Haptic feedback in robot-assisted endovascular catheterization

In teleoperated robot-assisted catheter intervenetional surgery, haptic feedback allows the interventionalist to perceive the remote contact force between the catheter and blood vessel. In this research, the haptic feedback in axial direction has been provided to the operator in master site to guide the remote catheter insertion. A remote catheter navigation system was presented, and the MR (Magnetorheological) fluids based haptic interface was as the master site. To evaluate the performance of the haptic feedback in catheter insertion, ten subjects were recruited to manipulate designed remote catheter navigation system. The patient catheter went through the blood vessel phantom, and the dynamic changes of the insertion resistance force can be measured by catheter manipulator in slave site which will be perceived by the operator through the master haptic interface. Experimental results showed that haptic feedback has a benefit to decreasing the contact force between the catheter and blood vessel phantom during the remote catheter navigation.