Related papers: Robotic Electrospinning Actuated by Non-Circular J…
Endoluminal surgery offers a minimally invasive option for early-stage gastrointestinal and urinary tract cancers but is limited by surgical tools and a steep learning curve. Robotic systems, particularly continuum robots, provide flexible…
This paper introduces a novel class of hyperredundant robots comprised of chains of permanently magnetized spheres enclosed in a cylindrical polymer skin. With their shape controlled using an externally-applied magnetic field, the spherical…
In situ tissue biopsy with an endoluminal catheter is an efficient approach for disease diagnosis, featuring low invasiveness and few complications. However, the endoluminal catheter struggles to adjust the biopsy direction by distal…
Electrospinning is historically related to tissue engineering due to its ability to produce nano-/microscale fibrous materials with mechanical and functional properties that are extremely similar to those of the extracellular matrix of…
This paper presents a shape-aware whole-body control framework for tendon-driven continuum robots with direct application to endoluminal surgical navigation. Endoluminal procedures, such as bronchoscopy, demand precise and safe navigation…
Robotic assistance has significantly improved the outcomes of open microsurgery and rigid endoscopic surgery, however is yet to make an impact in flexible endoscopic neurosurgery. Some of the most common intracranial procedures for…
Soft robotic instruments could navigate delicate, tortuous anatomy more safely than rigid tools, but clinical adoption is limited by insufficient tip functionalization and real-time feedback at the tissue interface. Few sensing and…
Advances in flexible catheters pave the way for minimally invasive diagnosis and treatment of luminal organs and tubular structures through endoluminal interventions. A key challenge is in establishing non-constraining pressure monitoring…
This paper presents a novel type of mobile rolling robot designed as a modular platform for non-prehensile manipulation, highlighting the associated control challenges in achieving balancing control of the robotic system. The developed…
Esophageal cancer remains a highly aggressive malignancy with low survival rates, requiring advanced surgical interventions like esophagectomy. Traditional manual techniques, including circular staplers, face challenges such as limited…
Some endoscopic surgeries require a surgeon to hold the endoscope with one hand and the surgical instruments with the other hand to perform the actual surgery with correct vision. Recent technical advances in deep learning as well as in…
The aim of this paper is to introduce a robotic platform for autonomous iUS tissue scanning to optimise intraoperative diagnosis and improve surgical resection during robot-assisted operations. To guide anatomy specific robotic scanning and…
This work tackles practical issues which arise when using a tendon-driven robotic manipulator (TDRM) with a long, flexible, passive proximal section in medical applications. Tendon-driven devices are preferred in medicine for their improved…
Magnetic continuum robots (MCRs) enable minimally invasive navigation through tortuous anatomical channels, yet axially magnetized designs have largely been limited to bending-only motion. To expand deformation capabilities, this paper…
Navigation inside luminal organs is an arduous task that requires non-intuitive coordination between the movement of the operator's hand and the information obtained from the endoscopic video. The development of tools to automate certain…
Many have explored the application of continuum robot manipulators for minimally invasive surgery, and have successfully demonstrated the advantages their flexible design provides -- with some solutions having reached commercialisation and…
This paper introduces a new surgical end-effector probe, which allows to accurately apply a contact force on a tissue, while at the same time allowing for high resolution and highly repeatable probe movement. These are achieved by…
Traditional rigid endoscopes have challenges in flexibly treating tumors located deep in the brain, and low operability and fixed viewing angles limit its development. This study introduces a novel dual-segment flexible robotic endoscope…
In otolaryngologic surgery, endoscopy is increasingly used to provide a better view of hard-to-reach areas and to promote minimally invasive surgery. However, the need to manipulate the endoscope limits the surgeon's ability to operate with…
Robotic arms built from stiffness-adjustable, continuously bending segments serially connected with revolute joints have the ability to change their mechanical architecture and workspace, thus allowing high flexibility and adaptation to…