Computer Vision News 18 Robotics in Medicine Lab Pietro Valdastri is Chair in Robotics and Autonomous Systems at the School of Electronic and Electrical Engineering, University of Leeds. He is also the Director of STORM (Science and Technologies Of Robotics in Medicine) Lab, working on technologies to transform endoscopy and surgery. He speaks to us about its groundbreaking work. Matias Valdenegro Magnetic manipulation has emerged as an effective method for exploring deep inside the human anatomy in the most minimally invasive way possible. At STORM Lab, they work on enabling technologies that employ external magnets in tandem with catheters containing embedded magnetic particles, allowing unparalleled access to remote anatomical regions. “We’re using this technology to get as far as possible into the lungs,” Pietro tells us. “At the moment, it’s not possible to go very deep into the lungs from the throat. You can reach the peripheral areas by puncturing from outside, but this may puncture the lungs themselves, which can collapse. Instead, we want to go through the mouth and trachea and navigate the branches of the bronchial tree.” STORM Lab’s magnetic tentacles, measuring a mere 1.5mm in diameter, represent a significant advancement over existing tools, which are around 4mm wide and cannot get very deep. Its magnetic catheters can facilitate navigation and the retrieval of tissue samples for diagnostic purposes, as well as the delivery of targeted treatments, such as microwave therapy for tumors. To enable their tiny size, onboard sensors rather than traditional cameras enable intelligent navigation, providing real-time feedback on the catheter’s position. Preoperative imaging helps plan a path, while an optical fiber senses the shape and localizes the catheter, which can be visualized in 3D.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy NTc3NzU=