Silviu Butnariu

Measurement and Geometric Modelling of Human Spine Posture for Medical Rehabilitation Purposes Using a Wearable Monitoring System Based on Inertial Sensors

This paper presents a mathematical model that can be used to virtually reconstruct the posture of the human spine. By using orientation angles from a wearable monitoring system based on inertial sensors, the model calculates and represents the curvature of the spine. Several hypotheses are taken into consideration to increase the model precision. An estimation of the postures that can be calculated is also presented. A non-invasive solution to identify the human back shape can help reducing the time needed for medical rehabilitation sessions. Moreover, it prevents future problems caused by poor posture.

Real-time representation of the human spine with absolute orientation sensors

This paper presents a new algorithm for the real-time representation of a spine using a mobile device for recording and analyzing the human body posture. The measurements are based on inertial measuring units (IMU), which are providing the pitch angles of five points of a cord attached to the clothing (t-shirt or jacket). The algorithm developed for the real-time representation of the spine is based on quadratic Bézier curves defined in a reference frame attached to the first sensor from the head. The curve is obtained knowing the distances between the sensors and the measured pitch angles. The line of the spine is reconstructed with four segments of Bézier curves, meeting the requirement of continuity of the tangents. The obtained postures are compared with a normal one, identified by the medical specialist, by computing the average absolute distances between them. The recorded movement of the spine can be used for diagnosis purposes, and the real-time tracking for therapy by warning the user to correct his/her posture. The warning message is delivered with buzzers attached to the clothing by applying haptic stimuli on the back.

Optimal Planning of Needle Insertion for Robotic-Assisted Prostate Biopsy

Robotic systems used for prostate biopsy offer important advantages compared to the manual procedures. In the robotic assisted prostate biopsy procedure, an important problem is to identify the optimal needle trajectories that allow reaching the target tissue and avoiding vital anatomical organs (major blood vessels, internal organs etc.). The paper presents an algorithm for optimal planning of the biopsy needle trajectories, based on virtual reality technologies, using as case study a novel parallel robot designed for transperineal prostate biopsy. The developed algorithm has been tested in a virtual environment for the prostate biopsy robotic-assisted procedure and results are presented.

Methodology for the Identification of Needles Trajectories in Robotic Brachytherapy Procedure Using VR Technology

Surgical robots, including those for brachytherapy procedure, require preoperative registration prior to use for needle placement procedures. Using a virtual environment for programming the needles trajectories allows a safer procedure for robotic brachytherapy, by avoiding vital structures and providing efficient penetration placement of radioactive seeds. In this paper is proposed a methodology based on Virtual Reality (VR) technologies that can be used to generate and optimize the needle trajectory in the pre-planning stage of the robotic brachytherapy procedure.

An Evolutionary Computational Algorithm for Trajectory Planning of an Innovative Parallel Robot for Brachytherapy

Brachytherapy (BT) is a procedure used to treat cancer by inserting needles directly into the patient’s tumour tissue in order to deliver radioactive seeds. The efficiency of this procedure is obtained by minimizing the number of inserted needles and generating safe trajectories that avoid critical areas. To increase the accuracy of needle insertion, the physician is replaced by a robot. The paper presents an evolutionary algorithm used to generate trajectories for needles inserted by an innovative BT parallel robot. Given the locations of the points representing the seeds and the 3D virtual model of the treatment area, the proposed solver allows the minimization of the number of inserted needles and the planning of needles trajectories that avoid high risk areas. The solver was validated for a complex BT liver treatment scenario.

Challenges Involved in the Design of an e-Health Application for a Wearable Scoliosis Monitoring System

The use of a wearable scoliosis monitoring system can improve the process of rehabilitation by offering objective information about the movement of the spine. Such a system provides a new source of knowledge to physicians and enables them to implement a more efficient treatment. The system uses magnetic and inertial measurement units (IMUs) that are placed on an adjustable frame. The main challenges for an eHealth application and a multi-criteria analysis are presented in this paper.

Virtual Planning of Needle Guidance for a Parallel Robot Used in Brachytherapy

Brachytherapy (BT) is an innovative cancer treatment option that allows the delivery of high doses of radiation to specific areas of the body. BT has an important advantage: it doesn’t irradiate unnecessarily healthy tissue, but focalizes mainly on the destruction of tumorous cells. The paper presents an innovative parallel robot designed for BT and a needle trajectory planning software. The algorithm designed for virtual planning of robotic needle insertion allows automatic or manual definition of the needles trajectory. A virtual reality environment has been modelled and simulations using a real needle trajectory have been conducted.

Virtual Planning of Needle Trajectories Using a Haptic Interface for a Brachytherapy Parallel Robot: An Evaluation Study

Brachytherapy (BT) is a modality to treat cancer by inserting needles into a patient to deliver radioactive sources direct to the diseased tissue. The efficiency of the treatment is determined by the positions of the needles. A robot can be used in order to increase the precision of the needles locations. This paper presents an approach for needle trajectory planning based on isomorphic mapping from a haptic device. A virtual reality environment has been modelled containing a 3D reconstructed abdominal model of the patient. Needle insertion using the BT robot is controlled using a Force Dimension Omega haptic device. The developed software application allows the users to practice robotic needle insertion and to determine the most appropriate locations for the BT needles.

The Command of a Virtual Industrial Robot Using a Dedicated Haptic Interface

In this paper is presented a study regarding the possibilities of commandinga virtual robot using a haptic interface. In order to demonstrate the functionality of this concept, a dedicated device with 1 DOF was developed. This device consists of twin motor-gearbox able to acquire and transmit the angular data of the shaft and return a haptic feedback corresponding to the robot movement. The proposed haptic device makes it possible to command one joint of an industrial robot and can be used as an essential component for the development of an exoskeleton for human arm and is able to generate a haptic interaction for all the joints. The exoskeleton solution will allow a structural similarity between the haptic device and an articulated robot arm. The test results with haptic feedback scenarios show that the proposed system can help inexperienced users to handle robot operation and programming tasks in an intuitive way.

Strategy for Optimizing the Synchronous Belt Drives Design

The present method of synchronous belt drives design assumes step-by-step procedures for selecting acceptable components for a desired application. Otherwise, for special applications, the selection of the belt drives components (pulleys, tensioner device and belt), performed now using algorithms, nomograms, equations, coefficients, can be optimized by simulating the drive tests under different loading. For this we propose to use different CAE methods, such as Multi-Body Analysis. This paper presents a model developed for the characterization of the behaviour of synchronous belt transmissions, with the final goal of predicting the load distribution on the contact arc.