“Robodoctor” finger can check pulse and feel for lumps, no human needed

International researchers have developed a new ultra-sensitive and soft robotic “finger” that can perform medical tasks such as checking for dust and examining patients for lumps. While robotic hands have been developed before, this new robot finger has the ability to mimic both the feel and function of human touch.

The hope is that this technology can make it easier for doctors to detect diseases such as breast cancer at an earlier stage. This could lead to earlier treatment options, but it can also make intimidating and invasive physical exams less uncomfortable for patients.

Most of us probably take our fingers for granted, but these flexible digits are invaluable in our everyday lives. They help us grasp and manipulate objects, but they also allow us to “feel” the world around us, touch other people and even communicate with each other.

In the medical context, the sensitivity of human hands, enhanced by fine motor control using feedback and learning, can be useful for detecting and diagnosing various diseases and conditions. Palpation, a method of feeling with the fingers and hands during a physical examination, is commonly used to identify and detect abnormalities in a patient’s body. By gently pressing or kneading sensitive areas, doctors can detect potential risks, such as cancers, abdominal aneurysms, thyroid nodules, and more.

The problem, however, is that not all doctors are trained enough to perform these procedures, which can lead to some diseases being missed. At the same time, many patients are unwilling to be touched by a doctor, especially if the doctor is of the opposite sex.

This is where robotic alternatives can be useful, but there are limitations with existing models. For example, some robots have been criticized for being too rigid. Some have worried that such tough fingers (it’s hard to write about these things without sounding like an innuendo) won’t be able to perform the delicate tasks that doctors do and might even break up lumps during exams.

Alternatively, some lightweight robots have been developed which, although cheaper, can mimic the movements of human hands. However, they are not very sensitive and so far have not been able to detect the complex properties of the objects they touch, unlike real fingers.

“Despite remarkable progress in the past decade, most of the soft fingers presented in the literature still have substantial gaps compared to human hands,” said Hongbo Wang, a sensing technology researcher at the University of Science and Technology of China, and his colleagues in his new work. to study

Essentially, the researchers say, existing robotic fingers cannot control “real-world scenarios.” But they may have developed a new soft finger that is sensitive enough for these procedures.

“With further development to improve its efficiency, we also believe that a dexterous hand made with these fingers can act as a “Robodoctor” in a future hospital, like a doctor.Wang said in a statement. “Combined with machine learning, automatic robotic examination and diagnosis can be achieved, which is especially beneficial for these undeveloped areas where there is a severe shortage of health workers.”

To overcome the limitations of other robo-fingers, Wang and his colleagues developed a device that contains coils of conductive fiber with two parts. First, there is a coil wound into each finger actuator air chamber (the part that allows it to bend and move) and a twisted liquid metal fiber mounted on the finger tip.

The electrical flow of the finger can be measured, allowing it to bend in real time as it touches objects. The team can then control the force it applies while doing so. This basically allows the finger to perceive the properties of an object in the same way that a human finger does.

To test its sensitivity, the team started by brushing a pen against a fingertip.

“The magnified view clearly shows the resistance change, indicating its high sensitivity in force detection,” they explain in their study.

After that, the team touched and pushed the fingertip with a glass rod and then bent the finger several times to check that the device correctly sensed the type and amount of force it received.

Then things got really interesting. To assess its ability to perform medical procedures, the team mounted the finger on a robotic arm and watched as it identified three lumps embedded in a large sheet of silicone. The robot finger manipulated the area in the same way as a doctor. While the finger was mounted on an arm, it also correctly located an artery in a patient’s wrist and took his pulse.

This ability to move and apply gentle pressure also allowed the artificial finger to type on a keyboard, typing the word “hello.”

“We have shown that the (robo-finger) can press and ‘feel’ the stiffness of an object and perform safe and accurate robotic palpation, similar to that performed by a doctor,” the team explains in their paper.

“These findings highlight the potential of a ‘robodoctor’ to perform physical examinations in the future.”

“We hope to develop an intelligent and dexterous hand, together with a muscle-driven artificial robotic arm, to mimic the unique functions and fine manipulations of human hands,” Wang added.

The study is published in the journal Cell Reports Physical Science.