PALPABLE Project

🔍 Enhancing robotic surgery with haptic feedback! 🤖🩺 A master’s thesis from Anna Pellisé Tintoré Universidad Politécnica de Madrid and Medtronic explores integrating PALPABLE's haptic feedback technology into Medtronic's Hugo™ robotic surgery platform. The research highlights the critical need for tactile feedback in robotic surgery, addressing the significant challenges posed by its absence and marks a step forward in improving surgical experiences and outcomes! 📖 Read more 👇 #roboticsurgery #hapticfeedback #healthcaretechnology

🔬 Breakthrough in Soft Sensor Technology: World's First Electricity-Free Touchpad! Researchers at Tampere University have achieved a soft touchpad that operates without electricity, using only pneumatic channels. This innovation opens up exciting possibilities for medical imaging, robotics, and rehabilitation. Key features: • Can detect force, area, and location of touch • Made of soft silicone with 32 microscale channels • Functions in extreme conditions (MRI machines, radiation environments) • Capable of detecting multiple touches simultaneously 🏥 Medical Applications: - Safe use during MRI scans - Enables pneumatic robot-guided biopsies during imaging - Perfect for environments where electrical sparks pose risks 🤖 Potential in Robotics & Rehabilitation: - Integration with soft robots - Enhanced prosthetic hands with touch sensitivity - Comfortable wearable rehabilitation devices Published in Advanced Intelligent Systems @Wiley, read more here: https://lnkd.in/gRZBpXDw

🔧 Innovative fluid circuits for Soft Robotics 🤖 A team at King's College London has developed a groundbreaking fluid-based circuit system that allows soft robots to move without electronics! By controlling robotic movement through fluid pressure instead of electrical signals, these robots can operate in extreme environments like MRI rooms or irradiated areas. This breakthrough could revolutionise soft robotics, freeing up computational space for more complex tasks while enabling robots to be lighter, more efficient, and potentially AI-driven. 🌍 Applications: Extreme environments, social care, underwater exploration, and beyond! #softrobotics 

🚀 Revolutionising Medical Exams with #Robotics! 🤖 Researchers at the University of Science and Technology of China have developed a soft robotic finger that mimics human touch, capable of detecting lumps and taking pulses. This innovation could improve early disease detection and make exams more comfortable for patients. With advanced sensors, the finger offers precise medical diagnostics and could help address healthcare shortages globally. With our PALPABLE solution, internal palpation through tactile sensing will be achieved, aiming to enable tissue characterisation according to  depth, size and stiffness. #medicaltech #healthcareinnovation #softrobotics

Kaspar Althoefer from partner Queen Mary University of London gave an insightful keynote IROS 2024! Watch the video to delve into the details of this exciting topic! You can find his speech at: https://lnkd.in/de4cU3yG For the full session check the link below👇 https://lnkd.in/dJ63z4Wk

 Miniature robots in convoy for endoscopic surgery! 🔬 Researchers at the DKFZ German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) have developed millimeter-sized TrainBots that work together to transport surgical instruments for endoscopic microsurgery. These robots, equipped with improved "anti-slip feet," overcome challenges like slippery body surfaces and insufficient strength when working alone. In a groundbreaking experiment, a TrainBot convoy successfully performed electrocauterisation to remove a bile duct blockage! 🚑 With this innovation revolutionising minimally invasive surgery, how do you see robotic convoys transforming other areas of medicine? #endoscopicsurgery #healthcareinnovation #minimallyinvasivesurgery 

🚀Exciting Robotics Innovation! 🤖 Check out this new work published in Nature Communications on millimeter-scale self-sensing soft-rigid hybrid (SHY) robots! These robots combine soft, flexible materials with rigid structures to create versatile, real-time shape-sensing modules. 🔧 Key Highlights: 🔹Soft-foldable PTFE actuators with integrated ionic resistive sensors for self-sensing motion. 🔹Three motion types: translational, bending, and roto-translational, allow for precise control. 🔹Applications demonstrated in object grasping, in-vitro biopsies, and light steering for medical uses. Congrats to the team at Boston University! 💡

PALPABLE will feature at IROS 2024! Kaspar Althoefer from partner Queen Mary University of London will give an insightful keynote on "Translating Nature: Bio-inspired solutions for robotic surgery" and reference our research. Nature has always been a source of inspiration for innovation, and surgical robotics is no exception. From octopus arms to plant growth patterns, researchers are creating soft, flexible robots that can navigate complex environments, just like in nature. These bio-inspired surgical robots could revolutionise how we approach delicate procedures, offering unprecedented access to hard-to-reach areas with minimal disturbance to surrounding tissues. In his talk, cutting-edge research in soft robotics for surgical applications will be explored, and its transformative potential highlighted, addressing groundbreaking initiatives like PALPABLE. Stay tuned to learn more - or see you there! #IROS2024 #surgicalrobotics #bioinspired #softrobotics #healthcareinnovation #medicaltech

🚀 Exciting developments in telemedicine! At the ESC Congress 2024, research revealed that remote echocardiograms using a 5G network match the accuracy of traditional in-person exams. Conducted by Dr. Yu Liu  and team at ZhongShan Hospital, Fudan University, the study involved 51 patients and utilised a robotic arm-assisted system. Key findings include: 🔸98% diagnostic accuracy, aligning with conventional results. 🔸Sufficient image quality for 50 out of 51 patients. 🔸Remote exams took about 50% longer but significantly enhanced accessibility to cardiac care, especially in underserved areas. This technology not only improves patient access but also reduces exposure risks for healthcare professionals during pandemics. #telemedicine #cardiology  #healthcareinnovation #remotemedicine #medicalresearch

🦵New insights into effective knee pain management! A recent study in the Journal of Vascular and Interventional Radiology reveals that genicular artery embolization (GAE) provides lasting relief for knee osteoarthritis (OA) for at least 2 years in patients not suitable for knee replacement. Remarkably, 72% of patients who improved at 1 year continued to experience relief at 2 years, with no long-term adverse effects noted. Dr. Siddharth A. Padia highlights that the minimally invasive GAE allows patients to return to normal activities without lengthy recovery times, marking a significant advancement in OA treatment. #minimallyinvasive #healthcare