Robot "semi-autonomously navigates" within living lung tissue while avoiding important structures such as tiny airways and blood vessels

3 stages of semi-autonomous medical robotic lungs. Image credit: KUNTZ et al/University of North Carolina

Some tumors are so small that they are hidden deep in the lung tissue, making it difficult for doctors to reach them. To address this challenge, researchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Vanderbilt University have been working on an extremely flexible but strong robot that can travel through lung tissue. In a recent paper published in the journal Science Robotics, they showed that the new robot can autonomously travel from "point A" to "point B" while avoiding important structures in living laboratory models, such as tiny Airways and blood vessels.

Researchers say the technology can achieve goals that robotic bronchoscopy cannot. It will give an extra few centimeters or even millimeters of distance, which can be a big help when tracking small targets in the lungs.

The robot consists of several independent components. The principle of the mechanical control assembly is to utilize a needle that provides controlled thrust forward and backward, and the needle design allows steering along a curved path. The needle is made of nickel-titanium alloy and is laser-etched to increase its flexibility, allowing it to move easily through tissue.

The etchings on the needle allow it to easily maneuver around obstacles as it moves forward. Other accessories such as catheters can be used with the needle to perform procedures such as lung biopsies.

In order to penetrate tissue, the needle needs to know where it is going. The research team used CT scans of the subjects' chests and artificial intelligence to create a three-dimensional model of the lungs, including airways, blood vessels and selected targets. Using this 3D model, once the needle is set on target, the AI-driven software instructs it to automatically move from "point A" to "point B" while avoiding important structures.

Researchers say it's similar to a self-driving car, but it can navigate through lung tissue, avoiding obstacles such as vital blood vessels as it reaches its destination.

When talking about robots working in the human body, people always hope that they will be small, flexible, intelligent, flexible and strong. They hope that this kind of robot can assist human hands and eyes, go to places that are difficult for human hands to reach, and see clearly that human eyes cannot. Distinguished lesions. This time, a new kind of robot was born. It can not only go to the set destination, but also flexibly avoid some small but important structures. You know, the human body is so complex, and there are too many small obstacles that need to be bypassed on the way to the goal. Researchers must pay attention to the structure, materials and movement mode of the robot so that it can move forward and retreat freely and successfully treat diseases and save lives.