Can a Tesla Turbine be Utilised as a Non-Magnetic Actuator for MRI-Guided Robotic Interventions?
This addresses the need for nonmagnetic actuators in MRI-guided robotic interventions, offering a potential solution for medical procedures requiring real-time imaging.
The paper tackled the problem of MRI-compatible actuators by developing a pneumatic rotary servo-motor based on a Tesla turbine, which can operate during continuous MR imaging without causing significant visual artifacts, as confirmed through experimental testing.
This paper introduces a new type of nonmagnetic actuator for MRI interventions. Ultrasonic and piezoelectric motors are one the most commonly used actuators in MRI applications. However, most of these actuators are only MRI-safe, which means they cannot be operated while imaging as they cause significant visual artifacts. To cope with this issue, we developed a new pneumatic rotary servo-motor (based on the Tesla turbine) that can be effectively used during continuous MR imaging. We thoroughly tested the performance and magnetic properties of our MRI-compatible actuator with several experiments, both inside and outside an MRI scanner. The reported results confirm the feasibility to use this motor for MRI-guided robotic interventions.