Robotic tele-echography (TER)
The clinical objective is to enable en expert operator to remotely perform echographic examinations. The system type is master-slave. Thanks to the master workstation (top) allowing for real-time image display and force feedback to the operator, he (she) can control the echographic probe movements. The slave system (bottom) is a light, cable-driven robot with 2 degrees of freedom (dof) for translation on the patient body and 4 dofs for rotation of the probe (3dofs) and one fine translation for pressure control on the body. A visio conference makes it possible for the two sites to dialog. The system has been demonstrated with several types of telecommunications networks. The CAMI team has set-up and managed the overall project and has designed and developed the slave robot. This project has been clinically evaluated in a first stage for patients suffering from abdominal aneurysms (between the angiology and radiology departments of Brest and Grenoble hospitals) and in a second stage for emergency care of abdominal traumas (between the emergency department of the south hospital of Grenoble and the radiology department of the north hospital).
References : A. Vilchis, J. Troccaz, P. Cinquin, K. Masuda, F. Pellissier. A new robot architecture for tele-echography. IEEE Trans. On Robotics and Automation, Special issue on Medical Robotics, Vol19, No5, pp922-926, october 2003 (PDF) T. Martinelli, J.L. Bosson, L. Bressollette, F. Pelissier, E. Boidard, J. Troccaz, P. Cinquin. Robot-based tele-echography; clinical evaluation of the TER system in abdominal aortic exploration. Journal of Ultrasound in Medicine, 2007 ; 26 :1611-1616
Collaborations : France Telecom R&D, Praxim, Grenoble hospital, CIC, Brest hospital, LATIM
Status: SLEEPING several patents – two clinical evaluations completed
More information : Best PhD thesis Award, INPG, 2003 Adriana Vilchis-Gonzales
Contact : jocelyne.troccaz@imag.fr or philippe.cinquin@imag.fr