Remote-controlled Manipulator Research Articles

Exploring Vulnerabilities and Attack Vectors Targeting Pacemaker Devices in Healthcare

This technical paper investigates the vulnerabilities and potential threats posed by emerging technologies, specifically Bluetoothenabled patient pacemakers. With the advancements in healthcare technology, pacemakers now utilize Bluetooth connectivity for real-time monitoring and data transmission, offering patients and healthcare providers an important convenience. However, this technology also introduces significant security risks, leaving these life-sustaining devices susceptible to malicious attacks. Through an in-depth analysis of existing research, real-life incidents, and vulnerabilities identified by experts in the field, this paper will underscore the critical vulnerabilities present in pacemaker systems. Examples, including findings from researchers such as Billy Rios, Jonathon Butts, and Marie Moe, demonstrate the potential severity of these vulnerabilities. From remote control manipulation to unauthorized access to sensitive medical data, the threats posed by these vulnerabilities are substantial and potentially life-threatening. Moreover, this paper outlines advanced mitigation strategies essential for protecting patient pacemakers against these security risks. Recommendations include end-to-end encryption, whitelist device pairing, intrusion detection systems, and regular firmware updates, highlight the collaborative efforts required from patients, healthcare providers, and manufacturers to mitigate these risks effectively. This paper’s findings underscore the urgent need for robust cybersecurity measures in the design, implementation, and maintenance of pacemaker systems. Addressing these vulnerabilities is key for ensuring patient safety, maintaining privacy, and building trust in healthcare technology. The implications of this research extend beyond pacemaker security, emphasizing the broader importance of cybersecurity in medical devices and the importance of ongoing research and regulatory initiatives to protect patient health.

Synchronized Control of Robotic Arm based on Virtual Reality and IMU Sensing

This study introduces a robotic control system that combines virtual reality integration and inertial measurement units (IMU) using mixed reality (MR) devices. The system integrates three main modules: (1) virtual reality (VR), which simulates remote reality by the Hololens2, (2) the wearable IMUs device, which captures the operator's hand movements; and (3) the robotic arm UR5, which is controlled by the user and the VR environment. The virtual and physical systems communicate via a Message Queuing Telemetry Transport (MQQT) communication architecture to establish communication between modules. To introduce a closed-loop control system for the robotic arm, model predictive control (MPC) was achieved with precise path planning to provide a flexible, intuitive, and reliable method to operate the remote-controlled manipulator. To validate the system integration and functions, two demonstrations were conducted: (a) the offline mode, where the VR module of the robotic arm was controlled by the IMUs device to check correctness, and (b) the online mode, where the control command was transferred to UR5 to complete a target mission via artificial potential field (APF) adjustment. The primary outcome of this study was the development of virtual and real industrial robotic arms to test the developed model in VR and shop floor labs.

Motorized Photomodulator: Making A Non‐photoresponsive Supramolecular Gel Switchable by Light

AbstractIntroducing photo‐responsive molecules offers an attractive approach for remote and selective control and dynamic manipulation of material properties. However, it remains highly challenging how to use a minimal amount of photo‐responsive units to optically modulate materials that are inherently inert to light irradiation. Here we show the application of a light‐driven rotary molecular motor as a “motorized photo‐modulator” to endow a typical H‐bond‐based gel system with the ability to respond to light irradiation and create a reversible sol‐gel transition. The key molecular design feature is the introduction of a minimal amount (2 mol %) of molecular motors into the supramolecular network as photo‐switchable non‐covalent crosslinkers. Advantage is taken of the subtle interplay of the large geometry change during photo‐isomerization of the molecular motor guest and the dynamic nature of a supramolecular gel host system. As a result, a tiny amount of molecular motors is enough to switch the mechanical modulus of the entire supramolecular systems. This study proves the concept of designing photo‐responsive materials with minimum use of non‐covalent light‐absorbing units.

Motorized Photomodulator: Making A Non-photoresponsive Supramolecular Gel Switchable by Light.

Introducing photo-responsive molecules offers an attractive approach for remote and selective control and dynamic manipulation of material properties. However, it remains highly challenging how to use a minimal amount of photo-responsive units to optically modulate materials that are inherently inert to light irradiation. Here we show the application of a light-driven rotary molecular motor as a "motorized photo-modulator" to endow a typical H-bond-based gel system with the ability to respond to light irradiation and create a reversible sol-gel transition. The key molecular design feature is the introduction of a minimal amount (2 mol %) of molecular motors into the supramolecular network as photo-switchable non-covalent crosslinkers. Advantage is taken of the subtle interplay of the large geometry change during photo-isomerization of the molecular motor guest and the dynamic nature of a supramolecular gel host system. As a result, a tiny amount of molecular motors is enough to switch the mechanical modulus of the entire supramolecular systems. This study proves the concept of designing photo-responsive materials with minimum use of non-covalent light-absorbing units.

An anthropomorphic pelvis phantom for MR-guided prostate interventions.

To design and manufacture a pelvis phantom for magnetic resonance (MR)-guided prostate interventions, such as MRGB (MR-guided biopsy) or brachytherapy seed placement. The phantom was designed to mimic the human pelvis incorporating bones, bladder, prostate with four lesions, urethra, arteries, veins, and six lymph nodes embedded in ballistic gelatin. A hollow rectum enables transrectal access to the prostate. To demonstrate the feasibility of the phantom for minimal invasive MRI-guided interventions, a targeted inbore MRGB was performed. The needle probe was rectally inserted and guided using an MRI-compatible remote controlled manipulator (RCM). The presented pelvis phantom has realistic imaging properties for MR imaging (MRI), computed tomography (CT) and ultrasound (US). In the targeted inbore MRGB, a prostate lesion was successfully hit with an accuracy of 3.5mm. The experiment demonstrates that the limited size of the rectum represents a realistic impairment for needle placements. The phantom provides a valuable platform for evaluating the performance of MRGB systems. Interventionalists can use the phantom to learn how to deal with challenging situations, without risking harm to patients.

In-bore biopsies of the prostate assisted by a remote-controlled manipulator at 1.5 T.

To evaluate the technical and clinical utility of a fully MRI-compatible, pneumatically driven remote-controlled manipulator (RCM) for targeted biopsies of the prostate at 1.5T. The data of the first 22 patients that were biopsied under robotic assistance were analyzed. Interventional planning relied on T2-weighted (T2w) turbo spin-echo (TSE) images (axial and sagittal) with a high-b-value diffusion-weighted acquisition added in selected cases. Alignment of the needle guide was controlled with a short balanced SSFP sequence in two oblique planes along the MR-visible sheath. Signals were acquired with a combination of elements from a 30-channel body and a 32-channel spine coil. Biopsy samples were taken with a fully automatic 18-G biopsy gun with a length of 150 or 175mm. Mean age was 66.6years and average PSA level was 11.5ng/ml. Fourteen out of 22 patients (63%) had received prior biopsies under transrectal ultrasound guidance. Diagnostic MRI reports (before biopsy) involved 17 cases with a single suspicious finding (four PI-RADS3, one PI-RADS3-4, eight PI-RADS4 and nine PI-RADS5 cases). The median effective procedure time was 33.9 (range 25.0-55.9) min for 16 cases with one CSR and 63.4 (52.7-81.8) min for 5 cases with two CSRs. The biopsy with three CSRs took 74.0min. Histopathologic examination revealed prostate cancer in 14 of 22 cases. MR-targeted, transrectal biopsy of the prostate could be reliably performed with a robotic manipulator at a field strength of 1.5 T. Balanced SSFP imaging is considered a viable option for fast procedural control. Follow-up work needs to evaluate to what extent in-bore adjustments and workflow enhancements will contribute to shorter procedure times or higher patient comfort.

Near-infrared upconversion-activated CRISPR-Cas9 system: A remote-controlled gene editing platform.

As an RNA-guided nuclease, CRISPR-Cas9 offers facile and promising solutions to mediate genome modification with respect to versatility and high precision. However, spatiotemporal manipulation of CRISPR-Cas9 delivery remains a daunting challenge for robust effectuation of gene editing both in vitro and in vivo. Here, we designed a near-infrared (NIR) light-responsive nanocarrier of CRISPR-Cas9 for cancer therapeutics based on upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs). The UCNPs served as "nanotransducers" that can convert NIR light (980 nm) into local ultraviolet light for the cleavage of photosensitive molecules, thereby resulting in on-demand release of CRISPR-Cas9. In addition, by preparing a single guide RNA targeting a tumor gene (polo-like kinase-1), our strategies have successfully inhibited the proliferation of tumor cell via NIR light-activated gene editing both in vitro and in vivo. Overall, this exogenously controlled method presents enormous potential for targeted gene editing in deep tissues and treatment of a myriad of diseases.

Applications of high magnetic field in interventional medical treatment

High magnetic field technology is increasingly used in interventional therapy. The strong magnetic field-involved intervention technology is a large-scale, integrated medical technology in which an in vitro , variable magnetic field is used to remotely control a magnetic substance (a drug, a catheter, or a stent, etc.) located in the body to realize interventional treatment. Through this technology, accurate targeted drug delivery and rapid positioning therapy can be achieved, which brings great convenience to the treatment and also improves the treatment efficiency and accuracy. The cardiac interventional magnetic navigation system for cardiovascular treatment is such a new type of interventional navigation system that has emerged in recent years. Through the remote-control manipulation technique guided by the external magnetic field, it can completely avoid the severe serious complications such as cardiac perforation caused by the traditional manual operation, shortening the training cycle and reducing the X-ray radiation to doctors and patients. This technology can further realize remote interventional treatment through the Internet system and expert system. Due to its intrinsic high magnetic performance, the magnetic nanoparticles can be directly used as drug delivery system under high magnetic field, and also as negative contrast of MRI. Combining with the ingenious nanostructures such as core—shell structure, the dual contrast of MRI and other iconography method can be successfully developed. In this paper, some latest research results of dual T 1- T 2 contrast of MRI and dual contrast of MRI and PET/SPECT have been reviewed. Moreover, the MRI-guided intervention technique has aroused comprehensive attention in the image-guided intervention scope. The corresponding methods can be roughly divided into following aspects: (a) MRI non-compatible intervention, which places the operation apparatus in a region far away from the MRI system and then the patient can be transferred to the imaging area; (b) MRI-compatible intervention, which applied compatible materials to fabricate the operation apparatus and actuator device; (c) MRI-powered intervention, which uses gradient field or RF field-actuated apparatus to realize automatic operation.

Haptic feedback is useful in remote manipulation of flexible endoscopes.

Background and study aims We developed the Endoscopic Operation Robot (EOR) version 3, offering built-in haptic feedback and manipulation of the entire scope with one hand. Manipulation of the flexible endoscope is done entirely remotely. However, inclusion of haptic feedback places a huge burden on the system. Our purpose in this study was to determine whether haptic feedback is needed in remote manipulation of a flexible endoscope. Methods Five endoscopists performed total colonoscopy using a colonoscopy training model. A trial was conducted in which the endoscope was inserted up to the cecum five times with haptic feedback and five times without haptic feedback. Insertion time, maximum and mean haptic force, and incidence of sigmoid colon overstretching were compared between groups. Results Insertion time was significantly shorter with haptic feedback than without, and overstretching of the sigmoid colon was less frequent. Insertion could thus be performed without using excessive force. Conclusion Haptic feedback is useful for remote control manipulation of flexible endoscopes.

Photothermal-Responsive Conjugated Polymer Nanoparticles for Remote Control of Gene Expression in Living Cells.

Remote control and noninvasive manipulation of cellular bioprocess has received intensive attention as a powerful technology to control cell functions. Here, a strategy is developed to remotely control intracellular gene expression with high spatial and temporal resolutions by using photothermal-responsive conjugated polymer nanoparticles (CPNs) as the transducer under near-infrared light irradiation. After being modified with positive charged peptide, the CPNs with superior photothermal conversion capacity could effectively coat on the surface of living cells and generate localized heat to trigger target gene expression. The heat-inducible heat shock protein-70 promoter starts transcription of downstream EGFP gene in response to heat shock, thus producing green fluorescent protein in the living cells. The combination of heat-inducible gene promoter and photothermal-responsive CPNs provides a method for the development of thermogenetics.

Engineered Ferritin for Magnetogenetic Manipulation of Proteins and Organelles Inside Living Cells.

Magnetogenetics is emerging as a novel approach for remote-controlled manipulation of cellular functions in tissues and organisms with high spatial and temporal resolution. A critical, still challenging issue for these techniques is to conjugate target proteins with magnetic probes that can satisfy multiple colloidal and biofunctional constraints. Here, semisynthetic magnetic nanoparticles are tailored based on human ferritin coupled to monomeric enhanced green fluorescent protein (mEGFP) for magnetic manipulation of proteins inside living cells. This study demonstrates efficient delivery, intracellular stealth properties, and rapid subcellular targeting of those magnetic nanoparticles via GFP-nanobody interactions. By means of magnetic field gradients, rapid spatial reorganization in the cytosol of proteins captured to the nanoparticle surface is achieved. Moreover, exploiting efficient nanoparticle targeting to intracellular membranes, remote-controlled arrest of mitochondrial dynamics using magnetic fields is demonstrated. The studies establish subcellular control of proteins and organelles with unprecedented spatial and temporal resolution, thus opening new prospects for magnetogenetic applications in fundamental cell biology and nanomedicine.

Effect of remote controlled injection manipulator system assisted percutaneous kyphoplasty for treatment of rupture of posterior vertebral osteoporotic vertebral fracture

To evaluate the effect of remote controlled injection manipulator system (RCIM) assisted percutaneous kyphoplasty (PKP) for the treatment of rupture of posterior vertebral osteoporotic vertebral fracture by comparing with intermittent hand bolus injection of bone cement during operation. Between September 2010 and January 2016, a retrospective analysis was made on the clinical data of 48 senile patients with single segment rupture of the posterior vertebral osteoporotic thoracolumbar fracture undergoing PKP who accorded with the inclusion criteria. Of 48 patients, 22 received intermittent hand bolus injection of bone cement in the control group, and 26 received RCIM assisted bone cement perfusion in the trial group. There was no significant difference in age, gender, duration of disease, causes of injury, implicated vertebral bodies, bone mineral density T value, pain duration, preoperative visual analogue scale (VAS), relative vertebral body height in the anterior part, and posterior convex Cobb angle between groups ( P>0.05). The bone cement perfusion time, the radiation dose of both doctors and patients, and the amount of bone cement injection were recorded; treatment effects were evaluated based on VAS score, posterior convex Cobb angle, relative ver-tebral body height in the anterior part, ratios of bone cement diffusion area and bone cement leakage rate. The patients were followed up for 6 months; no complications of toxic effect of bone cement, spinal cord or nerve root injuries, infection and vascular embolization occurred during follow-up period. There was no significant difference in bone cement injection amount and radiation dose of doctors between groups ( P>0.05), but bone cement perfusion time, ratios of bone cement diffusion area, and radiation dose of patients were significantly lower in the trial group than the control group ( P<0.05). Bone cement leakage was observed in 6 cases of the control group (27.27%) and 2 cases of the trial group (7.69%), showing significant difference between groups ( χ2=4.850, P=0.029); no cement leakage into the spinal canal was found in both groups. VAS score, relative vertebral body height in the anterior part, and posterior convex Cobb angle were significantly improved at 3 days and 6 months after operation when compared with preoperative ones ( P<0.05), but no significant difference was observed in the above indexes between groups at 3 days and 6 months after operation ( P>0.05). Satisfactory effectiveness can be achieved by applying RCIM assisted PKP for the treatment of rupture of posterior vertebral osteoporotic vertebral fracture. RCIM can shorten perfusion time, reduce radiation dose, and decrease incidence of bone cement leakage.

Feasibility of a 2nd generation MR-compatible manipulator for transrectal prostate biopsy guidance

ObjectivesTo assess the feasibility of a 2nd generation MR-compatible, remote-controlled manipulator (RCM) as an aid to perform MR-guided transrectal prostate biopsy in males with suspicion of prostate cancer (PCa).MethodsThis prospective phase I study was approved by the local ethical committee and written informed consent was obtained from each patient. Twenty patients with ≥1 cancer suspicious region (CSR) with a PI-RADS score of ≥3 detected on the diagnostic multi-parametric MRI and no prior prostate treatment underwent MR-guided biopsy with the aid of the RCM. Complications were classified according to the modified Clavien system for reporting surgical complications. For evaluation of the workflow, procedure- and manipulation times were recorded.ResultsAll CSR’s (n=20) were reachable with the MR-compatible RCM and the cancer detection rate was 70 %. The median procedure time was 36:44 minutes (range, 23 – 61 minutes) and the median manipulation time for needle guide movement was 5:48 minutes (range, 1:15 – 18:35 minutes). Two Clavien grade 1 complications were reported.ConclusionsIt is feasible and safe to perform transrectal MR-guided prostate biopsy using a MR-compatible RCM as an aid. It is a fast and efficient way to biopsy suspicious prostate lesions with a minimum number of biopsies per patient.Key Points• It is feasible to perform transrectal prostate biopsy using a MR-compatible RCM.• Using a RCM for MR-guided biopsy is safe, fast, and efficient.• All cancer suspicious regions were reachable with the RCM.

遠隔操作型メリクロンマニピュレータの開発

In this study, we developed an intuitive remote-controlled manipulator system that was operated using a touch panel display and a mouse. We examined its application possibility to pick out the shoot apical meristem from sprouting potatoes. The shoot apical meristem is not easily affected by plant viruses. Therefore, we can obtain a virus-free seedling that has a high production efficiency by culturing this part. This technique is called “mericlone” and is known widely in agriculture; however, it is tedious because of the precision work involved with a microscope. Thus, our system not only reduces the burden on the technician but also has high precision control and saves space. In this study, using the loop-mediated isothermal amplification method, we confirmed that we could get the potato meristems that do not contain Potato Virus X. The newly designed primer set can achieve results more rapidly, more easily, and with higher sensitivity than other virus detection methods, thus indicating the possibility of industrial implementation.

Development of a novel endoscopic manipulation system: the Endoscopic Operation Robot ver.3.

The next generation of flexible endoscopy platforms such as The Master and Slave Transluminal Endoscopic Robot (MASTER) is primarily for remote control manipulation of forceps, but manipulation of the flexible endoscope itself still depends on conventional techniques. We have developed the Endoscopic Operation Robot (EOR) ver.3, which incorporates haptic feedback to provide complete remote control flexible-endoscope manipulation. The present study aimed to evaluate the performance of the EOR ver.3. A colonoscopy training model was used with scope insertion to the cecum. Force during insertion and insertion time (seconds) to the cecum were evaluated. The data were compared by colon zone and experience level (trainee or expert). The mean insertion time into the cecum was 118.54 ± 89.42 seconds. Stronger force and torque were required for deeper insertion of the scope. Expert and trainee endoscopists differed in the insertion time to the cecum, maximum counterclockwise torque, mean clockwise torque, and mean counterclockwise torque. The EOR ver.3 has operability with which endoscopists can easily familiarize themselves.

Three-dimensional acoustic radiation force on an arbitrarily located elastic sphere

This work aims to model the acoustic radiation forces acting on an elastic sphere placed in an inviscid fluid. An expression of the axial and transverse forces exerted on the sphere is derived. The analysis is based on the scattering of an arbitrary acoustic field expanded in the spherical coordinate system centered on the spherical scatterer. The sphere is allowed to be arbitrarily located. The special case of high order Bessel beams, acoustical vortices, are considered. These types of beams have a helicoidal wave front, i.e., a screw-type phase singularity and hence, the beam has a central dark core of zero amplitude surrounded by an intense ring. Depending on the sphere's radius, different radial equilibrium positions may exist and the sphere can be set in rotation around the beam axis by an azimuthal force. This confirms the pseudo-angular moment transfer from the beam to the sphere. Cases where the axial force is directed opposite to the direction of the beam propagation are investigated and the potential use of Bessel beams as tractor beams is demonstrated. Numerical results provide an impetus for further designing acoustical tweezers for potential applications in particle entrapment and remote controlled manipulation.

2510 直感的操作可能な遠隔操作型メリクロンマニピュレータの開発

In this study, we developed the intuitive remote controlled manipulator system using touch panel display and mouse, and we examined the possibility of the application to the extraction work of the shoot apical meristem of the plant. The shoot apical meristem does not have the infection of the virus in the plant body. Therefore we can get a Virus-free seedling having high production efficiency by culturing this part. This technique is called "mericlone" and is known widely in the agriculture world, but this is hard labor because of precision work with microscope. This system we have developed not only reduce the burden on worker but also provide high precision controlling and space saving. In this study, with LAMP method (loop-mediated isothermal amplification method), we have confirmed that there was no PVX (Potato virus X) in the potato meristem with primordia using our developed manipulator system The newly designed primer set can discriminate the result.

Development of foolproof catheter guide system based on mechatronic design

Minimally invasive surgery (MIS) is a less invasive procedure compared to traditional open surgery. It usually involves laparoscopic devices and remote control manipulation instruments comprising an endoscope for indirect observation of the surgical field. Interventional radiology (IVR) is one of the MIS methodologies. The IVR procedures include diagnosis such as angiograms, and treatment. The IVR procedures use small tubes called catheters, which are inserted through the body cavity or blood vessel to the treatment area. The IVR procedures lead to the risk of X-ray exposure to surgeon since the procedures is using the digital subtraction angiography device to get clear image of the patient blood vessel. Therefore, we have developed a foolproof tele-operated system to guide the catheter. Hence, the reliability in IVR procedure is crucial. The system is based on a mechatronic design methodology characterized by a principle solution specified in CONSENS® (CONceptual design Specification technique for the ENgineering of complex Systems). This principle solution serves as a basis for the first analysis and verification on the system level. Further, the proposed concept of control system can also be re-used in the other foolproof guidance systems.

ChemInform Abstract: Surfactant‐Encapsulated Polyoxometalate Building Blocks: Controlled Assembly and Their Catalytic Properties

AbstractReview: 135 refs.

Surfactant-encapsulated polyoxometalate building blocks: controlled assembly and their catalytic properties

Polyoxometalates (POMs) are discrete anionic metal-oxide nanoclusters which exhibit unrivalled structural diversity, exceptional physical properties, and have many potential applications. Nonetheless, possessing high crystalline energy and hydrophilic nature, the assembly of POM clusters into rationally design architectures has been a long-standing bottleneck for their ultimate use in advanced materials and devices. To confront this challenge, both covalent and non-covalent modifications of POM nanoclusters are increasingly considered. This perspective reviews recent progress in the assembly of non-covalently modified surfactant-encapsulated POM nanoclusters with particular emphasis on our research work. The described solution-based assembly approach provides an excellent control on size, shape, and stability of the assembly structures. By effective exploitation of non-covalent interactions between the POM hybrid nanobuilding blocks, several unprecedented assembly structures including disks, cones, tubes, fullerene-like spheres, multiple shape flowers, wires, and thin films can be achieved. The assembly structures are highly robust and tunable in terms of size and shape and can act as hosts for guest nanomaterials to develop composite materials of combinatorial properties. In the last section of this manuscript, we present the catalytic properties of the assembly structures and their remote controlled manipulation in the reaction system.