Asymmetrical tipped needles move with extreme precision

Aug 26, 2015 15:30 GMT  ·  By

Scientists at the University of Twente developed a needle that can move in flesh while being oriented remotely by humans.

The researchers managed to develop a robot-assisted system that can steer flexible needles with an asymmetric tip. One major advantage of steering flexible needles is that medics can now avoid obstacles or other sensitive tissues and can reorient the path of the needle in real time once it has been inserted.

In therapeutic procedures that combat prostate cancer, the accurate positioning of a needle is extremely important. Once a common needle is introduced, it often needs to find its target with great precision. However, most of the time it depends on the skill of the doctor operating the needle while less skilled doctors would end up touching the other organs while attempting to reach the prostate.

The main feature of the new invention is a flexible needle with an asymmetric tip. An asymmetric tip will bend the entire needle when inserted and will allow a much better flexibility and path adjustments when inserted. While being tracked using ultrasound images the needle will be able to move through biological tissue with extreme sub-millimetric accuracy.

According to phys.org, in order gain more acceptance among the medical community, the scientists at Twente University allowed doctors and clinicians to operate patients themselves remotely from hundreds of miles away. They were guided and helped via a "shared control" coupled with vibrations and visual feedback. Twente University doctors expect the first clinical trials in hospitals to begin in three to four years.