Lindenroth, L;
Housden, RJ;
Wang, S;
Back, J;
Rhode, K;
Liu, H;
(2019)
Design and integration of a parallel, soft robotic end-effector for extracorporeal ultrasound.
IEEE Transactions on Biomedical Engineering
10.1109/TBME.2019.2957609.
(In press).
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Abstract
OBJECTIVE: In this work we address limitations in state-of-the-art ultrasound robots by designing and integrating a novel soft robotic system for ultrasound imaging. It employs the inherent qualities of soft fluidic actuators to establish safe, adaptable interaction between ultrasound probe and patient. METHODS: We acquire clinical data to determine the movement ranges and force levels required in prenatal foetal ultrasound imaging and design the soft robotic end-effector accordingly. We verify its mechanical characteristics, derive and validate a kinetostatic model and demonstrate controllability and imaging capabilities on an ultrasound phantom. RESULTS: The soft robot exhibits the desired stiffness characteristics and is able to reach 100% of the required workspace when no external force is present, and 95% of the workspace when considering its compliance. The model can accurately predict the end-effector pose with a mean error of 1:18 ± 0:29mm in position and 0:92 ± 0:47° in orientation. The derived controller is, with an average position error of 0.39mm, able to track a target pose efficiently without and with externally applied loads. Ultrasound images acquired with the system are of equally good quality compared to a manual sonographer scan. CONCLUSION: The system is able to withstand loads commonly applied during foetal ultrasound scans and remains controllable with a motion range similar to manual scanning. SIGNIFICANCE: The proposed soft robot presents a safe, cost-effective solution to offloading sonographers in day-to-day scanning routines. The design and modelling paradigms are greatly generalizable and particularly suitable for designing soft robots for physical interaction tasks.
| Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Title: | Design and integration of a parallel, soft robotic end-effector for extracorporeal ultrasound |
| Location: | United States |
| Open access status: | An open access version is available from UCL Discovery |
| DOI: | 10.1109/TBME.2019.2957609 |
| Publisher version: | https://doi.org/10.1109/TBME.2019.2957609 |
| Language: | English |
| Additional information: | This version is the author accepted manuscript. For information on re-use, please refer to the publisher’s terms and conditions. |
| Keywords: | Soft robotics, hydraulics, parallel, design, fabrication, kinetostatics, ultrasound, imaging |
| UCL classification: | UCL UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL BEAMS UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL BEAMS > Faculty of Engineering Science UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL BEAMS > Faculty of Engineering Science > Dept of Med Phys and Biomedical Eng |
| URI: | https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10091816 |
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