Dynamic Path Planning for Bevel-Tip Flexible Needle Insertion into Soft Tissue Based on a Real-Time Finite Element Model

Abstract

This paper presents a novel dynamic path planning methodology for needle steering into the soft tissue. A real-time finite element model is used to simulate the procedure of a flexible needle into the homogeneous soft tissue, which provides the dynamic deformation information for the path planning. The relationship between needle base and tip is formulated as the transformations of homogeneous matrix with quasi-static assumptions. Based on the reachability of the flexible needle, the real-time motions of obstacles and target are considered through the dynamic needle-tissue interactions. A testbed including a XY linear stage, one rotator, and a CCD camera is constructed, and the experiments are designed to validate the proposed method. The 23G PTC needle was inserted into the PVA phantom with markers, and the CCD camera was utilized to record the needle trajectories and motions of target and obstacles. The targeting errors between the experimental and planned paths are less than 1.20 mm, and the distance from the obstacle to needle is not smaller than 1.16 mm. The results demonstrate that the proposed algorithm is effective for online planning the paths in the needle-tissue interactive environment.