Abstract
PurposeA laser-profiled continuum robot (CR) with a series of interlocking joints has been developed in our center to reach deeper areas of the airways. However, it deflects with constant curvature, which thus increases the difficulty of entering specific bronchi without relying on the tissue reaction forces. This paper aims to propose an optimization framework to find the best design parameters for nonconstant curvature CRs to reach distal targets while attempting to avoid the collision with the surrounding tissue.MethodsFirst, the contact-aided compliant mechanisms (CCMs) are integrated with the continuum robot to achieve the nonconstant curvature. Second, forward kinematics considering CCMs is built. Third, inverse kinematics is implemented to steer the robot tip toward the desired targets within the confined anatomy. Finally, an optimization framework is proposed to find the best robot design to reach the target with the least collision to the bronchi walls.ResultsExperiments are carried out to verify the feasibility of CCMs to enable the nonconstant curvature deflection, and simulations demonstrate a lower cost function value to reach a target for the nonconstant curvature optimized design with respect to the standard constant curvature robot (0.11 vs. 2.66). In addition, the higher capacity of the optimized design to complete the task is validated by interventional experiments using fluoroscopy.ConclusionResults demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed framework to find an optimized CR with nonconstant curvature to perform safer interventions to reach distal targets.
Highlights
IntroductionA bronchoscope is inserted into the bronchi through the mouth or the nose to visualize its inside situation
Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.Interventional bronchoscopy is a rapidly maturing field which emphasizes advanced diagnostic and therapeutic bronchoscopy for the evaluation and management of lifethreatening illnesses such as lung cancer [1]
We introduce the compliant mechanisms (CCMs) to our cable-driven laser-profiled continuum robot to form asymmetric deflections with the customized curvature, thereby adjusting the workspace and tip trajectory to adapt to the variable bronchi and confined anatomic space
Summary
A bronchoscope is inserted into the bronchi through the mouth or the nose to visualize its inside situation. It usually has an instrument channel, which is used by the practitioner to insert specialized tools, which usually consist of a flexible shaft and a distal steerable tip to perform different surgical procedures. Due to the limitation of dimension and steerability, the commercial bronchoscope is usually only able to access the third and fourth generations of the respiratory tree, leading to unreachability to the deeper distal airways. It is difficult to reach peripheral bronchioles by just using the traditional uncontrollable flexible tools going through the working channel, especially for the bronchi with acute bend-
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