A computer-controlled pump and realistic, anthropomorphic respiratory phantom for validating image-guided systems

The development of image-guided interventions requires validation studies to evaluate new protocols. So far, these validation studies have been limited to animal models and to software and physical phantoms that simulate respiratory motion but cannot accommodate needle punctures in a realistic manner. We have built a computer-controlled pump that drives an anthropomorphic respiratory phantom for simulating natural breathing patterns. This pump consists of a power supply, a motion controller with servo amplifier, linear actuator, and custom fabricated pump assembly. By generating several sample waveforms, we were able to simulate typical breathing patterns. Using this pump, we were able to produce chest wall movements similar to typical chest wall movements observed in humans. This system has potential applications for evaluating new respiratory compensation algorithms and may facilitate improved testing of image-guided protocols under realistic interventional conditions.