Abstract

The unequal distribution of medical resources and scarcity of experienced practitioners confine access to bronchoscopy primarily to well-equipped hospitals in developed regions, contributing to the unavailability of bronchoscopic services in underdeveloped areas. Here, we present an artificial intelligence (AI) co-pilot bronchoscope robot that empowers novice doctors to conduct lung examinations as safely and adeptly as experienced colleagues. The system features a user-friendly, plug-and-play catheter, devised for robot-assisted steering, facilitating access to bronchi beyond the fifth generation in average adult patients. Drawing upon historical bronchoscopic videos and expert imitation, our AI–human shared control algorithm enables novice doctors to achieve safe steering in the lung, mitigating misoperations. Both in vitro and in vivo results underscore that our system equips novice doctors with the skills to perform lung examinations as expertly as seasoned practitioners. This study offers innovative strategies to address the pressing issue of medical resource disparities through AI assistance.

The unequal distribution of medical resources means that bronchoscopic services are often unavailable in underdeveloped areas. Here, the authors present an AI co-pilot bronchoscope robot that features a user-friendly plug-and-play catheter and an AI-human shared control algorithm, to enable novice doctors to conduct lung examinations safely.

Details

Title
AI co-pilot bronchoscope robot
Author
Zhang, Jingyu 1 ; Liu, Lilu 1   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Xiang, Pingyu 1 ; Fang, Qin 1 ; Nie, Xiuping 1 ; Ma, Honghai 2 ; Hu, Jian 2 ; Xiong, Rong 1   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Wang, Yue 1   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Lu, Haojian 1   VIAFID ORCID Logo 

 Zhejiang University, State Key Laboratory of Industrial Control and Technology, Hangzhou, China (GRID:grid.13402.34) (ISNI:0000 0004 1759 700X); Zhejiang University, Institute of Cyber-Systems and Control, Department of Control Science and Engineering, Hangzhou, China (GRID:grid.13402.34) (ISNI:0000 0004 1759 700X) 
 Zhejiang University, Department of Thoracic Surgery, First Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China (GRID:grid.13402.34) (ISNI:0000 0004 1759 700X) 
Pages
241
Publication year
2024
Publication date
2024
Publisher
Nature Publishing Group
e-ISSN
20411723
Source type
Scholarly Journal
Language of publication
English
ProQuest document ID
2909351966
Copyright
© The Author(s) 2024. This work is published under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ (the “License”). Notwithstanding the ProQuest Terms and Conditions, you may use this content in accordance with the terms of the License.