Experimental validation of robot-assisted cardiovascular catheterization: model-based versus model-free control

Purpose In cardiac electrophysiology, a long and flexible catheter is delivered to a cardiac chamber for the treatment of arrhythmias. Although several robot-assisted platforms have been commercialized, the disorientation in tele-operation is still not well solved. We propose a validation platform for robot-assisted cardiac EP catheterization, integrating a customized MR Safe robot, a standard clinically used EP catheter, and a human–robot interface. Both model-based and model-free control methods are implemented in the platform for quantitative evaluation and comparison. Methods The model-based and model-free control methods were validated by subject test (ten participants), in which the subjects have to perform a simulated radiofrequency ablation task using both methods. A virtual endoscopic view of the catheter is also provided to enhance hand-to-eye coordination. Assessment indices for targeting accuracy and efficiency were acquired for the evaluation. Results (1) Accuracy: The average distance measured from catheter tip to the closest lesion target during ablation of model-free method was 19.1