31 accepted papers
Bronchoscopy is a critical procedure for diagnosing and treating pulmonary diseases, but its safe and effective execution demands substantial operator training. Insufficient experience is associated with higher complication rates, including bleeding, pneumothorax, and bronchospasm. Existing assessme…
This paper introduces a novel shape-sensing approach for Concentric Tube Steerable Drilling Robots (CT-SDRs) based on Optical Frequency Domain Reflectometry (OFDR). Unlike traditional FBG-based methods, OFDR enables continuous strain measurement along the entire fiber length with enhanced spatial re…
Navigational bronchoscopy is critical for pulmonary interventions, yet current platforms depend heavily on pre-operative CT or external sensors, limiting their use in critical care and resource-constrained settings. Vision-only navigation offers a scalable alternative, but conventional visual odomet…
Continuum robots are advancing bronchoscopy procedures by accessing complex lung airways and enabling targeted interventions. However, their development is limited by the lack of realistic testing environments: Real data is difficult to collect due to ethical constraints and patient safety concerns,…
To establish a foundational understanding for creating J-shaped trajectories with Concentric Tube Steerable Drilling Robots (CT-SDRs), this paper presents a systematic characterization of two operational factors: drill feed rate and rotational speed. We developed and compared a custom High-Speed Dri…
In this paper, we present a novel synergistic framework for learning shape estimation and a shape-aware whole-body control policy for tendon driven continuum robots. Our approach leverages the interaction between two Augmented Neural Ordinary Differential Equations (ANODEs) — the Shape-NODE and Cont
To address the screw loosening and pullout limitations of rigid pedicle screws in spinal fixation procedures, and to leverage our recently developed Concentric Tube Steerable Drilling Robot (CT-SDR) and Flexible Pedicle Screw (FPS), in this paper, we introduce the concept of Augmented Bridge Spinal
Hysteresis in the tendons driving continuum robots is frequently regarded as a nuisance and a problem that is best avoided. Some prior work seeks to ameliorate the effects of hysteresis through the selection of materials. Others propose models of hysteresis to compensate for their effects. In this w
In this paper, we introduce S<sup xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">3</sup>D: A Spatial Steerable Surgical Drilling Framework for Robotic Spinal Fixation Procedures. S<sup xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w
Current pelvic fixation techniques rely on rigid drilling tools, which inherently constrain the placement of rigid medical screws in the complex anatomy of pelvis. These constraints prevent medical screws from following anatomically optimal pathways and force clinicians to fixate screws in linear tr
Aiming at developing a safe, intuitive, and collaborative steerable drilling robotic system for pedicle screw fixation procedures, in this paper, we leverage our recently developed steerable drilling robotic framework, and developed a collaborative drilling mode to control this system. In this contr
In robotics, acquiring new skills through Imitation Learning (IL) is crucial for handling diverse complex tasks. However, model-free IL faces challenges of data inefficiency and prolonged training time, whereas model-based methods struggle to obtain accurate nonlinear models. To address these challe…
This paper introduces SoftManiSim, a novel simulation framework for multi-segment continuum manipulators. Existing continuum robot simulators often rely on simplifying assumptions, such as constant curvature bending or ignoring contact forces, to meet real-time simulation and training demands. To br…
Spinal fixation procedures are currently limited by the rigidity of the existing instruments and pedicle screws leading to fixation failures and rigid pedicle screw pull out. Leveraging our recently developed Concentric Tube Steerable Drilling Robot (CT-SDR) in integration with a robotic manipulator…
This paper introduces a novel approach for modeling continuous forward kinematic models of soft continuum robots by employing Augmented Neural ODE (ANODE), a cutting-edge family of deep neural network models. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first application of ANODE in modeling soft conti…
In this paper, we present the design, fabrication, and evaluation of a novel flexible, yet structurally strong, Concentric Tube Steerable Drilling Robot (CT-SDR) to improve minimally invasive treatment of spinal tumors. Inspired by concentric tube robots, the proposed two degree-of-freedom (DoF) CT-…
Concentric Tube Robots (CTRs) are a type of continuum robot capable of manipulating objects in restricted spaces and following smooth trajectories. CTRs are ideal instruments for minimally invasive surgeries. Accurate control of CTR's motion in presence of contact with tissue and external forces wil
Data-driven approaches have shown promising results in modeling and controlling robots, specifically soft and flexible robots where developing physics-based models are more challenging. However, these methods often require a large number of real data, and gathering such data is time-consuming and ca…
Bronchoscopy is a medical procedure that involves the insertion of a flexible tube with a camera into the airways to survey, diagnose and treat lung diseases. Due to the complex branching anatomical structure of the bronchial tree and the similarity of the inner surfaces of the segmental airways, na…
Accurate shape estimation of concentric tube robots (CTRs) using mathematical models remains a challenge, reinforcing the need to develop techniques for accurate and real-time shape sensing of CTRs. In this paper, we develop a fusion algorithm that predicts the robot's shape by combining a mathemati…
Concentric Tube Robots (CTR) have been gaining ground in minimally-invasive robotic surgeries due to their small footprint, compliance, and high dexterity. CTRs can assure safe interaction with soft tissue, provided that precise and effective motion control is achieved. Controlling the motion of CTR…
The Cosserat rod equations are used to model continuum and soft robots. Solving these equations are computationally expensive, particularly due to mixed boundary values and kinematic constraints. In this paper, we present a novel nonlinear observer that can rapidly estimate the solution of the Cosse…
This article presents a medical robotic system for deep orbital interventions, with a focus on Optic Nerve Sheath Fenestration (ONSF). ONSF is a currently invasive ophthalmic surgical approach that can reduce potentially blinding elevated hydrostatic intracranial pressure on the optic disc via an in
Haptic-enabled teleoperated surgical systems have the potential to enhance the accuracy and performance of surgical interventions. The user interface of such a system can provide haptic feedback to the surgeon to more intuitively perform surgical tasks. In this letter, we study the added benefits of
Concentric tube robots (CTR) can traverse tightly curved paths and offer dexterity in constrained environments, making them advantageous for minimally invasive surgical scenarios that experience strict anatomical and surgical constraints. Their shape is controlled via rotation and translation of sev…
The enhanced dexterity and manipulability offered by continuum manipulators makes them the robots of choice for complex procedures inside the human body. However, without tailored analytical tools to evaluate their manipulability, many capabilities of continuum robots such as safe and effective mani…
Needle deflection during certain minimally invasive percutaneous procedures, such as prostate biopsy or brachytherapy, is undesired and can be reduced through the use of feedback control. This letter uses a depth-dependent reduced-order three-dimensional (3-D) nonholonomic model of needle tip motion
In this letter, we present a model for needle deflection estimation in soft tissue. The needle is modelled as a vibrating compliant cantilever beam that experiences forces applied by the tissue as it is inserted. Each of the assumed vibration modes are associated with a weighting coefficient whose m
In percutaneous needle insertions, cutting forces at the needle tip deflect the needle and increases targeting error. Thus, modeling needle-tissue interaction in biological tissue is essential for accurate robotics-assisted needle steering. In this letter, dynamics of needle tip interaction with inh
In needle-based medical procedures, beveled-tip flexible needles are steered inside soft tissue with the aim of reaching pre-defined target locations. The efficiency of needle-based interventions depends on accurate control of the needle tip. This paper presents a comprehensive mechanics-based model…
This paper represents an extension to the kinematic bicycle model for beveled-tip needle motion in soft tissue, which accounts for non-constant curvature paths for the needle tip. For a tissue that is not stiff relative to the needle, the tissue deformation caused by needle insertion deviates the ne…