AI co-pilot bronchoscope robot

Jingyu Zhang; Lilu Liu; Pingyu Xiang; Qin Fang; Xiuping Nie; Honghai Ma; Jian Hu; Rong Xiong; Yue Wang; Haojian Lu

doi:10.1038/s41467-023-44385-7

AI co-pilot bronchoscope robot

Nat Commun. 2024 Jan 4;15(1):241. doi: 10.1038/s41467-023-44385-7.

Authors

Jingyu Zhang^#^{1

2}, Lilu Liu^#^{1

2}, Pingyu Xiang^{1

2}, Qin Fang^{1

2}, Xiuping Nie^{1

2}, Honghai Ma³, Jian Hu³, Rong Xiong^{4

5}, Yue Wang^{6

7}, Haojian Lu^{8

9}

Affiliations

¹ State Key Laboratory of Industrial Control and Technology, Zhejiang University, 310027, Hangzhou, China.
² Institute of Cyber-Systems and Control, Department of Control Science and Engineering, Zhejiang University, 310027, Hangzhou, China.
³ Department of Thoracic Surgery, First Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, 310009, Hangzhou, China.
⁴ State Key Laboratory of Industrial Control and Technology, Zhejiang University, 310027, Hangzhou, China. rxiong@zju.edu.cn.
⁵ Institute of Cyber-Systems and Control, Department of Control Science and Engineering, Zhejiang University, 310027, Hangzhou, China. rxiong@zju.edu.cn.
⁶ State Key Laboratory of Industrial Control and Technology, Zhejiang University, 310027, Hangzhou, China. ywang24@zju.edu.cn.
⁷ Institute of Cyber-Systems and Control, Department of Control Science and Engineering, Zhejiang University, 310027, Hangzhou, China. ywang24@zju.edu.cn.
⁸ State Key Laboratory of Industrial Control and Technology, Zhejiang University, 310027, Hangzhou, China. luhaojian@zju.edu.cn.
⁹ Institute of Cyber-Systems and Control, Department of Control Science and Engineering, Zhejiang University, 310027, Hangzhou, China. luhaojian@zju.edu.cn.

^# Contributed equally.

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.

MeSH terms

Adult
Artificial Intelligence
Bronchoscopes
Bronchoscopy / methods
Humans
Pilots*
Robotics*