Endovascular techniques are used to treat several diseases, such as cancers and cardiovascular diseases. Given the current (primitive) tools available and the social and economic impact of these procedures, challenges related to improving control, motion, interaction, adaptation, learning, and safety systems in medical robotics must be addressed. Indeed, although other attempts to introduce robotic endovascular procedures exist (eg, Magellan and Sensei X systems), they all mimic the currently available flexible catheter solutions, focusing on improving their maneuverability and dexterity. However, an ideal endovascular surgical system should have much broader features, including haptic feedback provided to the clinician, integration with the imaging system, reduced cognitive load for the clinician, intuitive control, and a short learning curve. In addition, it should be able to reach all parts of the body, going beyond what catheters can reach today.
This project aims to enhance cognitive control technologies in healthcare, with the goal of improving the applicability, safety, and effectiveness of endovascular techniques. The project proposes an innovative set of modular, AI-driven robot micro-swarms. These robots will have the ability to move under the influence of dynamic electromagnetic fields and will be able to react to several external stimuli to perform actions. They will be controlled naturally by humans through multi-sensory interfaces and intuitive interaction techniques. Through AI techniques, these robots will be able to collaborate as a team to accomplish complex tasks in a more robust and flexible manner. The team of micro-robots will be able to have different characteristics that will be specific to the task at hand, such as biocompatibility or the ability to transport drugs.
Most of the results reported so far concerned the magnetic control of individual microrobots, often equipped with a strong permanent magnet. It is only recently that the control of swarms of multifunctional magnetic microrobots has been investigated. Enabling a human user to independently and intuitively control a swarm of microrobots can have a significant impact in many scenarios, starting with the field of medicine that we address in this project.
The main focus on the thesis will be in the medical domain, addressing two scenarios in this field: endovascular aneurysm embolization (i.e., blocking an aneurysm blood supply to prevent its rupture) and drug delivery (i.e., precise dosing of antibiotics to kill bacterial cultures). However, in the framework on the linked European project REGO (http://www.rego-project.eu/), we will be able to test the proposed techniques also for environmental remediation (i.e., targeted decomposition of water pollutants) and micromanipulation and microassembly (i.e., assembly of micromachines, manipulation of cells and biomaterials).
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The project is carried out in the framework of the European collaborative project REGO (https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/101070066). The project is coordinated by CNRS (France/Brittany), in collaboration with Inria (France/Brittany), CHU Rennes (France/Brittany), Haption (France/Pays de la Loire), the Italian Institute of Technology (Italy), Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna (Italy), the University of Twente (The Netherlands), and the Leibniz Institute for Solid State and Materials Research (Germany). This thesis will be specifically realized in collaboration with the University of Twente and the CHU of Rennes (radiology and medical imaging department).