Predicting Needle Deflection in Soft Tissue: An Investigation of Interfacial Mechanics and Tissue Deformation

Abstract

Percutaneous needle insertion has become a standard procedure in the region of open surgery, notably for biopsies of abdominal tumors, breast cancer, and prostate cancer [1]. In many cases, achieving high needle targeting accuracy is difficult due to the complexity of the human body tissues. Therefore, it is essential to study and model the steering behavior of a needle inserted into multi-layered tissues to plan for the optimal path of the needle during the insertion. The procedure during which the needle must pass through multi-layer tissues requires professional skills due to complex deflections. Therefore, it is essential to create realistic simulators for surgeons and nurses, to practice their clinical skills [2].A model based on a Euler-Bernoulli beam deflecting under static force distribution profiles was developed to simulate needle insertion [3]. A needle was modeled as a cantilever beam supported by a series of nonlinear springs [4].