Grant: Discovery Grants Program - Individual

The proposed research is concerned with the development of a framework for the design and control of advanced robotic and other mechatronic systems and devices for catheter-based medical interventions. These interventions provide a viable and often a preferred approach over surgical treatment because they can be performed with reduced trauma, less post-operative pain, and result in faster recovery. However, the complexity of the interventions places limitations on the reliability and effectiveness of the procedures. For example, in catheter-based cardiac ablation for the treatment of Atrial Fibrillation (a type of arrhythmia where faulty electrical signals cause the atria to fibrillate), the catheter tip must be positioned accurately at designated locations inside the heart under image guidance (primarily X-ray fluoroscopy) in order to perform ablation using radio-frequency energy. The imaging modality used and the inherent flexibility of the catheter further complicate the intervention. In the proposed research, we will focus on use of catheters in cardiac ablation for Atrial Fibrillation. The research will involve the development of appropriate theory with prototype designs and experimental validation to address a number of issues arising from the use of teleoperated (master-slave) systems for catheter-based interventions. A key feature of these systems is the use of haptics (sense of touch) in the master-slave operation. This is particularly important because it has been noted in several studies that the success of a cardiac ablation procedure depends not only on accurate positioning of the catheter's ablation tip but also on control of the force of contact. Therefore the proposed research has a strong focus on developing both the theory and the technology to reflect this contact force to the clinician via a haptics-enabled teleoperated system. The resulting technology will also allow us to develop a system for training and skills assessment for catheter-based cardiac ablation based on a haptics-enabled master-slave system. The proposed research builds on the strengths of the applicant in the areas of advanced robotics and control, mechatronic system design, and teleoperation and haptics.*