Design and Control of Robotic Systems and Devices for Medical Applications

拟议的研究涉及开发一个框架，用于设计和控制先进的机器人和其他机电一体化系统和设备，用于基于导管的医疗干预。这些干预措施提供了一种可行的，通常是手术治疗的首选方法，因为它们可以减少创伤，减少术后疼痛，并导致更快的恢复。然而，干预措施的复杂性限制了程序的可靠性和有效性。例如，在用于治疗心房颤动（一种心律失常，其中错误的电信号导致心房颤动）的基于导管的心脏消融中，导管尖端必须在图像引导（主要是X射线荧光透视）下准确地定位在心脏内的指定位置处，以便使用射频能量执行消融。所使用的成像模式和导管的固有柔性进一步使介入复杂化。在拟议的研究中，我们将重点关注导管在房颤心脏消融术中的使用。该研究将涉及开发适当的理论与原型设计和实验验证，以解决使用遥控（主从）系统进行基于导管的干预所产生的一些问题。这些系统的一个关键特征是在主从操作中使用触觉（触觉）。 这一点特别重要，因为在几项研究中已经注意到，心脏消融手术的成功不仅取决于导管消融头端的准确定位，还取决于对接触力的控制。因此，拟议的研究有一个强烈的重点发展的理论和技术，以反映这种接触力的临床医生通过触觉使能的遥控系统。由此产生的技术还将使我们能够开发一种基于触觉的主从系统的基于导管的心脏消融术的培训和技能评估系统。拟议的研究建立在申请人在先进机器人和控制、机电系统设计以及远程操作和触觉领域的优势之上。

The proposed research is concerned with the development of a framework for the design and control of advanced robotic and other mechatronic systems and devices for catheter-based medical interventions. These interventions provide a viable and often a preferred approach over surgical treatment because they can be performed with reduced trauma, less post-operative pain, and result in faster recovery. However, the complexity of the interventions places limitations on the reliability and effectiveness of the procedures. For example, in catheter-based cardiac ablation for the treatment of Atrial Fibrillation (a type of arrhythmia where faulty electrical signals cause the atria to fibrillate), the catheter tip must be positioned accurately at designated locations inside the heart under image guidance (primarily X-ray fluoroscopy) in order to perform ablation using radio-frequency energy. The imaging modality used and the inherent flexibility of the catheter further complicate the intervention. In the proposed research, we will focus on use of catheters in cardiac ablation for Atrial Fibrillation. The research will involve the development of appropriate theory with prototype designs and experimental validation to address a number of issues arising from the use of teleoperated (master-slave) systems for catheter-based interventions. A key feature of these systems is the use of haptics (sense of touch) in the master-slave operation. This is particularly important because it has been noted in several studies that the success of a cardiac ablation procedure depends not only on accurate positioning of the catheter's ablation tip but also on control of the force of contact. Therefore the proposed research has a strong focus on developing both the theory and the technology to reflect this contact force to the clinician via a haptics-enabled teleoperated system. The resulting technology will also allow us to develop a system for training and skills assessment for catheter-based cardiac ablation based on a haptics-enabled master-slave system. The proposed research builds on the strengths of the applicant in the areas of advanced robotics and control, mechatronic system design, and teleoperation and haptics.