A Novel Sample-Efficient Deep Reinforcement Learning with Episodic Policy Transfer for PID-Based Control in Robotic Catheter System

Robotic catheterization is typically used for percutaneous coronary intervention procedures nowadays and it involves steering flexible endovascular tools to open up occlusion in the coronaries. In this study, a sample-efficient deep reinforcement learning with episodic policy transfer is, for the first time, used for motion control during robotic catheterization with a fully adaptive PID tuning strategy. The reinforcement model aids the agent to continuously learn from its interactions in its environment and adaptively tune PID control gains for axial navigation of endovascular tools. The model was validated for axial motion control of a robotic system designed for intravascular catheterization. Simulation and experimental trials were done to validate the application of the model, and results obtained shows it could self-tune PID gains appropriately for motion control of a robotic catheter system. Performance comparison with conventional methods in an average of 10 trials shows the agent tunes the gain better with an error of 0.003 mm. Thus, the proposed model would offer more stable set-point motion control robotic catheterization.