Robotics for neuroendovascular intervention: Background and primer

The simultaneous growth of robotic-assisted surgery and telemedicine in recent years has only been accelerated by the recent coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic. Robotic assistance for neurovascular intervention has garnered significant interest due to opportunities for tele-stroke models of care for remote underserved areas. Lessons learned from medical robots in interventional cardiology and neurosurgery have contributed to incremental but vital advances in medical robotics despite important limitations. In this article, we discuss robot types and their clinical justification and ethics, as well as a general overview on available robots in thoracic/abdominal surgery, neurosurgery, and cardiac electrophysiology. We conclude with current clinical research in neuroendovascular intervention and a perspective on future directions.

Autonomous Intubation Robot System based on Visual Servoing and Hybrid Control

During COVID-19 and other pandemics, endotracheal intubation is an effective and common method to save patients as the virus causes lung fibrosis and thus patients are unable to breathe spontaneously. Medical staff need to insert a tube close to the patient’s mouth, thereby leading to a high risk of cross-infection. To protect medical staff, we propose an autonomous intubation robot system (AIRS). With the developed visual servoing and hybrid control method, the entire system can simulate doctors for satisfying repeatability and safety of intubation operations. This system includes a self-driving/teleoperation platform, two co-robot arms, a new multi-functional laryngoscope, force sensors, and several cameras. In the visual servoing part, we realize recognition and location of the patient’s face, medical devices, and main physiological structures to provide real-time navigation. In the hybrid control part, we establish an oral model, propose an offline planning method and PID controllers by combining force, vision, and motion, and apply Virtual Fixture to insert safely. AIRS's validation is with a phantom model under a 2-min operation. Our proposed robot is original and promising in the area of emergent medical robots. We will further validate AIRS in clinical applications and extend the developed techniques in other general treatments.

Autonomous Intubation Robot System based on Visual Servoing and Hybrid Control

During COVID-19 and other pandemics, endotracheal intubation is an effective and common method to save patients as the virus causes lung fibrosis and thus patients are unable to breathe spontaneously. Medical staff need to insert a tube close to the patient’s mouth, thereby leading to a high risk of cross-infection. To protect medical staff, we propose an autonomous intubation robot system (AIRS). With the developed visual servoing and hybrid control method, the entire system can simulate doctors for satisfying repeatability and safety of intubation operations. This system includes a self-driving/teleoperation platform, two co-robot arms, a new multi-functional laryngoscope, force sensors, and several cameras. In the visual servoing part, we realize recognition and location of the patient’s face, medical devices, and main physiological structures to provide real-time navigation. In the hybrid control part, we establish an oral model, propose an offline planning method and PID controllers by combining force, vision, and motion, and apply Virtual Fixture to insert safely. AIRS's validation is with a phantom model under a 2-min operation. Our proposed robot is original and promising in the area of emergent medical robots. We will further validate AIRS in clinical applications and extend the developed techniques in other general treatments.

Biocompatible Soft Material Actuator for Compliant Medical Robots

Robots from material-based actuators offer high potential for small-scale robots with abilities hardly achievable by classical methods like electric motors. Besides excellent scaling to minimally invasive systems, allowing for omission of metallic components, such robots can be applied in imaging modalities such as MRI or CT. To allow for higher accessibility in this field of research, a facile method for fabrication of such soft actuators was developed. It comprises only two materials: graphene oxide and silicone elastomer. The facile fabrication method does not require specialized equipment. The resulting actuator is biocompatible and controllable by light mediated heat. The bending motion can be controlled by the intensity of applied infrared light and the actuator was experimentally shown to move five times its own weight. Thus, providing capabilities for a medical soft robotic actuator.

CORDIAL CYBORG

1. What are robots used in healthcare? Areas within healthcare which are starting to use robots include: telepresence, rehabilitation, medical transportation, sanitization and prescription dispensing. But we are most interested in collaborative robotics. We will be discussing the COBOT(Cordial Robot) applications. Most modern healthcare robots are especially designed for their target applications. 2. Is it possible to use robotics in medicine? Robotics in medicine can happen in many ways, here are some. Healthcare has been predicted as “a promising industry for robotics” for the past 45 years or more. Since as far back as 1974, researchers have been looking for ways to incorporate robotics into medical applications. 3. Is there a need for more surgery/telepresence/rehabilitation/medical transportation/sanitation and disinfection/medicine prescription dispensing robots? There is denitely a need for many more surgery robots, laparoscopic, endoscopic and nanorobots, as the technology allows more functionalities with miniature propulsion mechanisms. M.A. Zenati, M. Mahvash, from the science of medical robotics, 2012. 4. How are medical robots used to treat patients, reduce contact, and cure pain? Using the medical robots reduces the direct contact between the doctor and the patient, helps in reducing pain, by minimizing the need for more medication and longer hospital stays, allowing the person to return home by the therapy sooner without any spread of infection.

Artificial Intelligence Technique for Robot Assisted Surgery: Opportunities and Challenges

Surgery, is a procedure done in modern medicine to identify, avoid and cure any impending ailment which could seriously affect the existence of any living being. Hence surgeries form a critical part of humans/animal in ensuring life or improvement in the current condition to lead a happy and a healthy life. Use of Artificial Intelligence as a part of decision support systems (AI) in order to improve the performance of specific tasks (by medical robots) is getting due attention as a part of technological intervention in health care. This paper attempts to highlight the evolution, limitation, opportunities and challenges in using AI based technologies in robot assisted surgeries. We also propose an AI based framework for anomaly detection and positioning of the surgical tool based on the data obtained from the processed images.

State of the Art Robotics for Combating with COVID-19 Pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic begins in the end of 2019 and spread all over the world in few months. The pandemic is very severe in nature, challenging to the safety and health of general public, medical personals and healthcare systems. Different emerging technologies are playing a vital role to minimize the impact of pandemic. As COVID-19 imposes many restrictions like lockdowns, stay a home, no public meeting or collective works which badly impact on the normal flow of life and world economy. Robots are best alternative to humans for the continuity of work and combating against COVID-19 in different perspectives. Robotics are used for mass screening, disinfection, diagnosis, examination and medical care, industries, education and all domains. In this paper, we have explored the state of the art contributions of robotics for combating against COVID-19. The agenda of paper is based on two points; the prime contributions of robotics made against pandemic to normalize the life and reduce the COVID-19; the main key research directions and development which are needed for future pandemics. We have categorized the current robotic achievements in different categories such as medical robots, logistics, manufacturing and delivery robots, social care and assistance robots, educational robots and general robots. This paper gives a short, precise and state of the art view of the robotics in pandemic which lead the research to future work.

ILLEGAL USE OF MEDICAL ROBOTS: CRIMINAL LAW ASSESSMENT AND CRIMINOLOGICAL RISKS

In the article, the author, on the positive side, assessing the capabilities of robotic medicine, states that today there is no comprehensive study of the safety of medical robots. In this regard, the possibility of risks and threats in the conduct of robotic surgical care cannot be denied. These actions can lead to serious legal consequences for the surgeon, medical institution and manufacturer of the medical robot. The author draws attention to the fact that there is no definition of the concept of "medical robot" in domestic regulatory legal acts. However, the Federal Law of November 21, 2011 No. 323-FZ "On the basics of protecting the health of citizens in the Russian Federation" establishes the concept of "medical product," which is quite capacious and may include the concept of "medical robot."It is necessary to distinguish the concept of "medical robot" as one of the types of medical devices, indicating it in the text of the order of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation. The author concludes that it should be understood as a "medical robot," and also attempts to classify the criminological risks arising from its use, depending on the contact of the medical robot with humans. In addition, the publication raises issues of qualifying the actions of attackers who, in the process of illegal access, illegally receive patient data, which forms part of the crime under Art. 137 of the Criminal Code.