A Digital Twin for Robotic Post Mortem Tissue Sampling Using Virtual Reality
Maximilian Neidhardt, Ludwig Bosse, Vidas Raudonis, Kristina Allgoewer, Axel Heinemann, Benjamin Ondruschka, Alexander Schlaefer
AI summary
Problem
Conventional autopsies and manual biopsies pose infection risks to pathologists and are labor-intensive, while existing robotic systems lack intuitive, remote planning interfaces for clinical adoption.
Approach
A VR-based digital twin system allows medical experts to remotely plan and control robotic needle insertions through three immersive interaction scenarios, validated via cadaver trials and expert usability testing.
Key results
- 132 needle insertions with 5.30 ± 3.25 mm mean off-axis error
- VR planning scenarios reduced planning time by up to 53%
- Successful histopathological verification of all extracted tissue samples
- High clinical acceptance and intuitive usability among forensic pathologists
Why it matters
Provides a safe, remote, and precise alternative to traditional autopsies, minimizing infection risks for medical staff while preserving diagnostic accuracy for forensic investigations.
Abstract
Studying tissue samples obtained during autopsies is the gold standard when diagnosing the cause of death and for understanding disease pathophysiology. Recently, the interest in post mortem minimally invasive biopsies has grown which is a less destructive approach in comparison to an open autopsy and reduces the risk of infection. While manual biopsies under ultrasound guidance are more widely performed, robotic post mortem biopsies have been recently proposed. This approach can further reduce the risk of infection for physicians. However, planning of the procedure and control of the robot need to be efficient and usable. We explore a virtual reality setup with a digital twin to realize fully remote planning and control of robotic post mortem biopsies. The setup is evaluated with forensic pathologists in a usability study for three interaction methods. Furthermore, we evaluate clinical feasibility and evaluate the system with three human cadavers. Overall, 132 needle insertions were performed with an off-axis needle placement error of 5.30 ± 3.25 mm. Tissue samples were successfully biopsied and histopathologically verified. Users reported a very intuitive needle placement approach, indicating that the system is a promising, precise, and low-risk alternative to conventional approaches.