Multi-stage puncture path planning algorithm of ablation needles for percutaneous radiofrequency ablation of liver tumors

Abstract

This paper designs a multi-stage puncture path planning algorithm of ablation needles for percutaneous radiofrequency ablation of liver tumors, in order to guide or assist clinicians automatically plan the puncture path of ablation needle, and improve the safety and effectiveness of percutaneous radiofrequency ablation for liver cancer. Firstly, the initial feasible puncture paths satisfying the hard constraints are obtained by quantifying different clinical multi-constraint conditions. Then, according to the soft constraints, the risk index of puncture path is designed to realize the first-stage path planning. Secondly, considering the zero potential energy point and multi-tumor puncture, we embed the gravitational additional potential field to improve the traditional artificial potential field, and the second-stage path planning of candidate puncture paths is carried out by calculating the comprehensive potential energy of the paths. Finally, the reliability of the ablation needle trajectory is evaluated based on the relationship between the candidate puncture paths and liver segments, and the third-stage path planning is realized to determine the optimal puncture path. Through the quantitative and qualitative evaluation of the results, it is proved that our algorithm can obtain an optimal puncture path that meets the clinical conditions, which is expected to guide clinicians in the puncture path planning of percutaneous radiofrequency ablation for liver cancer.

Keywords: Couinaud segmention; Improved artificial potential energy field; Multi-stage puncture path planning; Multiple clinical constraints; Percutaneous radiofrequency ablation.