In this section
We use light to develop advanced diagnostic tools, wearable sensors, and microscale robots for studying diseases and enabling minimally invasive treatments.
We use photonics to develop new technologies for medicine and to study the pathophysiology of disease. This includes new and improved diagnostic tools as well as microscale robotic devices for therapeutic applications. We use a variety of optical techniques for this purpose such as fluorescence, Raman and diffuse reflectance spectroscopy, as well as microscopy and interferometry. We develop devices ranging from wearable sensors and fibre-optic probes for minimally invasive diagnostics through to microscale robots for cellular-scale manipulation and therapy.
Our research has a number of potential clinical applications including improved monitoring of clinical therapies and interventions (e.g. in inflammatory bowel disease and malnutrition), early diagnosis of infection, and even margin mapping in tumour resection surgery.
The devices we are developing can potentially provide less invasive and lower cost diagnostics. In turn, this may facilitate patient benefits including earlier diagnosis, earlier identification of relapse (e.g. in therapy response monitoring applications), more widespread deployment and more comfortable patient experiences (e.g. through use of less invasive probes and sensors).
Dr Belal Ahmad
Imperial College Research Fellow
Dr Qian Chen
Clinical Research Fellow
Dr Ahmed Ezzat
Research Postgraduate
Dr Nilanjan Mandal
Research Associate in Optical Sensing for LMICs
Dr Alexander J Thompson
Senior Lecturer in Biomedical Sensing
Mr Zeyu Wang
Research Postgraduate
@inproceedings{Schmitz:2017:10.1109/IROS.2017.8202259,
author = {Schmitz, A and Thompson, AJ and Berthet-Rayne, P and Seneci, CA and Wisanuvej, P and Yang, GZ},
doi = {10.1109/IROS.2017.8202259},
pages = {947--952},
publisher = {IEEE},
title = {Shape sensing of miniature snake-like robots using optical fibers},
url = {http://dx.doi.org/10.1109/IROS.2017.8202259},
year = {2017}
}
TY - CPAPER
AB - Snake like continuum robots are increasingly used for minimally invasive surgery. Most robotic devices of this sort that have been reported to date are controlled in an open loop manner. Using shape sensing to provide closed loop feedback would allow for more accurate control of the robot's position and, hence, more precise surgery. Fiber Bragg Gratings, magnetic sensors and optical reflectance sensors have all been reported for this purpose but are often limited by their cost, size, stiffness or complexity of fabrication. To address this issue, we designed, manufactured and tested a prototype two-link robot with a built-in fiber-optic shape sensor that can deliver and control the position of a CO 2 -laser fiber for soft tissue ablation. The shape sensing is based on optical reflectance, and the device (which has a 4 mm outer diameter) is fabricated using 3D printing. Here we present proof-of-concept results demonstrating successful shape sensing - i.e. measurement of the angular displacement of the upper link of the robot relative to the lower link - in real time with a mean measurement error of only 0.7°.
AU - Schmitz,A
AU - Thompson,AJ
AU - Berthet-Rayne,P
AU - Seneci,CA
AU - Wisanuvej,P
AU - Yang,GZ
DO - 10.1109/IROS.2017.8202259
EP - 952
PB - IEEE
PY - 2017///
SN - 2153-0858
SP - 947
TI - Shape sensing of miniature snake-like robots using optical fibers
UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.1109/IROS.2017.8202259
UR - http://hdl.handle.net/10044/1/57524
ER -
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