Teleoperated Puncture Robot System: Preliminary Design and Workspace Analysis

Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) guided by X-ray images aims to relieve herniated disc pain with minimal invasiveness and fast recovery. It requires an accurate and fast positioning of the puncture needle. We propose a teleoperated robotic system for percutaneous puncture to support RFA. We report the kinematics modelling and workspace analysis of the proposed system, which comprises preliminary and accurate positioning mechanisms. Preliminary positioning mechanism automatically drives the needle to the puncture area, and accurate positioning is then achieved by teleoperation under the guidance of X-ray images. We calculate the teleoperation workspace of the robot system using a spatial search algorithm and quantitatively analyze the optimal structural parameters aiming to maximize the workspace. The workspace of the proposed robot system complies with clinical requirements to support RFA.