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Towards autonomous robotic THz-based in vivo skin sensing: the PicoBot
Anubhav Dogra1, Dominic Jones2, Arturo Ignacio Hernandez Serrano3
1Department of Physics, University of Warwick, Coventry, UK. anubhav.dogra@warwick.ac.uk.
Scientific Reports
|February 6, 2025
Summary
A new robotic system, the PicoBot, enhances Terahertz (THz) imaging for skin condition diagnosis. This automated system ensures precise measurements, improving accuracy and repeatability for medical applications.
Area of Science:
- Medical imaging
- Biophysics
- Robotics
Background:
- Terahertz (THz) light offers unique properties for medical imaging, including water sensitivity and non-ionizing radiation.
- Current handheld THz probes for skin condition diagnosis suffer from positional errors and inconsistent contact pressure, leading to imprecise measurements.
- Skin conditions like eczema, psoriasis, and skin cancer necessitate accurate and repeatable diagnostic tools.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop an autonomous robotic system, the PicoBot, for precise and repeatable Terahertz (THz) data acquisition for non-invasive skin condition diagnosis.
- To overcome the limitations of handheld THz probes, specifically sensorimotor perturbations and operator fatigue.
- To enable accurate assessment of skin hydration levels for diagnosing healthy and diseased skin.
Main Methods:
- Development of the PicoBot, an autonomous robotic system for THz skin imaging.
- The PicoBot features 3D scanning, region-of-interest segmentation, precise probe positioning (±0.5/1 mm/degrees), and controlled force application (±0.1N).
- Acquisition of THz data over 60-second intervals with maintained firm contact.
Main Results:
- The robotic automation significantly improved the stability of acquired THz signals, reducing amplitude fluctuation standard deviation by over a factor of four at 1 THz compared to handheld measurements.
- Demonstrated successful THz measurements on volunteers with healthy and dry skin conditions across various body parts (forearm, forehead, cheeks, hands).
- Validated the preclinical feasibility, robustness, and advantages of the PicoBot system over manual measurement setups.
Conclusions:
- The autonomous PicoBot system provides accurate and repeatable measurements for non-invasive skin condition diagnosis using Terahertz (THz) technology.
- Robotic automation addresses the critical limitations of handheld THz probes, enhancing diagnostic capabilities for skin hydration and disease.
- The PicoBot represents a significant advancement in medical imaging for dermatology, offering a more reliable and stable approach to skin analysis.
