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Tackling hearing loss with soft robotics
Tackling hearing loss with soft robotics
Treatment of hearing loss is challenging, particularly when it originates in the inner ear (the cochlea). To-date, acute hearing loss is commonly treated through oral tablets, however, drug uptake in the inner ear is limited due to the blood-perilymph barrier. Local delivery of drugs directly through the ear drum leads to a significantly higher drug concentration whilst also eliminating the risk for side effects.
We're developing a soft robot which serves as a guide for tools introduced through the ear canal. It employs radially-aligned, inflatable balloons to stabilize itself within the ear canal and steer relative to it. Liquid serves as a working medium for precisely controlling the balloon motion and transmitting contact pressures to liquid pressure sensors. An on-board camera allows for close-up visualization of the tympanic membrane and computer vision enables autonomous targeting of the device.
The work received the Best Innovation Prize at Hamlyn Surgical Robot Challenge 2022 and was Finalist for the Best Paper in Medical Robotics at the 2021 IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA).
Funders of the work include the Wellcome/EPSRC Centre for Interventional & Surgical Sciences (WEISS) and the KCL EPSRC Impact Acceleration Account.
Relevant work:
Relevant work:
Lindenroth, L., Bano, S., Stilli, A., Manjaly, J. G., & Stoyanov, D. (2021). A fluidic soft robot for needle guidance and motion compensation in intratympanic steroid injections. IEEE Robotics and Automation Letters, 6(2), 871-878.
Lindenroth, L., Merlin, J., Bano, S., Manjaly, J. G., Mehta, N., & Stoyanov, D. (2022). Intrinsic force sensing for motion estimation in a parallel, fluidic soft robot for endoluminal interventions. IEEE Robotics and Automation Letters, 7(4), 10581-10588.
Lindenroth, L., Manjaly, J., Bano, S., Stilli, A., Dwyer, G., & Stoyanov, D., WO2022136836A1 (WIPO PCT). A system for positioning a medical tool.
Soft robot-assisted ultrasound scanning
Soft robot-assisted ultrasound scanning
Ultrasound scanning poses high risk of repetitive strain injury amongst sonographers. Additionally, the increasing demand for diagnostic and intraoperative ultrasound, particularly in cardiac and lung procedures, has heightened the need for ergonomic solutions and safety measures. Our research introduces the use of soft robotics for ultrasound scanning through a novel end-effector which employs linear soft fluidic actuators. This system ensures high axial loadbearing capabilities and lateral compliance, offering adaptability and safety in patient interactions. Our previous works include the design, verification, and validation of the robotic system's performance, as well as it's intrinsic force sensing and control capabilities.
Relevant work:
Relevant work:
Lindenroth, L., Stoyanov, D., Rhode, K., & Liu, H. (2022). Toward intrinsic force sensing and control in parallel soft robots. IEEE/ASME Transactions on Mechatronics, 28(1), 80-91.
Lindenroth, L., Housden, R. J., 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, 67(8), 2215-2229.
Lindenroth, L., Soor, A., Hutchinson, J., Shafi, A., Back, J., Rhode, K., & Liu, H. (2017, September). Design of a soft, parallel end-effector applied to robot-guided ultrasound interventions. In 2017 IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems (IROS) (pp. 3716-3721). IEEE.
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