Robotic system for magnetic resonance imaging‐guided high‐intensity focus ultrasound application: Feasibility of breast fibroadenoma treatment

Abstract Purpose This paper presents a high‐intensity focus ultrasound (HIFU) robotic system for treating breast fibroadenoma under the guidance of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Based on the thermal and mechanical effects of ultrasound, the system aims to deliver ultrasound energy to a target precisely without damaging the normal tissue. The temperature elevation can be monitored in real time by MRI, and the treatment plan can be adjusted during the procedure. The requirements, design specifications, control system and registration of the robotic system are specified. Methods The robotic system was designed with a 3 degrees of freedom manipulator with limit switches and encoders, a customised MRI‐compatible breast coil, a water bladder with sets of breast‐conforming brackets, and a probe capable of generating ultrasound. Twenty volunteers were recruited for this study, and their data were analysed to provide more precise data for the design. The accuracy of the robot was evaluated in free space using a coordinate measuring machine, phantom and ex vivo porcine tissue in MRI room. The study also verified the signal‐to‐noise ratio (SNR) of the MRI with the effect of the robotic system. Results The research findings revealed that the manipulator exhibited a translational precision of 0.10 ± 0.14 mm, a rotational fidelity around the X direction of 0.11 ± 0.09°, and an oscillatory exactness around the Y direction of 0.10 ± 0.08°. The investigation of positioning accuracy demonstrated that the robot's error in free space was 0.26 ± 0.07 mm. When subjected to MRI room with agar‐silica phantom and ex vivo porcine tissue, the positioning accuracy amounted to 1.11 ± 0.47 mm and 1.57 ± 0.52 mm. In the presence of the robotic system, the SNR of the MRI experienced a 4.2% reduction, which had a negligible impact on image quality. Conclusions The conducted experiments validate the efficacy of the proposed MRI‐guided HIFU robotic system in executing agar‐silica phantom and ex vivo porcine tissue investigations with adequate positioning accuracy. Consequently, this system exhibits certain feasibility for the treatment of breast fibroadenomas.