Estimation of Contact Forces of Endovascular Devices Using Physicians' Bio-Signals

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Robotics
• Medical Device Technology

Background:

• Cardiovascular diseases are a leading cause of death globally.
• Endovascular interventions, like stent placement, are crucial but technically demanding.
• Robotic solutions could enhance access to care but require understanding force limits.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a data-driven method for estimating contact forces during endovascular interventions.
• To inform the design of safety mechanisms for robotic-assisted procedures.
• To enable the use of standard, non-sensorized equipment for force measurement.

Main Methods:

• Proposed a novel method analyzing physician's muscular activity and motion patterns.
• Utilized wearable sensors to track operator's biometrics.
• Tested the system by inserting an endovascular instrument into a phantom model.

Main Results:

• Demonstrated feasibility of tracking contact forces during instrument insertion.
• Achieved relative mean absolute error < 13% for force estimation.
• Results indicate force discrepancies are unnoticeable to human users (within Weber's fraction).

Conclusions:

• Wearable sensors can effectively estimate forces in endovascular procedures.
• This approach converts the operator into a sensor system, avoiding specialized equipment.
• Enables safer and more accessible endovascular treatments through robotic assistance.