AI co-pilot bronchoscope robot

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 Millennia-Long Development of Drugs Associated with the 80-Year-Old Artificial Intelligence Story: The Therapeutic Big Bang?

“…However, current robots’ abilities are not yet sufficient to fully assist surgeons [ 139 ]. In a recent article, a team introduced a novel co-pilot robot for bronchoscopy aiming to help novice doctors to practice it as safely as possible and compensate for the lack of experts [ 140 ]. Image-guided robots have also been created to reduce intervention time and burden for patients, powered by magnetic resonance imaging and physics models [ 141 ], which will help surgeons but needs to be introduced and developed in cooperation with them [ 142 ].…”