Automatic ultrasound scanning robotic system with optical waveguide-based force measurement.

Area of Science:

• Medical Imaging
• Robotics
• Biomedical Engineering

Background:

• Three-dimensional (3D) ultrasound (US) imaging is vital for medical diagnosis and robot-assisted procedures.
• Maintaining consistent contact force and probe posture during scanning is critical for image quality.
• Automated scanning of curved surfaces presents challenges in force and posture control.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a robotic system for automatic 3D ultrasound scanning of curved surfaces.
• To achieve stable contact force and vertical contact posture during automated scanning.
• To enhance the quality of 3D ultrasound imaging through robotic control.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a 6-Degrees-of-Freedom (6-DOF) robotic arm to control a 2D US probe.
• Developed an automated path-planning strategy for comprehensive area coverage.
• Integrated a novel optical waveguide-based force-measuring device to monitor contact force and posture.
• Implemented a feedback control loop for the robotic arm to adjust probe position and orientation.

Main Results:

• The optical waveguide device accurately measures distributed contact force and estimates posture.
• The system successfully performed automatic scanning on ultrasound phantoms and human body parts.
• Consistent stable contact force and vertical contact posture were maintained throughout the scanning process.
• High-quality 3D ultrasound volumes were generated from the automated scans.

Conclusions:

• A novel robotic system for automated ultrasound scanning was successfully developed and validated.
• The integration of an optical waveguide force-measuring device is effective for controlling contact parameters.
• The system demonstrates feasibility for scanning curved anatomical structures in medical applications.