# A Master-Follower Teleoperation System for Robotic Catheterization: Design, Characterization, and Tracking Control

arXiv: https://arxiv.org/abs/2407.13162 · HTML: https://mlsanity.com/paper/2407.13162/

## Key facts

- No citing papers in the map yet (data through 14 Oct 2026).
- Builds on 2 of its 48 references that are in the map.
- First posted on arXiv 18 Jul 2024.

## Builds on (most cited first, 2 of 2)

- [Medical Technologies and Challenges of Robot Assisted Minimally Invasive Intervention and Diagnostics](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1807.03731/) (2018)
- [A Three-limb Teleoperated Robotic System with Foot Control for Flexible Endoscopic Surgery](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2007.05927/) (2020)

## Abstract (arXiv)

Minimally invasive robotic surgery has gained significant attention over the past two decades. Telerobotic systems, combined with robot-mediated minimally invasive techniques, have enabled surgeons and clinicians to mitigate radiation exposure for medical staff and extend medical services to remote and hard-to-reach areas. To enhance these services, teleoperated robotic surgery systems incorporating master and follower devices should offer transparency, enabling surgeons and clinicians to remotely experience a force interaction similar to the one the follower device experiences with patients' bodies. This paper presents the design and development of a three-degree-of-freedom master-follower teleoperated system for robotic catheterization. To resemble manual intervention by clinicians, the follower device features a grip-insert-release mechanism to eliminate catheter buckling and torsion during operation. The bidirectionally navigable ablation catheter is statically characterized for force-interactive medical interventions. The system's performance is evaluated through approaching and open-loop path tracking over typical circular, infinity-like, and spiral paths. Path tracking errors are presented as mean Euclidean error (MEE) and mean absolute error (MAE). The MEE ranges from 0.64 cm (infinity-like path) to 1.53 cm (spiral path). The MAE also ranges from 0.81 cm (infinity-like path) to 1.92 cm (spiral path). The results indicate that while the system's precision and accuracy with an open-loop controller meet the design targets, closed-loop controllers are necessary to address the catheter's hysteresis and dead zone, and system nonlinearities.