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Bernth JE, Zhang G, Malas D, Abrahams G, Hayee B, Liu H. MorphGI: A Self-Propelling Soft Robotic Endoscope Through Morphing Shape. Soft Robot 2024. [PMID: 38484296 DOI: 10.1089/soro.2023.0096] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Colonoscopy is currently the best method for detecting bowel cancer, but fundamental design and construction have not changed significantly in decades. Conventional colonoscope (CC) is difficult to maneuver and can lead to pain with a risk of damaging the bowel due to its rigidity. We present the MorphGI, a robotic endoscope system that is self-propelling and made of soft material, thus easy to operate and inherently safe to patient. After verifying kinematic control of the distal bending segment, the system was evaluated in: a benchtop colon simulator, using multiple colon configurations; a colon simulator with force sensors; and surgically removed pig colon tissue. In the colon simulator, the MorphGI completed a colonoscopy in an average of 10.84 min. The MorphGI showed an average of 77% and 62% reduction in peak forces compared to a CC in high- and low-stiffness modes, respectively. Self-propulsion was demonstrated in the excised tissue test but not in the live pig test, due to anatomical differences between pig and human colons. This work demonstrates the core features of MorphGI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julius E Bernth
- Department of Surgical and Interventional Engineering, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Guokai Zhang
- Department of Surgical and Interventional Engineering, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Dionysios Malas
- Department of Surgical and Interventional Engineering, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - George Abrahams
- Department of Surgical and Interventional Engineering, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Bu Hayee
- King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, London, United Kingdom
| | - Hongbin Liu
- Department of Surgical and Interventional Engineering, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
- Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Beijing, China
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2
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Zhang Y, Wang T, He W, Zhu S. Human-Powered Master Controllers for Reconfigurable Fluidic Soft Robots. Soft Robot 2023; 10:1126-1136. [PMID: 37196160 DOI: 10.1089/soro.2022.0077] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Fluidic soft robots have the advantages of inherent compliance and adaptability, but they are significantly restricted by complex control systems and bulky power devices, including fluidic valves, fluidic pumps, electrical motors, as well as batteries, which make it challenging to operate in narrow space, energy shortage, or electromagnetic sensitive situations. To overcome the shortcomings, we develop portable human-powered master controllers to provide an alternative solution for the master-slave control of the fluidic soft robots. Each controller can supply multiple fluidic pressures to the multiple chambers of the soft robots simultaneously. We use modular fluidic soft actuators to reconfigure soft robots with various functions as control objects. Experimental results show that flexible manipulation and bionic locomotion can be simply realized using the human-powered master controllers. The developed controllers which eliminate energy storage and electronic components can provide a promising candidate of soft robot control in surgical, industrial, and entertainment applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yunce Zhang
- Ocean College, Zhejiang University, Zhoushan, China
- Robotics Institute of Zhejiang University, Ningbo, China
| | - Tao Wang
- Ocean College, Zhejiang University, Zhoushan, China
- Robotics Institute of Zhejiang University, Ningbo, China
- State Key Laboratory of Fluid Power and Mechatronic Systems, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
- Engineering Research Center of Oceanic Sensing Technology and Equipment, Ministry of Education, Zhoushan, China
| | - Weidong He
- Ocean College, Zhejiang University, Zhoushan, China
| | - Shiqiang Zhu
- Ocean College, Zhejiang University, Zhoushan, China
- Zhejiang Lab, Hangzhou, China
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3
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Decroly G, Hassen RB, Achten WMJ, Grimaldi D, Gaspard N, Deviere J, Delchambre A, Nonclercq A. Strong Sustainability of Medical Technologies: A Medical Taboo? The Case of Disposable Endoscopes. ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE OF THE IEEE ENGINEERING IN MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY SOCIETY. IEEE ENGINEERING IN MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY SOCIETY. ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE 2023; 2023:1-7. [PMID: 38083580 DOI: 10.1109/embc40787.2023.10341135] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2023]
Abstract
This paper aims to question the sustainability of biomedical engineering practices. The strong sustainability framework is applied to the evaluation and development of medical technologies through the definition of clinical sustainability. A roadmap for developing and evaluating medical technologies in this respect is derived from this framework, as a first step toward a multidisciplinary evaluation tool. On this basis, the current trend towards disposable endoscopes is analyzed and discussed. This highlights the subtle balance between economic, clinical, social, and environmental factors, the lack of evidence at these multiple levels, and the need for multidisciplinarity. This paper concludes with the need to assess all aspects of sustainability and identify and quantify the trade-offs, instead of focusing on one or two key indicators, to have more relevant information in order to make better and more effective decisions. Towards sustainable healthcare, we outline two paths of action: (1) providing evidence that is lacking on the environmental impact of existing or currently developed medical technologies and (2) clarifying the premises and visions underlying our practices.Clinical Relevance- This work provides insights regarding the strong sustainability of medical technologies. This clinical framework may help clinicians and developers in decision-making to reduce indirect negative ecological, social, and health impacts.
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Li L, Mazomenos E, Chandler JH, Obstein KL, Valdastri P, Stoyanov D, Vasconcelos F. Robust endoscopic image mosaicking via fusion of multimodal estimation. Med Image Anal 2023; 84:102709. [PMID: 36549045 PMCID: PMC10636739 DOI: 10.1016/j.media.2022.102709] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2021] [Revised: 08/15/2022] [Accepted: 11/29/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
We propose an endoscopic image mosaicking algorithm that is robust to light conditioning changes, specular reflections, and feature-less scenes. These conditions are especially common in minimally invasive surgery where the light source moves with the camera to dynamically illuminate close range scenes. This makes it difficult for a single image registration method to robustly track camera motion and then generate consistent mosaics of the expanded surgical scene across different and heterogeneous environments. Instead of relying on one specialised feature extractor or image registration method, we propose to fuse different image registration algorithms according to their uncertainties, formulating the problem as affine pose graph optimisation. This allows to combine landmarks, dense intensity registration, and learning-based approaches in a single framework. To demonstrate our application we consider deep learning-based optical flow, hand-crafted features, and intensity-based registration, however, the framework is general and could take as input other sources of motion estimation, including other sensor modalities. We validate the performance of our approach on three datasets with very different characteristics to highlighting its generalisability, demonstrating the advantages of our proposed fusion framework. While each individual registration algorithm eventually fails drastically on certain surgical scenes, the fusion approach flexibly determines which algorithms to use and in which proportion to more robustly obtain consistent mosaics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liang Li
- Wellcome/EPSRC Centre for Interventional and Surgical Sciences(WEISS) and Department of Computer Science, University College London, London, UK; College of Control Science and Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310027, China.
| | - Evangelos Mazomenos
- Wellcome/EPSRC Centre for Interventional and Surgical Sciences(WEISS) and Department of Computer Science, University College London, London, UK.
| | - James H Chandler
- Storm Lab UK, School of Electronic, and Electrical Engineering, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK.
| | - Keith L Obstein
- Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, USA; STORM Lab, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37235, USA.
| | - Pietro Valdastri
- Storm Lab UK, School of Electronic, and Electrical Engineering, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK.
| | - Danail Stoyanov
- Wellcome/EPSRC Centre for Interventional and Surgical Sciences(WEISS) and Department of Computer Science, University College London, London, UK.
| | - Francisco Vasconcelos
- Wellcome/EPSRC Centre for Interventional and Surgical Sciences(WEISS) and Department of Computer Science, University College London, London, UK.
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5
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Ryu HT, Oh SM, Tae K, Yi BJ. DNA-Helix Inspired Wire Routing in Cylindrical Structures and Its Application to Flexible Surgical Devices. Soft Robot 2022; 9:337-353. [PMID: 34107752 PMCID: PMC9057904 DOI: 10.1089/soro.2020.0145] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
In general wire-driven continuum robot mechanisms, the wires are used to control the motion of the devices attached at the distal end. The slack and taut wire is one of the challenging issues to solve in flexible mechanism. This phenomenon becomes worse when the continuum robot is inserted into the natural orifices of the human body, which inherently have uncertain curvilinear geometries consisting of multiple curvatures. Inspired by the unique characteristic of DNA-helix structure that the length of the helix remains almost constant regardless of the deflection of the DNA structure, this article proposes a new idea to design useful flexible mechanism to resolve slack of wires. Using modern Lie-group screw theory, the analytic model for length of helix wire wrapped around a single flexible backbone is proposed and then extended to a general model with multiple flexible backbones and different curvatures. Taking advantage of this helix type wire mechanism, we designed and implemented a flexible surgical device suitable for laryngopharyngeal surgery. The effectiveness of the proposed flexible mechanism is demonstrated through both simulation and phantom experiment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hwan-Taek Ryu
- Department of Intelligent Robotic Engineering, Hanyang University, Ansan, Republic of Korea
| | - Se-Min Oh
- Department of Dual System Hub Organization, Korea Polytechnic University, Siheung, Republic of Korea
| | - Kyung Tae
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Hanyang University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Byung-Ju Yi
- School of Electrical Engineering, Hanyang University, Ansan, Republic of Korea
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6
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Decroly G, Lambert P, Delchambre A. A Soft Pneumatic Two-Degree-of-Freedom Actuator for Endoscopy. Front Robot AI 2021; 8:768236. [PMID: 34869616 PMCID: PMC8636041 DOI: 10.3389/frobt.2021.768236] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2021] [Accepted: 10/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The rise of soft robotics opens new opportunities in endoscopy and minimally invasive surgery. Pneumatic catheters offer a promising alternative to conventional steerable catheters for safe navigation through the natural pathways without tissue injury. In this work, we present an optimized 6 mm diameter two-degree-of-freedom pneumatic actuator, able to bend in every direction and incorporating a 1 mm working channel. A versatile vacuum centrifugal overmolding method capable of producing small geometries with a variety of silicones is described, and meter-long actuators are extruded industrially. An improved method for fiber reinforcement is also presented. The actuator achieves bending more than 180° and curvatures of up to 0.1 mm−1. The exerted force remains below 100 mN, and with no rigid parts in the design, it limits the risks of damage on surrounding tissues. The response time of the actuator is below 300 ms and therefore not limited for medical applications. The working space and multi-channel actuation are also experimentally characterized. The focus is on the study of the influence of material stiffness on mechanical performances. As a rule, the softer the material, the better the energy conversion, and the stiffer the material, the larger the force developed at a given curvature. Based on the actuator, a 90 cm long steerable catheter demonstrator carrying an optical fiber is developed, and its potential for endoscopy is demonstrated in a bronchial tree phantom. In conclusion, this work contributes to the development of a toolbox of soft robotic solutions for MIS and endoscopic applications, by validating and characterizing a promising design, describing versatile and scalable fabrication methods, allowing for a better understanding of the influence of material stiffness on the actuator capabilities, and demonstrating the usability of the solution in a potential use-case.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gilles Decroly
- TIPs Dpt CP 165/67, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium.,BEAMS Dpt CP 165/56, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Pierre Lambert
- TIPs Dpt CP 165/67, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Alain Delchambre
- TIPs Dpt CP 165/67, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium
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7
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Ma G, Zuo S, Liu J. Design of Low-Cost Endoscope Based on Novel Wire-Driven Rotary Valve and Water-Jet Mechanism. J Med Device 2021. [DOI: 10.1115/1.4052304] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
To improve the prevalence of screening for gastric cancer in low-income areas, a low-cost endoscope based on a novel wire-driven rotary valve and water-jet mechanism is proposed. The primary component of this endoscope is a rotary valve whose core is driven by a stepper motor through a flexible wire, which controls the direction of the water jet. This enables it to reach any point in the workspace by controlling the valve core angle and water-jet intensity. The envelope surface of the endoscope tip trajectory is likely a hemisphere. The horizontal diameter of the working space projection is approximately 350 mm, which is sufficient to observe most parts of the greater curvature of the stomach. The image-acquisition performance of the designed endoscope was satisfactory in a phantom experiment. The introduction of the novel rotary valve greatly simplifies the structure and reduces the cost of the proposed endoscope. With low cost and high portability, this endoscope provides a good alternative for early gastric cancer screening in low- and middle-income areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guoyu Ma
- Key Laboratory of Mechanism Theory and Equipment Design, Ministry of Education, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
| | - Siyang Zuo
- Key Laboratory of Mechanism Theory and Equipment Design, Ministry of Education, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
| | - Jianbin Liu
- Key Laboratory of Mechanism Theory and Equipment Design, Ministry of Education, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
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8
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Chauhan M, Chandler JH, Jha A, Subramaniam V, Obstein KL, Valdastri P. An Origami-Based Soft Robotic Actuator for Upper Gastrointestinal Endoscopic Applications. Front Robot AI 2021; 8:664720. [PMID: 34041275 PMCID: PMC8141740 DOI: 10.3389/frobt.2021.664720] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2021] [Accepted: 04/13/2021] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Soft pneumatic actuators have been explored for endoscopic applications, but challenges in fabricating complex geometry with desirable dimensions and compliance remain. The addition of an endoscopic camera or tool channel is generally not possible without significant change in the diameter of the actuator. Radial expansion and ballooning of actuator walls during bending is undesirable for endoscopic applications. The inclusion of strain limiting methods like, wound fibre, mesh, or multi-material molding have been explored, but the integration of these design approaches with endoscopic requirements drastically increases fabrication complexity, precluding reliable translation into functional endoscopes. For the first time in soft robotics, we present a multi-channel, single material elastomeric actuator with a fully corrugated design (inspired by origami); offering specific functionality for endoscopic applications. The features introduced in this design include i) fabrication of multi-channel monolithic structure of 8.5 mm diameter, ii) incorporation of the benefits of corrugated design in a single material (i.e., limited radial expansion and improved bending efficiency), iii) design scalability (length and diameter), and iv) incorporation of a central hollow channel for the inclusion of an endoscopic camera. Two variants of the actuator are fabricated which have different corrugated or origami length, i.e., 30 mm and 40 mm respectively). Each of the three actuator channels is evaluated under varying volumetric (0.5 mls-1 and 1.5 mls-1 feed rate) and pressurized control to achieve a similar bending profile with the maximum bending angle of 150°. With the intended use for single use upper gastrointestinal endoscopic application, it is desirable to have linear relationships between actuation and angular position in soft pneumatic actuators with high bending response at low pressures; this is where the origami actuator offers contribution. The soft pneumatic actuator has been demonstrated to achieve a maximum bending angle of 200° when integrated with manually driven endoscope. The simple 3-step fabrication technique produces a complex origami pattern in a soft robotic structure, which promotes low pressure bending through the opening of the corrugation while retaining a small diameter and a central lumen, required for successful endoscope integration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manish Chauhan
- Science and Technology of Robots in Medicine (STORM) Laboratory, School of Electronics and Electrical Engineering, University of Leeds, Leeds, United Kingdom
| | - James H. Chandler
- Science and Technology of Robots in Medicine (STORM) Laboratory, School of Electronics and Electrical Engineering, University of Leeds, Leeds, United Kingdom
| | - Animesh Jha
- School of Chemical and Process Engineering, University of Leeds, Leeds, United Kingdom
| | | | - Keith L. Obstein
- Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, United States
| | - Pietro Valdastri
- Science and Technology of Robots in Medicine (STORM) Laboratory, School of Electronics and Electrical Engineering, University of Leeds, Leeds, United Kingdom
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9
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Mitros Z, Thamo B, Bergeles C, da Cruz L, Dhaliwal K, Khadem M. Design and Modelling of a Continuum Robot for Distal Lung Sampling in Mechanically Ventilated Patients in Critical Care. Front Robot AI 2021; 8:611866. [PMID: 34012980 PMCID: PMC8126695 DOI: 10.3389/frobt.2021.611866] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2020] [Accepted: 03/24/2021] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
In this paper, we design and develop a novel robotic bronchoscope for sampling of the distal lung in mechanically-ventilated (MV) patients in critical care units. Despite the high cost and attributable morbidity and mortality of MV patients with pneumonia which approaches 40%, sampling of the distal lung in MV patients suffering from range of lung diseases such as Covid-19 is not standardised, lacks reproducibility and requires expert operators. We propose a robotic bronchoscope that enables repeatable sampling and guidance to distal lung pathologies by overcoming significant challenges that are encountered whilst performing bronchoscopy in MV patients, namely, limited dexterity, large size of the bronchoscope obstructing ventilation, and poor anatomical registration. We have developed a robotic bronchoscope with 7 Degrees of Freedom (DoFs), an outer diameter of 4.5 mm and inner working channel of 2 mm. The prototype is a push/pull actuated continuum robot capable of dexterous manipulation inside the lung and visualisation/sampling of the distal airways. A prototype of the robot is engineered and a mechanics-based model of the robotic bronchoscope is developed. Furthermore, we develop a novel numerical solver that improves the computational efficiency of the model and facilitates the deployment of the robot. Experiments are performed to verify the design and evaluate accuracy and computational cost of the model. Results demonstrate that the model can predict the shape of the robot in <0.011s with a mean error of 1.76 cm, enabling the future deployment of a robotic bronchoscope in MV patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zisos Mitros
- Robotics and Vision in Medicine (RViM) Lab, School of Biomedical Engineering & Imaging Sciences, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
- Wellcome/EPSRC Centre for Interventional and Surgical Sciences, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Balint Thamo
- School of Informatics, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Christos Bergeles
- Robotics and Vision in Medicine (RViM) Lab, School of Biomedical Engineering & Imaging Sciences, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Lyndon da Cruz
- Wellcome/EPSRC Centre for Interventional and Surgical Sciences, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Kevin Dhaliwal
- Translational Healthcare Technologies Group in the Centre for Inflammation Research, Queen's Medical Research Institute, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Mohsen Khadem
- School of Informatics, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
- Translational Healthcare Technologies Group in the Centre for Inflammation Research, Queen's Medical Research Institute, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
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10
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Onaizah O, Koszowska Z, Winters C, Subramanian V, Jayne D, Arezzo A, Obstein KL, Valdastri P. Guidelines for Robotic Flexible Endoscopy at the Time of COVID-19. Front Robot AI 2021; 8:612852. [PMID: 33718439 PMCID: PMC7947201 DOI: 10.3389/frobt.2021.612852] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2020] [Accepted: 01/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Flexible endoscopy involves the insertion of a long narrow flexible tube into the body for diagnostic and therapeutic procedures. In the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, flexible endoscopy plays a major role in cancer screening, surveillance, and treatment programs. As a result of gas insufflation during the procedure, both upper and lower GI endoscopy procedures have been classified as aerosol generating by the guidelines issued by the respective societies during the COVID-19 pandemic-although no quantifiable data on aerosol generation currently exists. Due to the risk of COVID-19 transmission to healthcare workers, most societies halted non-emergency and diagnostic procedures during the lockdown. The long-term implications of stoppage in cancer diagnoses and treatment is predicted to lead to a large increase in preventable deaths. Robotics may play a major role in this field by allowing healthcare operators to control the flexible endoscope from a safe distance and pave a path for protecting healthcare workers through minimizing the risk of virus transmission without reducing diagnostic and therapeutic capacities. This review focuses on the needs and challenges associated with the design of robotic flexible endoscopes for use during a pandemic. The authors propose that a few minor changes to existing platforms or considerations for platforms in development could lead to significant benefits for use during infection control scenarios.
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Affiliation(s)
- Onaizah Onaizah
- School of Electronic and Electrical Engineering, University of Leeds, Leeds, United Kingdom
| | - Zaneta Koszowska
- School of Electronic and Electrical Engineering, University of Leeds, Leeds, United Kingdom
| | - Conchubhair Winters
- Leeds Institute of Medical Research, University of Leeds, Leeds, United Kingdom
| | | | - David Jayne
- Leeds Institute of Medical Research, University of Leeds, Leeds, United Kingdom
| | - Alberto Arezzo
- Department of Surgical Sciences, University of Torino, Torino, Italy
| | - Keith L. Obstein
- Department of Gastroenterology, Hepatology, Nutrition, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, United States
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, United States
| | - Pietro Valdastri
- School of Electronic and Electrical Engineering, University of Leeds, Leeds, United Kingdom
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11
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Kang S, Lee DY. Hydraulically Steerable Micro Guidewire Capable of Distal Sharp Steering. IEEE Trans Biomed Eng 2021; 68:728-735. [DOI: 10.1109/tbme.2020.3013267] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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12
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Liu J, Yin L, Chandler JH, Chen X, Valdastri P, Zuo S. A dual‐bending endoscope with shape‐lockable hydraulic actuation and water‐jet propulsion for gastrointestinal tract screening. Int J Med Robot 2020; 17:1-13. [DOI: 10.1002/rcs.2197] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2020] [Revised: 10/26/2020] [Accepted: 10/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jianbin Liu
- Key Laboratory of Mechanism Theory and Equipment Design Ministry of Education Tianjin University Tianjin China
| | - Linkun Yin
- Key Laboratory of Mechanism Theory and Equipment Design Ministry of Education Tianjin University Tianjin China
| | - James H. Chandler
- Institute of Robotics, Autonomous Systems and Sensing School of Electronic and Electrical Engineering University of Leeds Leeds UK
| | - Xin Chen
- Tianjin Medical University General Hospital Tianjin China
| | - Pietro Valdastri
- Institute of Robotics, Autonomous Systems and Sensing School of Electronic and Electrical Engineering University of Leeds Leeds UK
| | - Siyang Zuo
- Key Laboratory of Mechanism Theory and Equipment Design Ministry of Education Tianjin University Tianjin China
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13
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Chandler JH, Chauhan M, Garbin N, Obstein KL, Valdastri P. Parallel Helix Actuators for Soft Robotic Applications. Front Robot AI 2020; 7:119. [PMID: 33501285 PMCID: PMC7805886 DOI: 10.3389/frobt.2020.00119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2020] [Accepted: 07/29/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Fabrication of soft pneumatic bending actuators typically involves multiple steps to accommodate the formation of complex internal geometry and the alignment and bonding between soft and inextensible materials. The complexity of these processes intensifies when applied to multi-chamber and small-scale (~10 mm diameter) designs, resulting in poor repeatability. Designs regularly rely on combining multiple prefabricated single chamber actuators or are limited to simple (fixed cross-section) internal chamber geometry, which can result in excessive ballooning and reduced bending efficiency, compelling the addition of constraining materials. In this work, we address existing limitations by presenting a single material molding technique that uses parallel cores with helical features. We demonstrate that through specific orientation and alignment of these internal structures, small diameter actuators may be fabricated with complex internal geometry in a single material-without- additional design-critical steps. The helix design produces wall profiles that restrict radial expansion while allowing compact designs through chamber interlocking, and simplified demolding. We present and evaluate three-chambered designs with varied helical features, demonstrating appreciable bending angles (>180°), three-dimensional workspace coverage, and three-times bodyweight carrying capability. Through application and validation of the constant curvature assumption, forward kinematic models are presented for the actuator and calibrated to account for chamber-specific bending characteristics, resulting in a mean model tip error of 4.1 mm. This simple and inexpensive fabrication technique has potential to be scaled in size and chamber numbers, allowing for application-specific designs for soft, high-mobility actuators especially for surgical, or locomotion applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- James H. Chandler
- Science and Technology of Robotics in Medicine (STORM) Laboratory, School of Electronics and Electrical Engineering, University of Leeds, Leeds, United Kingdom
| | - Manish Chauhan
- Science and Technology of Robotics in Medicine (STORM) Laboratory, School of Electronics and Electrical Engineering, University of Leeds, Leeds, United Kingdom
| | - Nicolo Garbin
- Science and Technology of Robotics in Medicine (STORM) Laboratory, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, United States
| | - Keith L. Obstein
- Science and Technology of Robotics in Medicine (STORM) Laboratory, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, United States
- Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, United States
| | - Pietro Valdastri
- Science and Technology of Robotics in Medicine (STORM) Laboratory, School of Electronics and Electrical Engineering, University of Leeds, Leeds, United Kingdom
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14
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da Veiga T, Chandler JH, Lloyd P, Pittiglio G, Wilkinson NJ, Hoshiar AK, Harris RA, Valdastri P. Challenges of continuum robots in clinical context: a review. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2020. [DOI: 10.1088/2516-1091/ab9f41] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
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15
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Chen Y, Wang L, Galloway K, Godage I, Simaan N, Barth E. Modal-Based Kinematics and Contact Detection of Soft Robots. Soft Robot 2020; 8:298-309. [PMID: 32668189 DOI: 10.1089/soro.2019.0095] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Soft robots offer an alternative approach to manipulate within a constrained space while maintaining a safe interaction with the external environment. Owing to its adaptable compliance characteristic, external contact force can easily deform the robot shapes and lead to undesired robot kinematic and dynamic properties. Accurate contact detection and contact location estimation are of critical importance for soft robot modeling, control, trajectory planning, and eventually affect the success of task completion. In this article, we focus on the investigation of a one degree of freedom (1-DoF) soft pneumatic bending robot, which is regarded as one of the fundamental components to construct complex, multi-DoFs soft robots. This 1-DoF soft robot is modeled through the integral representation of the spatial curve, where direct and instantaneous kinematics are calculated explicitly through a modal method. The fixed centrode deviation method is used to detect the external contact and estimate the contact location. Simulation results and experimental studies indicate that the contact location can be accurately estimated by solving a nonlinear least-square optimization problem. Experimental validation shows that the proposed algorithm is able to successfully estimate the contact location with the estimation error of 1.46 mm.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yue Chen
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, Arkansas, USA
| | - Long Wang
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Columbia University, New York, USA
| | - Kevin Galloway
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Isuru Godage
- School of Computing, College of Computing and Digital Media, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Nabil Simaan
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Eric Barth
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
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Mirbagheri M, Hakimi N, Ebrahimzadeh E, Pourrezaei K, Setarehdan SK. Enhancement of optical penetration depth of LED-based NIRS systems by comparing different beam profiles. Biomed Phys Eng Express 2019. [DOI: 10.1088/2057-1976/ab42d9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
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17
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Rosa B, Bordoux V, Nageotte F. Combining Differential Kinematics and Optical Flow for Automatic Labeling of Continuum Robots in Minimally Invasive Surgery. Front Robot AI 2019; 6:86. [PMID: 33501101 PMCID: PMC7805658 DOI: 10.3389/frobt.2019.00086] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2019] [Accepted: 08/26/2019] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The segmentation of continuum robots in medical images can be of interest for analyzing surgical procedures or for controlling them. However, the automatic segmentation of continuous and flexible shapes is not an easy task. On one hand conventional approaches are not adapted to the specificities of these instruments, such as imprecise kinematic models, and on the other hand techniques based on deep-learning showed interesting capabilities but need many manually labeled images. In this article we propose a novel approach for segmenting continuum robots on endoscopic images, which requires no prior on the instrument visual appearance and no manual annotation of images. The method relies on the use of the combination of kinematic models and differential kinematic models of the robot and the analysis of optical flow in the images. A cost function aggregating information from the acquired image, from optical flow and from robot encoders is optimized using particle swarm optimization and provides estimated parameters of the pose of the continuum instrument and a mask defining the instrument in the image. In addition a temporal consistency is assessed in order to improve stochastic optimization and reject outliers. The proposed approach has been tested for the robotic instruments of a flexible endoscopy platform both for benchtop acquisitions and an in vivo video. The results show the ability of the technique to correctly segment the instruments without a prior, and in challenging conditions. The obtained segmentation can be used for several applications, for instance for providing automatic labels for machine learning techniques.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benoît Rosa
- ICube, CNRS, University of Strasbourg, INSA, Strasbourg, France
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