A pneumatic haptic probe replica for tele-robotized ultrasonography

Abstract

This paper introduces a pneumatic haptic device to remotely control a slave ultrasound probe-holder robot. This device should orientate this probe according to the sonographer’s examination needs, while rendering the force applied by it on the patient’s body, in order to provide a realistic examination environment as in situ. Previous designs with electric actuators were limited in terms of torque, dimensions and ergonomics, which actually did not match end-users’ remote ultrasonography requirements. This paper describes the mechatronic design of an haptic pneumatic probe replica and preliminary control laws for it to perform as a Variable Stiffness Actuator (VSA). This approach is original and experimental results are provided to validate its feasibility.