Development of a Three-Dimensional Image-Guided Needle Positioning System for Small Animal Interventions

Conventional needle positioning techniques for small animal microinjections are fraught with issues of repeatability and targeting accuracy. To improve the outcomes of these interventions a small animal needle positioning system guided by micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) imaging was developed. A phantom was developed to calibrate the geometric accuracy of micro-CT scanners to a traceable standard of measurement. Use of the phantom ensures the geometric fidelity of micro-CT images for use in image-guided interventions or other demanding quantitative applications. The design of a robot is described which features a remote center of motion architecture and is compact enough to operate within a micro-CT bore. Methods to calibrate the robot and register it to a micro-CT scanner are introduced. The performance of the robot is characterized and a mean targeting accuracy of 149 ± 41 µm estimated. The robot is finally demonstrated by completing an in vivo biomedical application.

Name thesis:degree_name

M Eng Sci

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Biomedical Engineering

Grantor dc:publisher

The University of Western Ontario

Year dc:date.issued

2012

Author dc:creator

• Waring, Christopher S.R.

Advisors dc:contributor.advisor

• James Lacefield
• Aaron Fenster

• medical robotics
• image-guided interventions
• small animal imaging
• x-ray micro-computed tomography
• imaging phantom design and construction

Language dc:language.iso

en_ca

Handle dc:identifier.uri

https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14721/33734

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:uwo.scholaris.ca:20.500.14721/33734