TY - JOUR

T1 - Design of a low-cost tactile robotic sleeve for autonomous endoscopes and catheters

AU - Boyraz, Pinar

AU - Tappe, Svenja

AU - Ortmaier, Tobias

AU - Raatz, Annika

N1 - Funding information: The author(s) disclosed receipt of the following financial support for the research, authorship and/or publication of this article: This work has been supported by the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation Experienced Researcher Fellowship program, hosting Dr Boyraz at Leibniz University of Hannover during February 2016 to July 2017.

PY - 2020/3

Y1 - 2020/3

N2 - Recent developments in medical robotics have been significant, supporting the minimally invasive operation requirements, such as smaller devices and more feedback available to surgeons. Nevertheless, the tactile feedback from a catheter or endoscopic type robotic device has been restricted mostly on the tip of the device and was not aimed to support the autonomous movement of the medical device during operation. In this work, we design a robotic sheath/sleeve with a novel and more comprehensive approach, which can function for whole body or segment-based feedback control as well as diagnostic purposes. The robotic sleeve has several types of piezo-resistive pressure and extension sensors, which are embedded at several latitudes and depths of the silicone substrate. The sleeve takes the human skin as a biological model for its structure. It has a better tactile sensation of the inner tissues in the torturous narrow channels such as cardiovascular or endoluminal tracts in human body and thus can be used to diagnose abnormalities. In addition to this capability, using the stretch sensors distributed alongside its body, the robotic sheath/sleeve can perceive the ego-motion of the robotic backbone of the catheter and can act as a position feedback device. Because of the silicone substrate, the sleeve contributes toward safety of the medical device passively by providing a compliant interface. As an active safety measure, the robotic sheath can sense blood clots or sudden turns inside a channel and by modifying the local trajectory and can prevent embolisms or tissue rupture. In the future, advanced manufacturing techniques will increase the capabilities of the tactile robotic sleeve.

AB - Recent developments in medical robotics have been significant, supporting the minimally invasive operation requirements, such as smaller devices and more feedback available to surgeons. Nevertheless, the tactile feedback from a catheter or endoscopic type robotic device has been restricted mostly on the tip of the device and was not aimed to support the autonomous movement of the medical device during operation. In this work, we design a robotic sheath/sleeve with a novel and more comprehensive approach, which can function for whole body or segment-based feedback control as well as diagnostic purposes. The robotic sleeve has several types of piezo-resistive pressure and extension sensors, which are embedded at several latitudes and depths of the silicone substrate. The sleeve takes the human skin as a biological model for its structure. It has a better tactile sensation of the inner tissues in the torturous narrow channels such as cardiovascular or endoluminal tracts in human body and thus can be used to diagnose abnormalities. In addition to this capability, using the stretch sensors distributed alongside its body, the robotic sheath/sleeve can perceive the ego-motion of the robotic backbone of the catheter and can act as a position feedback device. Because of the silicone substrate, the sleeve contributes toward safety of the medical device passively by providing a compliant interface. As an active safety measure, the robotic sheath can sense blood clots or sudden turns inside a channel and by modifying the local trajectory and can prevent embolisms or tissue rupture. In the future, advanced manufacturing techniques will increase the capabilities of the tactile robotic sleeve.

KW - artificial skin

KW - autonomous catheters

KW - Robotic sleeve

KW - tactile feedback

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85078141943&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1177/0020294019895303

DO - 10.1177/0020294019895303

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:85078141943

VL - 53

SP - 613

EP - 626

JO - Measurement and Control (United Kingdom)

JF - Measurement and Control (United Kingdom)

SN - 0020-2940

IS - 3-4

ER -