A robot-assisted tracheal intubation system based on a soft actuator?

Area of Science:

• Robotics in Medicine
• Biomedical Engineering
• Medical Devices

Background:

• Tracheal intubation is critical for airway protection in emergency medicine.
• Current methods rely heavily on physician expertise, posing potential risks and workload challenges.

Purpose of the Study:

• To design and develop an automated robotic system for tracheal intubation.
• To enhance safety and efficiency in airway management procedures.
• To reduce the burden on medical professionals during critical interventions.

Main Methods:

• A system integrating a bendable tracheal tube, a drive system, and a tip endoscope was developed.
• A soft actuator with two degrees of freedom, made of varying-hardness silicone and reinforced materials, allows precise orientation.
• Visual servo control and object detection guide the robotic arm and soft actuator for accurate intubation.

Main Results:

• The soft actuator demonstrated 90° bending and 20° lateral deflection capabilities.
• Experiments on a training manikin showed successful automated tracheal intubation in 10 out of 10 trials.
• The average insertion time for autonomous intubation was 45.6 seconds with a maximum insertion force of 2 N.

Conclusions:

• The developed robot-assisted tracheal intubation system, utilizing a soft actuator, proved safe, stable, and automated in manikin trials.
• This system shows significant potential for future clinical applications in emergency medicine.
• Automated tracheal intubation offers a promising advancement in airway management techniques.