Technical Validation of Multi-Section Robotic Bronchoscope With First Person View Control for Transbronchial Biopsies...

Area of Science:

• Medical Engineering
• Pulmonology
• Robotics

Background:

• Transbronchial biopsy is crucial for diagnosing peripheral lung diseases.
• Traditional manual bronchoscopes have limitations in reaching distal airways.
• Robotic bronchoscopes offer potential improvements in maneuverability and control.

Purpose of the Study:

• To validate the advantages of a new multi-section robotic bronchoscope with first-person view control.
• To compare its performance against a manual bronchoscope in transbronchial biopsy procedures.
• To establish benchmarks for future robotic bronchoscope development.

Main Methods:

• Six physician operators performed simulated transbronchial biopsies using both manual and robotic bronchoscopes.
• Procedures were conducted in patient-derived lung phantoms.
• Key metrics included furthest airway generation reached, applied force, and NASA-Task Load Index (NASA-TLX).

Main Results:

• Robotic bronchoscopes reached deeper airway generations (average 6.7th) compared to manual ones (average 6.6th), with consistent 5th generation access.
• Significantly less force was applied using the robotic bronchoscope (0.18 N) versus the manual (0.24 N).
• Physician physical demand, measured by NASA-TLX, was substantially lower with the robotic system (19) than the manual (55).

Conclusions:

• The robotic bronchoscope significantly facilitates advancement into peripheral airways.
• It reduces the physical burden on physician operators during transbronchial biopsy.
• This study provides valuable data for the ongoing development and refinement of robotic bronchoscopy systems.