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Robotic system for nasopharyngeal swab sampling based on remote center of motion mechanism

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International Journal of Computer Assisted Radiology and Surgery Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose

In this study, a robotic system is proposed for nasopharyngeal (NP) swab sampling with high safety and efficiency. Most existing swab-sampling robots have more than six degrees of freedom (DOFs). However, not all six DOFs are necessarily required for NP swab sampling. A high number of DOFs can cause safety problems, such as collisions between the robot and patient.

Method

We developed a new type of robot with four DOFs for NP swab sampling that consists of a two DOFs remote center of motion (RCM) mechanism, a two DOFs insertion mechanism, and a nostril support unit. With the nostril support unit, the robot no longer needs to adjust the insertion position of the swab. The proposed robot enables the insertion orientation and depth to be adjusted according to different postures or facial shapes of the subject. For intuitive and precise remote control of the robot, a dedicated master device for the RCM and a visual feedback system were developed.

Result

The effectiveness of the robotic system was demonstrated by repeatability, RCM accuracy, tracking accuracy, and in vitro phantom experiments. The average tracking error between the master device and the robot was less than 2 mm. The contact force exerted on the swab prior to reaching the nasopharynx was less than 0.04 N, irrespective of the phantom's pose.

Conclusion

This study confirmed that the RCM-based robotic system is effective and safe for NP swab sampling while using minimal DOFs.

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Acknowledgements

This research was supported by the R&D Convergence Program of the National Research Council of Science & Technology of the Republic of Korea (CRC-20-02-KIST), and by a grant of the Korea Health Technology R&D Project through the Korea Health Industry Development Institute (KHIDI), funded by the Ministry of Health & Welfare, Republic of Korea (HR22C1302020023).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Medical Robotics, Korea Institute of Machinery and Materials, Daegu, 42994, South Korea

    Seongbo Shim & Joonho Seo

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  1. Seongbo Shim
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  2. Joonho Seo
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Correspondence to Joonho Seo.

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Shim, S., Seo, J. Robotic system for nasopharyngeal swab sampling based on remote center of motion mechanism. Int J CARS 19, 395–403 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11548-023-03032-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11548-023-03032-8

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