Needle insertions modeling: Identifiability and limitations

Soft tissues modeling is a very present preoccupation in different scientific fields, from computer simulation to biomechanics or medical robotics. In this article, we consider the interaction of a needle with living tissues, which is a particularly complex modeling problem since it is characterized by inhomogeneity and nonlinearity properties. We propose a robust method to online estimate forces involved in typical percutaneous interventions. The ability to obtain physically consistent models during in vivo insertions is also discussed.