Image-guided robotic system for radiofrequency ablation of large liver tumor with single incision

Radiofrequency (RF) ablation surgery is effective in liver tumor treatment with non-collateral damage and reduced blood loss. However, the surgery is challenging for large tumor ablation in a minimally invasive procedure. In this paper, we developed a surgical robot system incorporating medical image information and surgeon's planning knowledge to realize a minimally invasive procedure for large liver tumor treatment through a single incision. The system includes a surgical robot designed with spherical arc structures, medical image processing and planning, and trajectory generation modules. With planning strategies applied to medical images, multiple trajectories are automatically generated. ex-vivo and in-vivo tests were conducted and the experimental results demonstrated that the multiple RF needle insertion could accurately reach the target area and the required needle incision ports were significantly reduced.