I-Corps: Steerable 3D shape memory alloy activated core biopsy needle

I-Corps项目更广泛的影响/商业潜力是通过将手工直针（刚性）插入转变为机器人和可操纵的针头插入，对组织活检程序产生改变实践的影响。有了这项技术，医生可以使用主动导向的核心活检针从难以到达或不可能到达的病变中提取活检样本。对于许多类型的癌症，活组织检查是诊断的决定性检查。该项目的长期有益后果将包括：(i)提高活检提取的准确性，（ii）减少对周围组织和敏感器官的损害，（iii）降低出血和感染的风险，以及（iv）减少重复活检的必要性和频率。这项工作中提出的针的主动转向适用于许多癌症干预，包括诊断和治疗，如使用拉曼光谱的体内分析以及近距离治疗、光动力治疗、基于射频的热消融和病毒/基因治疗。I-Corps的这个项目开发了组织活检程序，提供了一种新的可操纵芯活检针，该针可以使用智能形状记忆合金驱动器主动弯曲组织内部。可操纵核心活检针的运动通过一种新型控制算法在体内控制，该算法依赖于智能执行器的形状感应能力，提供针尖位置作为反馈。技术障碍包括形状记忆合金迟滞驱动和组织内部形状传感控制的复杂性。控制系统接收来自操作者的指令，并向执行器提供适当的信号，以实现活检针所需的弯曲。主动针的生物相容性和刚度使得机器人操作、在线形状传感和增强组织内部控制以更精确地到达目标区域。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

The broader impact/commercial potential of this I-Corps project is to make a practice-changing impact in tissue biopsy procedures by moving from manual straight (rigid) needle insertions to robotic and steerable needle insertions. With this technology, physicians can take biopsy samples from hard-to-reach or impossible-to-reach lesions using an active steerable core biopsy needle. For many types of cancer, biopsy is the definitive test for diagnosis. The long-term beneficial consequences of the project will include: (i) increased accuracy of biopsy extraction, (ii) reduced damage to surrounding tissue and sensitive organ(s), (iii) reduced risk of bleeding and infection, and (iv) reduced necessity and frequency of repeat biopsies. The active steering of the needle proposed in this work is applicable to a number of cancer interventions including both diagnosis and therapy, such as in-vivo analysis using Raman spectroscopy as well as brachytherapy, photodynamic therapy, radio frequency-based thermal ablation, and viral/gene therapy.This I-Corps project develops tissue biopsy procedures by offering a new steerable core biopsy needle that can actively bend inside tissue using smart shape memory alloy actuators. The movement of the steerable core biopsy needle is controlled inside the body by a novel control algorithm that relies on the shape-sensing capabilities of the smart actuators to provide needle tip position as a feedback. The technical hurdles include complexity in shape memory alloy hysteresis actuation and shape sensing control inside tissue. The control system receives commands from the operator and provides appropriate signals to the actuators to realize desired bending on the biopsy needle. The biocompatibility and stiffness of the active needle results in robotic manipulation, online shape sensing, and enhanced control inside the tissue to reach the target areas with more precision.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.