Michiel R.
van den Bosch1, Maaike R. Moman1, Marco van Vulpen1,
Jan J. Battermann1, Ed Duiveman2, Leonard J. van
Schelven2, Jan J.W Lagendijk1, Marinus A. Moerland1
1Department of Radiotherapy, University
Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, Netherlands; 2Medical Technology
& Clinical Physics, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht,
Netherlands
This
in-vivo study demonstrates the proof of principle of an MR-compatible robot
dedicated for MRI-guided interventions. The robot can be placed between
patient's legs inside a 1.5T closed bore scanner for transperineal needle
insertion. To minimize tissue deformation, it contains a tapping device to
automatically tap (rather than push) the needle towards the target position.
Four fiducial gold markers were placed into the prostate of a patient with a
stage T3 prostate cancer under MRI-guidance using fast MR sequences. This
opens the door for MRI-guided interventions as biopsy and brachytherapy in
tissue, where deformation might be problematic.