Targeted robotic and Optical Coherence Tomography mediated laser ablation for biomedical and machining application

精密机器人技术在生物医学和制造领域都有很大的应用前景，特别是在神经外科的精密手术技术和无模板微加工的消融系统中;然而，在宏观和微观指导以及反馈控制方面仍然存在重大障碍。光学系统的使用，包括光学相干断层扫描（OCT）和光学地形成像（OTI），代表了一个独特的机会，允许直接和连续的反馈到机器人系统的精度水平以前不可能。OCT有可能通过光纤激光器的在线集成或光学有效载荷中的系统输出与激光系统结合，从而允许直接监测并实现对消融过程的可能反馈控制。OCT还可用于表面和表面下表征和靶向-特别适用于定制消融或定向靶向。OTI可以实现快速高效的大体积成像，当与基于红外的跟踪相结合时，可以实现实时机器视觉图像引导。最后，大容量OCT的最新发展可以实现OTI和OCT数据的融合，为扩展功能提供进一步的机会。目标包括：1）开发OCT控制的激光烧蚀系统，用于通过直接反馈进行烧蚀前端监测和控制; 2）使用OTI进行引导的自动生成方法的改进和推广; 3）使用7-DOF机器人臂系统通过生成的轨迹创建宏引导协议; 4）通过OCT进行机器人系统的微引导的直接反馈控制的改进，用于保持焦距; 5）开发用于靶向消融的图像融合的优化方法;以及6）改进用于检测微流体通道和定向消融的SV-OCT方法。具体目标包括：a）开发集成光学系统（OCT消融激光器），具有用于反馈控制（即激光停止）的直接链路; B）开发OCT机器人反馈和控制系统，用于精细机器人控制; c）继续开发用于OTI轨迹生成的鲁棒、通用方法，具有机器人约束和考虑因素;以及d）继续开发OCT流量检测方法。在这方面，该项目的长期目标是开发一个整体的组合系统，用于微观和宏观控制的机器人激光消融，既强大又通用。在这方面，我们满足了先前赠款中设定的初始目标（即，朝着神经外科重点发展），但转向更广泛应用于工业过程的更一般的应用工程方法，包括生物医学工程中的靶向消融，例如用于组织工程的微流体通道组织支架的细化，以及激光加工和无模板制造方法的进一步领域。

Precision robotics have shown great promise for use in both biomedical and manufacturing contexts, particularly with regards to precision surgical techniques for neurosurgery, and in ablation systems for template-free micromachining; however, significant hurdles still exist in both the macro and micro-guidance and feedback control. The use of optical systems, including Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) and Optical Topographical Imaging (OTI), represent a unique opportunity to allow for direct and continuous feedback to robotic systems at levels of precision not previously possible. OCT has the potential to be combined with laser systems either through inline integration for fiber lasers or at system output in the optical payload, thus allowing for direct monitoring and enabling possible feedback control of the ablation process. OCT can also be used for surface and subsurface characterization and targeting - particularly useful for custom ablation or directed targeting. OTI can allow for rapid and efficient large volume imaging, and when combined with infrared-based tracking, can enable real-time machine-vision image guidance. Finally, recent developments in large-volume OCT could allow for fusion of OTI and OCT data, providing further opportunities to expand functionality. Objectives include: 1) Developing OCT-controlled laser ablation systems for ablation-front monitoring and control through direct-feedback; 2) refinement and generalization of trajectory-generation methods using OTI for guidance; 3) creation of protocols for marco-guidance via generated trajectories using a 7-DOF robotic arm system; 4) refinement of direct feedback-control for micro-guidance of robotic systems via OCT for maintaining focal distance; 5) development of optimized methods for image fusion for targeted ablation; and 6) refinement of SV-OCT methods for detection of microfluidic channels and directed ablation. Specific aims include: a) Development of integrated optical systems (OCT-ablation laser) with direct links for feedback control (i.e laser stoppage); b) development of OCT-robotic feedback and control systems for fine robotic control; c) continued development of robust, generalized methods for OTI trajectory generation with robotic constraints and considerations; and d) continued development of OCT flow-detection methods. In this, the long-term goal of the project is the development of an overall combined system for micro- and macro-controlled robotic laser ablation that is both robust and generalizable. In this, we meet initial aims set-out in previous grants (i.e developed towards neurosurgical focus), but move towards more general applied engineering methods with wide applications to industrial processes, both within biomedical engineering such as with targeted ablation for refinement of tissue scaffolding with microfluidic channels for tissue engineering, and further outside of this field in laser machining and template-free manufacturing methods.