Hybrid Deep Reinforcement Learning for Radio Tracer Localisation in Robotic-assisted Radioguided Surgery

Fuente: arXiv
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Main Authors: Zhang, Hanyi, Deng, Kaizhong, Hu, Zhaoyang Jacopo, Huang, Baoru, Elson, Daniel S.
Format: Preprint
Published: 2025
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author Zhang, Hanyi
Deng, Kaizhong
Hu, Zhaoyang Jacopo
Huang, Baoru
Elson, Daniel S.
author_facet Zhang, Hanyi
Deng, Kaizhong
Hu, Zhaoyang Jacopo
Huang, Baoru
Elson, Daniel S.
contents Radioguided surgery, such as sentinel lymph node biopsy, relies on the precise localization of radioactive targets by non-imaging gamma/beta detectors. Manual radioactive target detection based on visual display or audible indication of gamma level is highly dependent on the ability of the surgeon to track and interpret the spatial information. This paper presents a learning-based method to realize the autonomous radiotracer detection in robot-assisted surgeries by navigating the probe to the radioactive target. We proposed novel hybrid approach that combines deep reinforcement learning (DRL) with adaptive robotic scanning. The adaptive grid-based scanning could provide initial direction estimation while the DRL-based agent could efficiently navigate to the target utilising historical data. Simulation experiments demonstrate a 95% success rate, and improved efficiency and robustness compared to conventional techniques. Real-world evaluation on the da Vinci Research Kit (dVRK) further confirms the feasibility of the approach, achieving an 80% success rate in radiotracer detection. This method has the potential to enhance consistency, reduce operator dependency, and improve procedural accuracy in radioguided surgeries.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2503_08492
institution arXiv
publishDate 2025
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Hybrid Deep Reinforcement Learning for Radio Tracer Localisation in Robotic-assisted Radioguided Surgery
Zhang, Hanyi
Deng, Kaizhong
Hu, Zhaoyang Jacopo
Huang, Baoru
Elson, Daniel S.
Robotics
Radioguided surgery, such as sentinel lymph node biopsy, relies on the precise localization of radioactive targets by non-imaging gamma/beta detectors. Manual radioactive target detection based on visual display or audible indication of gamma level is highly dependent on the ability of the surgeon to track and interpret the spatial information. This paper presents a learning-based method to realize the autonomous radiotracer detection in robot-assisted surgeries by navigating the probe to the radioactive target. We proposed novel hybrid approach that combines deep reinforcement learning (DRL) with adaptive robotic scanning. The adaptive grid-based scanning could provide initial direction estimation while the DRL-based agent could efficiently navigate to the target utilising historical data. Simulation experiments demonstrate a 95% success rate, and improved efficiency and robustness compared to conventional techniques. Real-world evaluation on the da Vinci Research Kit (dVRK) further confirms the feasibility of the approach, achieving an 80% success rate in radiotracer detection. This method has the potential to enhance consistency, reduce operator dependency, and improve procedural accuracy in radioguided surgeries.
title Hybrid Deep Reinforcement Learning for Radio Tracer Localisation in Robotic-assisted Radioguided Surgery
topic Robotics
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2503.08492