SAPM: Self-Adaptive Parallel Manipulator with Pose and Force Adjustment for Robotic Ultrasonography.

Area of Science:

• Robotics
• Medical Imaging
• Mechanical Engineering

Background:

• Robotic ultrasonography faces limitations in adapting to anatomical variations.
• Current systems struggle with maintaining consistent probe positioning and force control.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce a novel self-adaptive parallel manipulator (SAPM) for robotic ultrasonography.
• To enable automatic ultrasound probe pose adjustment for diverse body contours.
• To ensure constant operating forces/torques and enhance safety during scans.

Main Methods:

• Development of a 3-degrees of freedom (DOFs) parallel adjustment mechanism for automatic probe pose control.
• Integration of a mechanical measurement and safety protection system to monitor forces and torques.
• Experimental calibration and performance evaluation of the SAPM system.

Main Results:

• The SAPM demonstrated effective 3-DOF motion and accurate force/torque measurement.
• Automatic probe pose adjustment resulted in US image quality comparable to manual scans.
• The system exhibited soft robot-like characteristics, enhancing operational safety.

Conclusions:

• The proposed SAPM significantly improves robotic ultrasonography by enabling adaptive scanning and precise force control.
• The integrated safety features enhance patient and operator safety.
• The SAPM technology holds potential for broader applications in engineering and medicine.