A group of engineers and researchers from MIT, Harvard, and Massachusetts General Hospital have designed a robotic probe that will make is easier for doctors to access hard-to-reach places while delivering medication or performing surgery.
Diseases like cancer tumors or disorders in organs can occur in hidden places within the human body. Using X-rays, doctors can pinpoint the location of malignant tissue or any other abnormality, but physically delivering medicine or taking a biopsy can be exceedingly difficult if the point of interest lies deep within tissue. Invasive surgeries, or multiple injections at different angles, can unnecessarily damage healthy tissue.
The device is called the Robotically Steerable Thermal Ablation Probe (RSTAP), and it was featured at this year's IEEE’s International Conference on Robotics and Automation. The key to this device is that it only needs to be inserted once, and then simply repositioned at different depths and rotated, to reach multiple areas of interest within a 3D volume.
The probe itself is made up of a straight shaft, called a cannula, that contains a pre-curved Nickel titanium or Nitinol (a shape memory material) stylet that extends from it. The team presented the design of a screw-spline drive mechanism comprised of the profiled and threaded shaft with a specially designed nut that reduces the parts needed and significantly simplifies manufacturing and assembly. To obtain the optimal curve for the Nitinol stylet, the team derived an expression that relates the tolerance between the specialized nut and shaft to the angular backlash of the stylet. They used SolidWorks to confirm their results.
First the degrees of freedom of the probe are tested to make sure all designed movements can be achieved. Then, the patient’s X-ray scan is uploaded and registered with the appropriate coordinates so the doctor can simply choose the destinations of the probe by clicking on a spot on the digital image. Lastly, they check to make sure the robot’s actual coordinate system matches that of the digital X-ray, and the procedure can begin.
This instrument will make many surgeries significantly less invasive, which will hopefully increase the success of diagnosis and treatment. Applications are many for this tiny probe, and include injections, biopsies, and thermal ablations. Tests have been performed on dead bovine tissue, but no word yet on when it will be used on live humans.
I like this and read about this a little while ago...thanks for covering. The first thing that leaps to mind, though, is isn't there already similar technology out there? I suppose not exactly like this, but I am sure there are ways to get into hard-to-reach places being employed. I'm not well versed enough to know what they are, though! Still, this would be a good addition to any technology that can make surgery less invasive.
I think they should incorporate this technology into some kind of backscratcher. In all seriousness though, I thought they did this type of thing already with different surgeries. Even when they do an appendiz surgery now a days they only leave a hole and inch or so long. simply amazing.
Great idea and creative use of memory metals. By the way, how repeatable is the Nitinol component as it is cycled? Is there a compensation method needed as the Nitinol cycles increase?
We looked at a number of sources to determine this year's greenest cars, from KBB to automotive trade magazines to environmental organizations. These 14 cars emerged as being great at either stretching fuel or reducing carbon footprint.
Researchers at MIT and Sandia National Labs have observed a reaction in lithium-air batteries that could help improve the design of these cells for electric vehicles and other applications.
Healthcare might seem to be an unlikely target application for the Internet of Things technology, but recent developments show small ways that big-data is going to make an impact on patient care moving into the future.
From Dell / Intel® New Paradigms in Design Work Scott Hamilton, vertical market strategist for Dell Precision workstations, 5/2/2013 3
Early in my career, I worked as a draftsman and remember the days of drawing on vellum with numbered pencils and Mylar with plastic lead. This was a fun experience in the sense that I ...
I've been using workstations for more than 10 years and love finding ways to get more performance from my system. With demanding professional applications that require more power each ...
A lasting memory from my first job as an engineer in an auto assembly plant is standing on hard concrete at six in the morning, vending-machine coffee clutched in hand, listening to ...
A quick look into the merger of two powerhouse 3D printing OEMs and the new leader in rapid prototyping solutions, Stratasys. The industrial revolution is now led by 3D printing and engineers are given the opportunity to fully maximize their design capabilities, reduce their time-to-market and functionally test prototypes cheaper, faster and easier. Bruce Bradshaw, Director of Marketing in North America, will explore the large product offering and variety of materials that will help CAD designers articulate their product design with actual, physical prototypes. This broadcast will dive deep into technical information including application specific stories from real world customers and their experiences with 3D printing. 3D Printing is
To save this item to your list of favorite Design News content so you can find it later in your Profile page, click the "Save It" button next to the item.
If you found this interesting or useful, please use the links to the services below to share it with other readers. You will need a free account with each service to share an item via that service.
Tweet This
1 
