Stormram 4: An MR Safe Robotic System for Breast Biopsy

Suspicious lesions in the breast that are only visible on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) need to be biopsied under MR guidance with high accuracy and efficiency for accurate diagnosis. The aim of this study is to present a novel robotic system, the Stormram 4, and to perform preclinical tests in an MRI environment. Excluding racks and needle, its dimensions are 72x51x40mm. The Stormram 4 is driven by two linear and two curved pneumatic stepper motors. The linear motor is capable of exerting 63N of force at a pressure of 0.65MPa. In an MRI environment the maximum observed stepping frequency is 30Hz (unloaded), or 8Hz when full force is needed. The Stormram 4's mean positioning error is 0.73 +/- 0.47mm in free air, and 1.29 +/- 0.59mm when targeting breast phantoms in MRI. Excluding the off-the-shelf needle, the robot is inherently MR safe. The robot is able to accurately target lesions under MRI guidance, reducing tissue damage and risk of false negatives. These results are promising for clinical experiments, improving the quality of healthcare in the field of MRI-guided breast biopsies.