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

Tracheal intubation is the gold standard of airway protection and constitutes a pivotal life-saving technique frequently employed in emergency medical interventions. Hence, in this paper, a system is designed to execute tracheal intubation tasks automatically, offering a safer and more efficient solution, thereby alleviating the burden on physicians.

The system comprises a tracheal tube with a bendable front end, a drive system, and a tip endoscope. The soft actuator provides two degrees of freedom for precise orientation. It is fabricated with varying-hardness silicone and reinforced with fibers and spiral steel wire for flexibility and safety. The hydraulic actuation system and tube feeding mechanism enable controlled bending and delivery. Object detection of key anatomical features guides the robotic arm and soft actuator. The control strategy involves visual servo control for coordinated robotic arm and soft actuator movements, ensuring accurate and safe tracheal intubation.

The kinematics of the soft actuator were established using a constant curvature model, allowing simulation of its workspace. Through experiments, the actuator is capable of 90° bending as well as 20° deflection on the left and right sides. The maximum insertion force of the tube is 2 N. Autonomous tracheal intubation experiments on a training manikin were successful in all 10 trials, with an average insertion time of 45.6 s.

Experimental validation on the manikin demonstrated that the robot tracheal intubation system based on a soft actuator was able to perform safe, stable, and automated tracheal intubation. In summary, this paper proposed a safe and automated robot-assisted tracheal intubation system based on a soft actuator, showing considerable potential for clinical applications.