skip to main content
US FlagAn official website of the United States government
dot gov icon
Official websites use .gov
A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.
https lock icon
Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A lock ( lock ) or https:// means you've safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

Explore Research Products in the PAR
It may take a few hours for recently added research products to appear in PAR search results.


Title: Review of Advanced Medical Telerobots
The advent of telerobotic systems has revolutionized various aspects of the industry and human life. This technology is designed to augment human sensorimotor capabilities to extend them beyond natural competence. Classic examples are space and underwater applications when distance and access are the two major physical barriers to be combated with this technology. In modern examples, telerobotic systems have been used in several clinical applications, including teleoperated surgery and telerehabilitation. In this regard, there has been a significant amount of research and development due to the major benefits in terms of medical outcomes. Recently telerobotic systems are combined with advanced artificial intelligence modules to better share the agency with the operator and open new doors of medical automation. In this review paper, we have provided a comprehensive analysis of the literature considering various topologies of telerobotic systems in the medical domain while shedding light on different levels of autonomy for this technology, starting from direct control, going up to command-tracking autonomous telerobots. Existing challenges, including instrumentation, transparency, autonomy, stochastic communication delays, and stability, in addition to the current direction of research related to benefit in telemedicine and medical automation, and future vision of this technology, are discussed in this review paper.  more » « less
Award ID(s):
2037878 2031594
PAR ID:
10232330
Author(s) / Creator(s):
; ; ; ;
Date Published:
Journal Name:
Applied Sciences
Volume:
11
Issue:
1
ISSN:
2076-3417
Page Range / eLocation ID:
209
Format(s):
Medium: X
Sponsoring Org:
National Science Foundation
More Like this
  1. ; ; ; ; ; (, Frontiers in Neuroergonomics)
    Understanding how people trust autonomous systems is crucial to achieving better performance and safety in human-autonomy teaming. Trust in automation is a rich and complex process that has given rise to numerous measures and approaches aimed at comprehending and examining it. Although researchers have been developing models for understanding the dynamics of trust in automation for several decades, these models are primarily conceptual and often involve components that are difficult to measure. Mathematical models have emerged as powerful tools for gaining insightful knowledge about the dynamic processes of trust in automation. This paper provides an overview of various mathematical modeling approaches, their limitations, feasibility, and generalizability for trust dynamics in human-automation interaction contexts. Furthermore, this study proposes a novel and dynamic approach to model trust in automation, emphasizing the importance of incorporating different timescales into measurable components. Due to the complex nature of trust in automation, it is also suggested to combine machine learning and dynamic modeling approaches, as well as incorporating physiological data. 
    more » « less
  2. ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; et al (, Journal of Materials Chemistry B)
    null (Ed.)
    Stimuli-responsive hydrogel strain sensors that synergize the advantages of both soft-wet hydrogels and smart functional materials have attracted rapidly increasing interest for exploring the opportunities from material design principles to emerging applications in electronic skins, health monitors, and human–machine interfaces. Stimuli-responsive hydrogel strain sensors possess smart and on-demand ability to specifically recognize various external stimuli and convert them into strain-induced mechanical, thermal, optical, and electrical signals. This review presents an up-to-date summary over the past five years on hydrogel strain sensors from different aspects, including material designs, gelation/fabrication methods, stimuli-responsive principles, and sensing performance. Hydrogel strain sensors are classified into five major categories based on the nature of the stimuli, and representative examples from each category are carefully selected and discussed in terms of structures, response mechanisms, and potential medical applications. Finally, current challenges and future perspectives of hydrogel strain sensors are tentatively proposed to stimulate more and better research in this emerging field. 
    more » « less
  3. ; ; ; (, Annals of Medicine)
    Background: Over the past two decades, the use of Metaverse-enhanced simulations in medical education has witnessed significant advancement. These simulations offer immersive environments and technologies, such as augmented reality, virtual reality, and artificial intelligence that have the potential to revolutionize medical training by providing realistic, hands-on experiences in diagnosing and treating patients, practicing surgical procedures, and enhancing clinical decision-making skills. This scoping review aimed to examine the evolution of simulation technology and the emergence of metaverse applications in medical professionals' training, guided by Friedman's three dimensions in medical education: physical space, time, and content, along with an additional dimension of assessment. Methods: In this scoping review, we examined the related literature in six major databases including PubMed, EMBASE, CINAHL, Scopus, Web of Science, and ERIC. A total of 173 publications were selected for the final review and analysis. We thematically analyzed these studies by combining Friedman's three-dimensional framework with assessment. Results: Our scoping review showed that Metaverse technologies, such as virtual reality simulation and online learning modules have enabled medical education to extend beyond physical classrooms and clinical sites by facilitating remote training. In terms of the Time dimension, simulation technologies have made partial but meaningful progress in supplementing traditional time-dependent curricula, helping to shorten learning curves, and improve knowledge retention. As for the Content dimension, high-quality simulation and metaverse content require alignment with learning objectives, interactivity, and deliberate practice that should be developmentally integrated from basic to advanced skills. With respect to the Assessment dimension, learning analytics and automated metrics from metaverse-enabled simulation systems have enhanced competency evaluation and formative feedback mechanisms. However, their integration into high-stakes testing is limited, and qualitative feedback and human observation remain crucial. Conclusion: Our study provides an updated perspective on the achievements and limitations of using simulation to transform medical education, offering insights that can inform development priorities and research directions for human-centered, ethical metaverse applications that enhance healthcare professional training. 
    more » « less
  4. ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; (, Telemedicine and e-Health)
    Background: There are well-recognized challenges to delivering specialty health care in rural settings. These challenges are particularly evident for specialized surgical health care due to the lack of trained operators in rural communities. Telerobotic surgery could have a significant impact on the rural-urban health care gap, but thus far, the promise of this method of health care delivery has gone unrealized. With the increasing adoption of telehealth over the past year, along with the maturation of telecommunication and robotic technologies over the past 2 decades, a reappraisal of the opportunities and barriers to widespread implementation of telerobotic surgery is warranted. Here we report the outcome of a rural telerobotic stakeholder workshop to explore modern-day issues critical to the advancement of telerobotic surgical health care. Materials and Methods: We assembled a multidisciplinary stakeholder panel to participate in a 2-day Rural Telerobotic Surgery Stakeholder Workshop. Participants had diverse expertise, including specialty surgeons, technology experts, and representatives of the broader telerobotic health care ecosystem, including economists, lawyers, regulatory consultants, public health advocates, rural hospital administrators, nurses, and payers. The research team reviewed transcripts from the workshop with themes identified and research questions generated based on stakeholder comments and feedback. Results: Stakeholder discussions fell into four general themes, including (1) operating room team interactions, (2) education and training, (3) network and security, and (4) economic issues. The research team then identified several research questions within each of these themes and provided specific research strategies to address these questions. Conclusions: There are still important unanswered questions regarding the implementation and adoption of rural telerobotic surgery. Based on stakeholder feedback, we have developed a research agenda along with suggested strategies to address outstanding research questions. The successful execution of these research opportunities will fill critical gaps in our understanding of how to advance the widespread adoption of rural telerobotic health care. 
    more » « less
  5. ; ; (, Frontiers in Space Technologies)
    Tissue chip technology has revolutionized biomedical applications and the medical science field for the past few decades. Currently, tissue chips are one of the most powerful research tools aiding in in vitro work to accurately predict the outcome of studies when compared to monolayer two-dimensional (2D) cell cultures. While 2D cell cultures held prominence for a long time, their lack of biomimicry has resulted in a transition to 3D cell cultures, including tissue chips technology, to overcome the discrepancies often seen in in vitro studies. Due to their wide range of applications, different organ systems have been studied over the years, one of which is the blood brain barrier (BBB) which is discussed in this review. The BBB is an incredible protective unit of the body, keeping out pathogens from entering the brain through vasculature. However, there are some microbes and certain diseases that disrupt the function of this barrier which can lead to detrimental outcomes. Over the past few years, various designs of the BBB have been proposed and modeled to study drug delivery and disease modeling on Earth. More recently, researchers have started to utilize tissue chips in space to study the effects of microgravity on human health. BBB tissue chips in space can be a tool to understand function mechanisms and therapeutics. This review addresses the limitations of monolayer cell culture which could be overcome with utilizing tissue chips technology. Current BBB models on Earth and how they are fabricated as well as what influences the BBB cell culture in tissue chips are discussed. Then, this article reviews how application of these technologies together with incorporating biosensors in space would be beneficial to help in predicting a more accurate physiological response in specific tissue or organ chips. Finally, the current platforms used in space and some solutions to overcome some shortcomings for future BBB tissue chip research are also discussed. 
    more » « less
  • Citation Formats
  • MLA
  • APA
  • Chicago
  • BibTeX
  • Save / Share this Record
  • Send to Email