GantryMate - a new modular MR-compatible robot

A recent article discovered the details of the new development of Interventional Systems GmbH, a maker of the iSYS robot. The article "GantryMate: A Modular MR-Compatible Assistance System for MR-Guided Needle Interventions" appeared in Tomography. 

" To enable magnetic resonance– guided needle interventions, we combine a small, patient-mounted assistance system with a real-time instrument tracking sequence based on a phase-only cross-correlation algorithm for marker detection. The assistance system uses 2 movable plates to align an external passive marker with the anatomical target structure. The targeting accuracy is measured in phantom experiments, yielding a precision of 1.7  1.0 mm for target depths up to 38  13 mm. In in vivo experiments, the possibility to track and target static and moving structures is demonstrated.

The assistance system GantryMate (Interventional Systems, Kitzbühel, Austria) is entirely constructed from electrically nonconducting, nonmetallic, and nonmagnetic plastic and fiber glass materials. The system is mounted on a base platform, which is used for gross positioning and can be fixed to the patient with straps. The system consists of 2 movable plates and an instrument holder, which is attached to the distal end-effector. The plates can each be moved independently in 2 translational DOF (forwardbackward—FB, left-right—LR) via 4 mechanical adjustment threads, which are accessible from outside the magnet through Bowden cables. Manipulation of the lower plate moves the entire unit in either FB or LR direction relative to the base platform (approximate translational range 40 mm in each direction). Translation (FB and LR direction) of the upper plate relative to the lower plate causes rotations of the distal instrument holder (angular range 30° in both directions) about a pivot point located at the level of the lower plate." 

Source:  Tomography