Low-Complexity Robotic Device for Magnetic Resonance Imaging-Guided Needle Biopsy.

BACKGROUND: This work presents a low-complexity robotic device for needle-to-target alignment designed to streamline Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)-guided biopsy procedures while maintaining physician control over insertion. METHODS: The robotic device was designed with a rigid frame incorporating two linear degrees of freedom for the in-plane alignment of a needle guide with a predefined target. Trajectory planning and automated motion execution, including image transfer and sequence triggering, were managed through a custom MRI-integrated software interface. Preliminary evaluation of alignment accuracy was performed in an agar phantom containing 5 and 10 mm tumour mimics. RESULTS: In phantom experiments, the system consistently achieved submillimeter alignment accuracy for both the 5-mm and 10-mm tumour models across all trials, without any operational failures. CONCLUSIONS: These preliminary findings demonstrate the feasibility of the proposed robotic device for semiautomated MRI-guided abdominal biopsy, pending further extensive preclinical testing.