Robotic end effector for decompression of tension pneumothorax

Area of Science:

• Robotics
• Medical Devices
• Emergency Medicine

Background:

• Tension pneumothorax requires immediate intervention.
• Lack of on-site medical personnel limits emergency treatment options.
• Robotic systems offer potential for remote life-saving procedures.

Purpose of the Study:

• Develop and evaluate a robotic end effector for needle decompression.
• Enable emergency intervention for tension pneumothorax without medical staff.
• Assess the feasibility and performance of the robotic system.

Main Methods:

• Designed a compact, modular robotic end effector with single-actuator control.
• Incorporated automated sterile pickup, ultrasound positioning, and quick-switch tooling.
• Validated mechanical performance and needle handling using ex vivo porcine tissue and a simulated pleural pressure model.

Main Results:

• The end effector delivered the required 30 N insertion force.
• The gripper withstood peak axial loads over 290 N, demonstrating robustness.
• Achieved a 90.9% success rate in needle decompression and retraction procedures.

Conclusions:

• This work presents the first robotic end effector for tension pneumothorax needle decompression.
• The proposed design shows reproducible performance and procedural feasibility.
• Enables emergency intervention in remote settings or resource-limited environments.