, The Netherlands) was mounted on the end effector of a robotic arm (LBR iiwa 7 R800, KUKA, Augsburg, Germany). The first tests were performed on an ultrasound-capable phantom developed especially for this project. The image processing and robot control were carried out by a specially developed program in C++. Results: To evaluate the technical feasibility of the project we were able to perform a semiautomatic 2D ultrasound scan of a peripheral artery on the phantom. In 27 out of 30 runs a scan was successfully performed. Conclusion: The initial results confirmed that the development of a robot-based assistance system for ultrasound-guided peripheral endovascular interventions is technically feasible. This supports our ambitions for the translation of the system into daily clinical practice.