Finally, an outlook for future directions of robotic ultrasound systems combined with artificial intelligence (AI) or virtual/augmented reality (VR/AR) is provided, as these technologies have gained increased attention in the past years. The reviewed systems are then categorized into teleoperation, collaborative assistance, and autonomous systems. This review starts by presenting the technical specifications and requirements for these systems with a focus on ultrasound imaging and safety considerations of the robot. The LORA values correspond to the following terms (further information on the levels in Fig. In addition, each described system was objectively classified to a LORA between level one and nine after defining the task to be performed autonomously by the robotic ultrasound systems as: The ultrasound acquisition of a specific anatomical region of interest (ROI) including the initial placement of the ultrasound probe. We use the level of robot autonomy (LORA) to organize the sections of this review into either teleoperated, collaborative assisting, or autonomous systems. Nevertheless, this review focuses on the most recent systems with the emphasis on findings published in the last five years, highlighting the current status and future directions of robotic ultrasound. A range of commercial and research systems have been developed over the past two decades for different medical fields, and many were summarized in previous reviews. This combination might overcome ultrasound disadvantages by means of either a teleoperated, a collaborative assisting, or even an autonomous system. Robotic ultrasound is the fusion of a robotic system and an ultrasound station with its probe attached to the robot end-effector. While spatially and temporally separated image acquisition and diagnostics are common practice for MRI and CT, sonographers must perform both at the same time, making the examination mentally more demanding. Further, manual guidance of the probe makes reproducible image acquisition almost impossible. This un-ergonomic examination process may also lead to work-related musculoskeletal disorders. Apart from identifying the correct field of view, thus being continuously focused on the ultrasound station screen, and holding the probe manually with an appropriate pressure, the examiner must also adjust several imaging settings on the ultrasound station. However, ultrasound is a strongly user-dependent modality that requires highly skilled and experienced sonographers for proper examinations. Additionally, real-time volumetric ultrasound (four-dimensional, 4D) has recently gained attention as new matrix array probes provide sufficiently high frame rates for many medical applications. As a radiation-free, portable, widely available, and real-time capable imaging technique, this imaging modality has significant advantages compared to other techniques such as computed tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Ultrasound has become an indispensable medical imaging modality for both diagnostics and interventions. Finally, future trends for robotic ultrasound systems are reviewed with a focus on artificial intelligence and virtual/augmented reality. Hereafter, the literature of the past five years is subdivided into teleoperation, collaborative assistance, or autonomous systems based on LORA. SummaryĪ review on robotic ultrasound systems is presented in which first technical specifications are outlined. Future research will likely focus on artificial intelligence and virtual/augmented reality to improve image understanding and ergonomics. However, missing key factors are clinical studies and appropriate safety strategies. Collaborative assisting and autonomous systems are still in the research phase, with a focus on ultrasound image processing and force adaptation strategies. Teleoperating systems show the highest level of technical maturity. The systems are categorized based on their level of robot autonomy (LORA). This review provides an overview of the most recent robotic ultrasound systems that have contemporary emerged over the past five years, highlighting their status and future directions.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |