The development of a Haptic Robot to take blood samples from the forearm

Abstract

This paper presents the results of tests of a robotic mechanism constructed to take blood samples from the forearm. The system was designed to both identify the location of a vein and to insert a needle into the vein, using a single force sensor. To locate the vein, a probe was pressed against the surface of the forearm in multiple locations across the width of the patient’s arm. An algorithm was developed to analyse the force/position profiles obtained during this process to identify the presence of a vein. An additional feature of the robot design was to insert a needle into the previously located vein, under force control. A control strategy was developed so that the robot would stop automatically and avoid overshoot of the needle. Results are presented that indicate that the robot can both locate a vein and insert a needle.