Robotic System for Autonomous Ultrasound-Guided Interventions

This project aims to develop a real-time ultrasound-guided robotic system for performing diagnostic and therapeutic interventions in the abdominal region.

Real-time ultrasound-guided interventions such as fetal US for detection of anomalies, biopsy, and ablation require precise manipulation of an ultrasound probe to localize the anatomy of interest, compensate for patient motion as well as organ motion, and maintain constant contact with the patient's body with desired skin-probe contact forces. Using a robotic system in either teleoperated or autonomous modes to perform these interventions requires adaptive robot control and real-time ultrasound image processing while ensuring patient safety. In this project we will explore various control strategies including RL-based methods and image processing techniques including ML-based algorithms.