# Image-registered, Hand-held, Concentric Tube Robot for Percutaneous Treatment of Calculi

> **NIH NIH R01** · BRIGHAM AND WOMEN'S HOSPITAL · 2020 · $359,849

## Abstract

ABSTRACT
 Percutaneous Nephrolithotomy (PCNL) suffers from lack of sufficient dexterity of the nephroscope to
access stag horn and complex stones through a single insertion port, therefore necessitating multiple
procedures or creation of several access tracts to treat the entire stone. Multiple procedures or access tracts
can increase parenchyma damage, blood loss, complication rates and healthcare costs. Therefore, there is a
need for improving the current method of performing PCNL by enhancing access of the nephroscope to large
and complex stones in the pelvicalyceal anatomy through an optimal port. Our long-term goal is to develop a
robotic endoscope that can access the entire stone through a single insertion port with accurate guidance to
minimize complications. The objective of this grant is to improve access to the stone by designing and
developing an image-registered hand-held concentric tube robot (CTR) instrumented with a position sensor,
mini fiberscope and laser ablation fiber. In order to minimize the number of tracts created, we will also develop
an optimization algorithm for calculating the “optimal” puncture location and desired trajectory for the CTR. The
rationale that underlies the proposed research is that the CTR inserted along a desired trajectory through an
optimal port will enable the urologist to safely obtain access to the entire stone through a single tract, thereby
ensuring complete stone removal while minimizing damage to the kidney parenchyma. In addition, the
navigation system will aid in visualizing and targeting the stones in 3 dimensions, thereby providing enhanced
depth perception compared to the standard 2D projection fluoroscopy. We plan to achieve the objective by
pursuing the following specific aims: 1) Develop a hand-held CTR device instrumented with a position sensor
to cover the entire calyx and deliver the laser fiber. We will also develop an algorithm to evaluate the optimal
puncture location to enable access to the entire stone while maximizing the dexterity of the CTR. 2) Develop
surgical navigation software that fuses the diagnostic CT and intraoperative tracked ultrasound images to
visualize the CTR and neighboring anatomy in real-time. 3) Validate the CTR device and navigation system in
ex-vivo kidney tissue and porcine models. The proposed research is significant since it will enable a higher
stone-free rate while reducing the complication rate associated with the PCNL procedure. The proposed
research is innovative in that it builds on state-of-the-art CTR technology, motion planning and navigation
algorithms, and mixed-reality visualization modalities to enable urologists to accurately and safely target kidney
calculi during PCNL.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9838749
- **Project number:** 5R01DK119269-02
- **Recipient organization:** BRIGHAM AND WOMEN'S HOSPITAL
- **Principal Investigator:** Jayender Jagadeesan
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $359,849
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2019-01-01 → 2023-12-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9838749

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9838749, Image-registered, Hand-held, Concentric Tube Robot for Percutaneous Treatment of Calculi (5R01DK119269-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9838749. Licensed CC0.

---

*[NIH grants dataset](/datasets/nih-grants) · CC0 1.0*