An MRI robot is a medical robot capable of operating within a magnetic resonance imaging

Magnetic resonance imaging

Magnetic resonance imaging , nuclear magnetic resonance imaging , or magnetic resonance tomography is a medical imaging technique used in radiology to visualize detailed internal structures...

 (MRI) scanner for the purpose of performing or assisting in image-guided interventions (IGI).

IGI interventions are commonly performed manually by physicians operating instruments such as needle based on medical images, in most medical field and in the interventional radiology

Interventional radiology

Interventional radiology is a specialty of radiology, in which image-guided procedures are used to diagnose and treat a multitude of diseases across all body systems...

 specialty. IGI robots help manipulating the instrument or provide guidance for image-navigation. These have the potential to improve the performance of IGI because, unlike humans, robots are digital devices that may directly communicate with the digital imagers.

MRI compatible

To be MRI compatible a robot needs to safely operate and perform its function within the magnetic field of the MRI without deteriorating the image quality. But the development of MRI robots is a very challenging engineering task, because MRI scanners use magnetic fields of very high density (3 teslas

Tesla (unit)

The tesla is the SI derived unit of magnetic field B . One tesla is equal to one weber per square meter, and it was defined in 1960 in honour of the inventor, physicist, and electrical engineer Nikola Tesla...

 is now common), and most of the components commonly used in robotics may not be used in close proximity of the magnet (http://video.google.ca/videoplay?docid=-3911691380555981564&q=MRI+and+Metal+&ei=Wl1ASI3hLIvCrwKRkb3WCA&hl=en see Google video on MRI Safety).

Examples

The URobotics research group at the Johns Hopkins University has developed an electricity-free, non-magnetic, and dielectric robot, MrBot. This operates with air for the motors and light for its sensors (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sdESnc-oDZo YouTube movie). This achievement was possible through the invention of a new type of pneumatic motor, the PneuStep, which allows for simple, fail-safe precision controlled motion.

The AIM Lab at Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI)

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Worcester Polytechnic Institute is a private university located in Worcester, Massachusetts, in the United States.Founded in 1865 in Worcester, WPI was one of the United States' first engineering and technology universities...

 has been developing enabling technologies for MRI-guided interventions. This work includes MR-compatible sensors, actuators, and controller. the group has also developed a fully MRI-compatible robot designed for percutaneous prostate interventions (biopsy

Biopsy

A biopsy is a medical test involving sampling of cells or tissues for examination. It is the medical removal of tissue from a living subject to determine the presence or extent of a disease. The tissue is generally examined under a microscope by a pathologist, and can also be analyzed chemically...

, brachytherapy

Brachytherapy

Brachytherapy , also known as internal radiotherapy, sealed source radiotherapy, curietherapy or endocurietherapy, is a form of radiotherapy where a radiation source is placed inside or next to the area requiring treatment...

 and ultrasonic ablation) and another one for guiding deep brain stimulation (DBS)

Deep brain stimulation

Deep brain stimulation is a surgical treatment involving the implantation of a medical device called a brain pacemaker, which sends electrical impulses to specific parts of the brain...

 electrode placement under real-time MR image guidance for the treatment of Parkinson's Disease.

External links

• URobotics Program at the Johns Hopkins University
• MRI-compatible robotics research group at Worcester Polytechnic Institute