Robotics

Displaying 1 - 10 of 15


Inexpensive Disposable Hydro-Jet Capsule Robot for Gastric Cancer Screening in Low-Income Countries

Gastric cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death worldwide. While screening programs have had a tremendous impact on reducing mortality, the majority of cases occur in low and middle-income countries (LMIC). Typically, screening for gastric and esophageal cancer is performed using a flexible endoscope; however, endoscopy resources for these settings are traditionally limited. With the development of an inexpensive, disposable system by Vanderbilt researchers, gastroscopy and colonoscopy can be facilitated in areas hampered by a lack of access to the appropriate means.


Licensing Contact

Masood Machingal

615.343.3548

Steerable Needles: A Better Turning Radius with Less Tissue Damage

A team of Vanderbilt engineers and surgeons have developed a new steerable needle that can make needle based biopsy and therapy delivery more accurate. A novel flexure-based tip design provides enhanced steerability while simultaneously minimizing tissue damage. The present device is useful for almost any needle-based procedure including biopsy, thermal ablation, brachytherapy, and drug delivery.


Licensing Contact

Ashok Choudhury

615.322.2503

A Robotic System for Treating Intracranial Hemorrhage (ICH)

Vanderbilt researchers have designed a general purpose system for precise steering of multi-lumen needles. One significant application of the system is decompression of the cranium during hemorrhagic events (ICH).


Licensing Contact

Ashok Choudhury

615.322.2503

Mechanism for Efficient Stiffness Modulation of Springs

Vanderbilt researchers have developed a novel variable stiffness spring mechanism that affords low energy cost stiffness adaptation. Essentially, the energy cost of changing the stiffness of the spring is rendered independent of the energy stored in the spring.


Licensing Contact

Ashok Choudhury

615.322.2503
Robotics

Real-Time Feedback for Positioning Electrode Arrays in Cochlear Implants

Vanderbilt researchers have discovered a method ofmonitoring the placement of electrodes in cochlearimplants (CIs) through the use of electrical impedancemeasurements. This technology offers real-timefeedback on electrode positioning, which can beused to more accurately place electrodes duringinitial implantation, or better program the implantsafter they have been placed. These enhancementscombine to give increased hearing quality to bothnew and existing CI patients.


Licensing Contact

Philip Swaney

615.322.1067

Intuitive, Magnetic, Robotic Platform for Minimally-Invasive Surgery

Inventors at Vanderbilt University have developed a robotic platform capable of guaranteeing a degree of agility, mechanical stability, power, reliability, comparable to a standard robotic platform for laparoscopic surgery, but characterized by a much lower invasiveness.


Licensing Contact

Masood Machingal

615.343.3548
Gastrointestinal

Upper Extremity Assistance Device

An assistive device for individuals with upper extremity neuromuscular deficit has been developed by researchers at Vanderbilt. This device is specifically designed for patients having hemiplegia following stroke, incomplete spinal cord injury, multiple sclerosis, and other disabilities and conditions, who may have severe muscle weakness or inability to fully control an upper limb. In order to facilitate use of the upper limb, the patient can wear the device as a substitute for or a supplement to the patient's volitional movement.


Licensing Contact

Ashok Choudhury

615.322.2503

Continuum Robots with Sensing Capabilities to Adapt Structure

Vanderbilt researchers have developed a continuum robot with the ability to adapt both its length and diameter of its segments. This could help expand the usability and effectiveness of continuum robots.


Licensing Contact

Masood Machingal

615.343.3548
Robotics

Coordinated Control for Arm Prosthesis

Researchers at Vanderbilt have created a novel control of an (myoelectric) arm prosthesis consisting of at least an elbow joint with the possibility of an additional single or multi-axis wrist joint.


Licensing Contact

Ashok Choudhury

615.322.2503

System and Methods for Contact Detection and Localization in Continuum Robots

This technology expands the capabilities of continuum robots with a system and method that enables them to detect instances of contact and to estimate the position of the contact. This framework allows the motion of the robot to be constrained so as to ensure the robot doesn't damage itself, another robot arm, or surrounding environments. Applications for this technology include enhanced safe telemanipulation for multi-arm continuum robots in surgery, micro-assembly in confined spaces, and exploration in unknown environments.


Licensing Contact

Masood Machingal

615.343.3548