An ultrasound-directed robotic system for microwave ablation of liver cancer

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), which leads to more than one million deaths every year in the world, is the second most common malignancy in China. As microwave ablation (MWA) is an effective method for the treatment of liver cancer, an ultrasound-directed (US-directed) robotic system was designed to assist surgeons on positioning the needle. This interventional robotic system includes a 5-DOF needle-guiding robot, a conventional 2D ultrasound device, a workstation for path planning and image processing and an electromagnetic tracking device. In clinical environments, we first use real-time freehand 3D ultrasound reconstruction and image analysis methods to attain tumour position, and then manipulate the guiding hole of the robot to position the needle affirmed by the surgeon. Finally, the feasibility of the interventional robotic system are validated by experimental results.