SBIR Phase I: Optimizing an autonomous point of care medical robot to improve central vascular access

这个小型企业创新研究第一阶段项目支持手持医疗机器人这一新概念背后的关键证据，即使用医疗机器人自主执行一项任务，在此期间机器人和患者都不会被固定在太空中。该项目的潜在成果是一个全面的机器人超声换能器系列，通过提高众多临床医生的技能，使各种介入性护理点机器人应用成为可能。因此，许多具有技术挑战性的关键程序将不再仅限于训练有素的专家。应用包括中心血管通路(儿童和成人)、活组织检查、区域麻醉学、精确提取(例如胸腔穿刺术)和精密注射(例如整形外科生物制剂)，创造了一个超过20亿美元的潜在市场。使用手持医疗机器人进行人机协作的好处包括更快、更简单的程序，可以由更多的临床医生执行，减少医疗并发症和患者不适，以及改善医院基础设施的利用率，最终使临床结果和总护理成本受益。该项目还可能产生对其他人机协作应用程序的重要见解和影响，机器人应用程序的潜力远远超出医疗领域。这个项目的智力价值集中在展示第一个手持式机器人自主放置针的能力的可行性。这个项目建立在现有的两个创新层面上。首先是使用实时超声数据将针准确地发送到身体的某个点的能力。这与其他成像方式有很大的不同，其他成像方式需要来自不同方向的多幅图像进行离线整合。接下来，这是一个自主的、有动力的系统。一旦用户选择了目标，就会计算出针的路径，并且针会自动前进。该项目通过其研究目标建立了第三级创新--创建实时能力，以i)将目标识别和跟踪为目标，以及ii)进行自动机器人校正，以在用户或患者移动或目标特征变化时保持该目标。这项研究涉及新的图像识别和跟踪技术以及非常精确的新传感和控制回路技术，这些技术可以实时交互，以在动态环境中保持目标的准确性。预计的技术成果是使非专家临床医生能够可靠地使用引导针进入儿科患者模型中具有临床挑战性的“小”中心血管。这一奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

This Small Business Innovation Research Phase I project enables key proof points behind the novel concept of a hand-held medical robot, i.e. use of a medical robot to autonomously perform a task during which neither the robot not the patient is fixed in space. The potential outcome of this project is a comprehensive line of robotic ultrasound transducers that enable a variety of interventional point-of-care robotic applications by enhancing the skills of a multitude of clinicians. As a result, many technically challenging critical procedures will no longer be restricted to solely highly trained experts. Applications include central vascular access (pediatric and adult), biopsy, regional anesthesiology, precision extraction (e.g. thoracentesis), and precision injections (e.g. orthopedic biologics), creating an addressable market exceeding $2 billion. Benefits of man-machine teaming using hand-held medical robots include faster, simpler procedures that can be performed by a much broader group of clinicians, reduced medical complications and patient discomfort, and improved hospital infrastructure utilization, ultimately benefitting both clinical outcomes and total costs of care. Significant insights and implications for other man-machine teaming applications may also result from this project, with potential for robotic applications well outside of the medical realm. The intellectual merit of this project centers on demonstrating the feasibility of first-of-kind hand-held robotic capabilities for autonomous needle placement. This project builds on two existing layers of innovation. First is the ability to use real-time ultrasound data to send a needle precisely to a point in the body. This differs significantly from other imaging modalities that require multiple images from different orientations integrated "off line." Next, this is an autonomous and powered system. Once a user selects a target, the needle path is calculated and the needle is advanced automatically. This project builds the third level of innovation through its research objectives - creating the real-time ability to i) recognize and track the target as an object, and ii) make automatic robotic corrections to maintain that target during user or patient movement or changes in target characteristics. The research involves novel image recognition and tracking technology and very precise novel sensing and control loop technology that interact in real time to maintain targeting accuracy in a dynamic environment. The anticipated technical result is to enable a non-expert clinician to reliably enter a clinically challenging "small" central blood vessel in a pediatric patient model with an introducer needle.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.