A Comparison between Kinematic Models for Robotic Needle Insertion with Application into Transperineal Prostate Biopsy

Transperineal prostate biopsy is the most reliable technique for detecting prostate cancer, and robot-assisted needle insertion has the potential to improve the accuracy of this procedure. Modeling the interaction between a bevel-tip needle and the tissue, considering tissue heterogeneity, needle bending, and tissue/organ deformation and movement is a required step to enable robotic needle insertion. Even if several models exist, they have never been compared on experimental grounds. Based on this motivation, this paper proposes an experimental comparison for kinematic models of needle insertion, considering different needle insertion speeds and different degrees of tissue stiffness. The experimental comparison considers automated insertions of needles into transparent silicone phantoms under stereo-image guidance. The comparison evaluates the accuracy of existing models in predicting needle deformation.