A 3D printed biopsy robot is propelled by cylinders driven by air pressure. With the help of hoses that supply the air, the control of the robot can be placed outside the MRI scanner. The design of the robot is fully adapted to the current setting within the MRI. For example, the robot is compact and can be connected to the current chest compression system in various orientations. This allows the robot to easily reach any location in the chest.

AN MR safe robotic system for breast biopsy. (Credit: University of Twente)

New in the design are the so-called dual-speed motors that enable both quick and accurate movements. This improves the accuracy to 0.1 mm and allows the robot to move from its starting point to the target location in about 10 seconds.

Not all robots can be used in combination with MRI scanners. The highly magnetic field of the scanner prevents materials such as metals from being used. To address this, the researchers designed this robot entirely made of plastic.

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