Robot Assisted Laser Osteotomy

In the scope of this thesis world\u27s first robot system was developed, which facilitates osteotomy using laser in arbitrary geometries with an overall accuracy below 0.5mm. Methods of computer and robot assisted surgery were reconsidered and composed to a workflow. Adequate calibration and registration methods are proposed. Further a methodology for transferring geometrically defined cutting trajectories into pulse sequences and optimized execution plans is developed

The beginning of a new era in bone surgery Effectiveness and clinical application of a cold-ablation and robot-guided laser osteotome

Most industrial laser applications utilize computer and robot assistance, for guidance, safety, repeatability, and precision. For industrial applications, the increase in throughput and the processing speed are in the foreground. Nevertheless, these tools cannot just be transferred into clinical and surgical use because the focus in surgical interventions is on the exact implementation of a unique plan. The patient, as an inaccurately defined workpiece, with its individual anatomy and pathology, ultimately needs a single lot planning. Nowadays, medical laser systems are hand driven. The possibility of working precision, as used in industry lasers, is not exhausted. Therefore, medical laser beams have to be coupled to robot guidance. But due to the over-size of commercially available tools, efficient and ergonomic work in an operating room is impossible. Integration of the systems such as the laser source, and the robot arm are needed. Another key issue for the accuracy of the robotic arm is the inclusion of a tracking system. All these issues were encountered developing CARLO®: a Cold-Ablation and Robot-guided Laser Osteotome. This PhD thesis is divided in three parts: - an in-vivo study in sheep, - an in-vitro / wetlab study on human cadavers, and - a theoretical-experimental study to evaluate biomechanical changes in different osteotomy pattern. To test the applicability of the system in an operation theatre similar environment, an in-vivo animal trial was performed. Additionally, we wanted to demonstrate that bone healing after laser osteotomy is not impaired compared to the standard tool the piezo-osteotome. In terms of new mineralized bone formation, histological and micro-CT analysis showed clearly a higher tendency towards the acceleration of the healing process in the laser group. Additionally, no signs of bone necrosis were seen. In addition to the pure functioning of the device, the applicability in the clinic is important for technology to prevail. Therefore, dummy tests for the ergonomics and cadaver tests for the simulation of "real" operations in the cranio-maxillofacial field were performed. Wetlab tests were conducted on human cadavers where different macro-retentive osteotomy patterns were performed. It could be demonstrated that our prototype shows advantages over the current state of the art cutting tools, e.g. reduced bone loss, precise and real-time navigated execution of predefined geometries of freely selected osteotomy patterns. This advantage can be implemented in another indication of our prototype in the cranio-maxillofacial field: in craniosynostosis surgery. We performed a study using finite element analysis to simulate incomplete osteotomies on the inner side of the bone flap to facilitate the re-shaping (skull molding). This biomechanical analysis intended to create basic knowledge in terms of the best stress vs. force relation to obtain the largest projected bone surface. Moreover, a human multicenter study is ready to start for the clinical introduction of the cold-ablation and robot-guided laser osteotome and to gain more experience and information for future work

Optical Coherence Tomography guided Laser-Cochleostomy

Despite the high precision of laser, it remains challenging to control the laser-bone ablation without injuring the underlying critical structures. Providing an axial resolution on micrometre scale, OCT is a promising candidate for imaging microstructures beneath the bone surface and monitoring the ablation process. In this work, a bridge connecting these two technologies is established. A closed-loop control of laser-bone ablation under the monitoring with OCT has been successfully realised

Assistive control for non-contact machining of random shaped contours

Recent achievements in robotics and automation technology has opened the door towards different machining methodologies based on material removal. Considering the non force feedback nature of non-contact machining methods, careful attention on motion control design is a primary requirement for successful achievement of precise cutting both in machining and in surgery processes. This thesis is concerned with the design of pre-processing methods and motion control techniques to provide both automated and human-assistive non-contact machining of random and complex shaped contours. In that sense, the first part of the thesis focuses on extraction of contours and generation of reference trajectories or constraints for the machining system. Based on generated trajectories, two different control schemes are utilized for high precision automated machining. In the first scheme, preview control is adopted for enhancing the tracking performance. In the second scheme, control action is generated based on direct computation of contouring error in the operational space by introducing a new coordinate frame moving with the reference contour. Further, non-contact machining is extended for realization in a master/slave telerobotic framework to enable manual remote cutting by a human operator. With the proposed approach, the human operator (i.e. a surgeon) is limited to conduct motion within a desired virtual constraint and is equipped with the ability of adjusting the cutting depth over a that contour providing advantage for laser surgery applications. The proposed framework is experimentally tested and results of the experiments prove the applicability of proposed motion control schemes and show the validity of contributions made in the context of thesis

Augmented Reality and Artificial Intelligence in Image-Guided and Robot-Assisted Interventions

In minimally invasive orthopedic procedures, the surgeon places wires, screws, and surgical implants through the muscles and bony structures under image guidance. These interventions require alignment of the pre- and intra-operative patient data, the intra-operative scanner, surgical instruments, and the patient. Suboptimal interaction with patient data and challenges in mastering 3D anatomy based on ill-posed 2D interventional images are essential concerns in image-guided therapies. State of the art approaches often support the surgeon by using external navigation systems or ill-conditioned image-based registration methods that both have certain drawbacks. Augmented reality (AR) has been introduced in the operating rooms in the last decade; however, in image-guided interventions, it has often only been considered as a visualization device improving traditional workflows. Consequently, the technology is gaining minimum maturity that it requires to redefine new procedures, user interfaces, and interactions. This dissertation investigates the applications of AR, artificial intelligence, and robotics in interventional medicine. Our solutions were applied in a broad spectrum of problems for various tasks, namely improving imaging and acquisition, image computing and analytics for registration and image understanding, and enhancing the interventional visualization. The benefits of these approaches were also discovered in robot-assisted interventions. We revealed how exemplary workflows are redefined via AR by taking full advantage of head-mounted displays when entirely co-registered with the imaging systems and the environment at all times. The proposed AR landscape is enabled by co-localizing the users and the imaging devices via the operating room environment and exploiting all involved frustums to move spatial information between different bodies. The system's awareness of the geometric and physical characteristics of X-ray imaging allows the exploration of different human-machine interfaces. We also leveraged the principles governing image formation and combined it with deep learning and RGBD sensing to fuse images and reconstruct interventional data. We hope that our holistic approaches towards improving the interface of surgery and enhancing the usability of interventional imaging, not only augments the surgeon's capabilities but also augments the surgical team's experience in carrying out an effective intervention with reduced complications

Empirical Control for Intelligent Robotic Systems – State-of-the-Art

Емпиријско управљање представља нов приступ у концепцијском пројектовању управљачких система мобилних робота и робота вертикалне зглобне конфигурације. У односу на конвенционалне приступе, емпиријски системи имају способност машинског учења на основу прикупљених информација из технолошког окружења, перманентно унапређујући своје понашање сходно постављеном задатку. У раду је дат детаљан преглед истраживања у овој области са посебним освртом на развој и имплеметацију емпиријских управљачких система на бази машинског Q-учења ојачавањем и soft computing техника вештачке интелигенције. Извршена је анализа актуелних праваца истраживања са становишта карактеристичних проблема управљања роботских система (проблем навигације, избегавања препрека, праћења зида технолошког окружења, и/или визуелног навођења). Сваки од презентованих истраживачких резултата је укратко описан, са јасно наглашеном предношћу примене теорије емпиријског управљања у процесу концепцијског пројектовања управљачких система.Empirical control presents a new approach in the domain of the conceptual design of the control systems for mobile robots and robot manipulators. Compared to the conventional design methods, empirical control systems have the ability to learn based on the information obtained from the environment, continuously improving robot’s behaviour. This paper presents a review on current research results, with emphasis on control systems based on the Q-learning algorithm and soft computing techniques. Comparative analysis has been conducted in terms of common robot-based and vision-based tasks. Described algorithms and experimental evaluations in real world clearly points out the advantages of implementation of the empirical theory in the conceptual design process of the control systems

pllication of the Ecologically Based Approaches to Implementation of Intelligent Manufacturing Systems for Production of Sheet Metal Parts – Overview of Research Results within the Project TR-35004

У раду је представљен део резултата који су настали током прве године истраживања на пројекту „Иновативни приступ у примени интелигентних технолошких система за производњу делова од лима заснован на еколошким принципима“ (евид. бр. ТР-35004) Министарства просвете и науке Републике Србије. Пројектним активностима су обухваћена два основна правца истраживања: испитивање трења у микро подручју применом метода скенирајуће микроскопије и развој алгоритама за управљање интелигентних робота, са акцентом на примени еколошких принципа који подразумевају уштеду енергије, материјала и средстава за подмазивање. Приказани резултати су укључени у предавања и лабораторијске вежбе на предметима Катедре за производно машинство, а њихова применљивост верификована је и кроз сарадњу са корисницима из домаће индустрије, ФМП д.о.о. из Београда и OPTIX д.о.о. из Земуна.This paper presents a part of results conducted within the project „An innovative ecologically based approach to implementation of intelligent manufacturing systems for production of sheet metal parts“(TR35004), supported by the Serbian Government - the Ministry of Education and Science. The two primary areas of research covered by the project activities are: an examination of friction in micro area by using scanning microscopy method and development of algorithms for intelligent robots control, prioritizing ecological principles of energy, material, and lubricant saving. The presented results are included in lectures and laboratory exercises at the Production Engineering Department courses and verified through the collaboration with participants from the domestic industry, FMP d.o.o. Belgrade and OPTIX d.о.о. Zemun

Empirical Control for Intelligent Robotic Systems – State-of-the-Art

Емпиријско управљање представља нов приступ у концепцијском пројектовању управљачких система мобилних робота и робота вертикалне зглобне конфигурације. У односу на конвенционалне приступе, емпиријски системи имају способност машинског учења на основу прикупљених информација из технолошког окружења, перманентно унапређујући своје понашање сходно постављеном задатку. У раду је дат детаљан преглед истраживања у овој области са посебним освртом на развој и имплеметацију емпиријских управљачких система на бази машинског Q-учења ојачавањем и soft computing техника вештачке интелигенције. Извршена је анализа актуелних праваца истраживања са становишта карактеристичних проблема управљања роботских система (проблем навигације, избегавања препрека, праћења зида технолошког окружења, и/или визуелног навођења). Сваки од презентованих истраживачких резултата је укратко описан, са јасно наглашеном предношћу примене теорије емпиријског управљања у процесу концепцијског пројектовања управљачких система.Empirical control presents a new approach in the domain of the conceptual design of the control systems for mobile robots and robot manipulators. Compared to the conventional design methods, empirical control systems have the ability to learn based on the information obtained from the environment, continuously improving robot’s behaviour. This paper presents a review on current research results, with emphasis on control systems based on the Q-learning algorithm and soft computing techniques. Comparative analysis has been conducted in terms of common robot-based and vision-based tasks. Described algorithms and experimental evaluations in real world clearly points out the advantages of implementation of the empirical theory in the conceptual design process of the control systems