MRI‐guided focused ultrasound robotic system for the treatment of bone cancer

BACKGROUND: A novel MRI-conditional robot was developed that navigates a focused ultrasound (FUS) transducer. With this robotic system the transducer can access bones. The intended application is pain palliation from bone cancer using thermal ablation using FUS. METHODS: The robotic system has four computer-controlled axes (three linear and one angular). The robotic system was manufactured using a digital manufacturing 3D printer, using acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) plastic. MRI-conditional optical encoders were used to accurately control the robotic system. RESULTS: The robotic system was successfully tested for MRI safety and compatibility, using fast-gradient pulse sequences and a liquid phantom. The robotic system has been tested for its functionality for creating discrete and multiple (overlapping) lesions in a gel phantom. CONCLUSIONS: An MRI-conditional FUS robotic system was developed that has the potential to create thermal lesions with the intention of treating bone cancer for the purpose of pain palliation. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.