Saeed Rezaeian

and 5 more

This paper presents the design, modeling, and feasibility study of a magnetic resonance (MR)-conditional, steerable neurosurgical robot for the intracranial delivery of therapeutic agents. Immunotherapy is an emerging technique for brain tumor treatment but faces challenges due to low cell trafficking with systemic infusions, particularly in the case of large tumors. To address this limitation, we have developed a novel robotic system capable of delivering therapeutic agents throughout a brain tumor. The robot comprises a straight, rigid outer tube and a flexible inner tube that can navigate along curved trajectories in multiple directions. Integrated into the system is a customdesigned injection mechanism, which consists of a motorized syringe, a long hydraulic transmission tube, and local syringes. This integration with the robot's nonmagnetic actuation system enables precise navigation to various locations within the tumor and targeted delivery of therapeutic agents at each site, thus maximizing their trafficking in the tumor. The robotic system is designed to be MR-conditional, enabling the use of intraoperative MR imaging to guide the delivery process and ensure accurate and sufficient delivery of therapeutic agents. Along with the design and manufacturing, we also present the modeling and characterization of the robot's motion capability, evaluation of open-loop motion control, and assessment of MR-compatibility. Additionally, we demonstrate therapeutic delivery in phantom models, collectively validating the feasibility of robot-assisted, MRI-guided therapeutic delivery.