12 accepted papers
In this paper, we present a robotic catheter consisting of a steerable tip driven by a novel soft shape memory alloy (SMA) actuator. The SMA actuator is a continuum body made of silicone hosting a U-shaped SMA bending wire and a pre-stretched elastic band. Through Joule heating, the temperature and
Minimally invasive surgery is regarded as a safer approach than open craniotomy to removing deep intracerebral mass lesions such as hematomas. It is usually performed by introducing a straight suction tool, sometimes combined with accessories for tissue debridement and irrigation, into the brain. Si
Soft robots offer a unique combination of flexibility, adaptability, and safety, making them well-suited for a diverse range of applications. However, the inherent complexity of soft robots poses great challenges in their modeling and control. In this letter, we present the mechanical design and dat
This paper presents the design, characterization, and testing of a steerable needle robot for minimally invasive neurosurgery. The robot consists of a rigid outer tube and two telescopic tendon-driven steerable tubes. Through the rotation, translation, and bending of individual tubes, this telescopi…
This letter presents the design and development of a telescopic steerable robotic needle for minimally invasive tissue biopsy. Definitive diagnosis of many diseases relies on the pathological studies of small pieces of tissue extracted from human using biopsy procedures. However, traditional biopsy
This paper presents the development of a fiber Bragg grating (FBG) bending sensor for shape memory alloy (SMA) bending modules. Due to the small form factor, low cost, and large-deflection capability, SMA bending modules can be used to construct disposable surgical robots for a variety of minimally…
We present a modular sensing system to measure the deflection of a minimally invasive neurosurgical intracranial robot: MINIR-II. The MINIR-II robot is a tendon-driven continuum robot comprised of multiple spring backbone segments, which has been developed in our prior work. Due to the flexibility o
This paper presents the development of a meso-scale fiberoptic rotation sensor for a shape memory alloy (SMA) torsion actuator for neurosurgical applications. Within the sensor, a rotary head with a reflecting surface is capable of modulating the light intensity collected by optical fibers when the
To treat atrial fibrillation (AFib), radiofrequency ablation is usually implemented with a cardiac catheter to block abnormal electrical signals from pulmonary veins. However, it is challenging to manipulate a passive catheter. In addition, the radiation exposure to patients under fluoroscopic guida
This paper presents the development of a skull-mounted robotic headframe for intracranial neurosurgery. The headframe is primarily comprised of a pedestal, a Stewart platform, and a linear actuation module interfacing with a mesoscale neurosurgical robot. In addition to kinematic modeling, motion pl…
This paper presents our work on design, modeling, and control of a meso-scale shape memory alloy (SMA) actuated torsion actuator for miniature robots. This novel torsion actuator is bi-directionally activated by a pair of antagonistic SMA torsion springs through alternate Joule heating. First, we pr…
This paper presents a prototype of a meso-scale medical robot for Neurosurgical Intracerebral Hemorrhage Evacuation (NICHE). We use shape memory alloy (SMA) actuators for actuating individual degrees-of-freedom (DoFs). Pairs of antagonistic SMA wires enable bidirectional motion of bending joints. A…