Medical ultrasound

Keywords: Robots, Medical

Medical ultrasound

Applicant: University of British Columbia, CanadaPatent number:US6,425,865Publication date: 30 July 2002Title: Robotically assisted medical ultrasound

This patent presents a method and apparatus to perform ultrasound image acquisition using a robot to position the ultrasound transducer. The teleoperation system comprises a robot arm suitable for carrying the ultrasound probe, a passive or active hand-controller, and a real-time computer system that allows the operator to remotely position the ultrasound transducer relative to the patient’s body.

Under the shared control of the ultrasound operator and the computer, the robot arm is used to position the ultrasound probe. The computer co-ordinates the motion and forces of the robot and hand-controller as a function of operator input, sensed parameters and ultrasound images. The system can also operate on taught position and force trajectories and has been tested for carotid artery examination.