IIT Delhi, AIIMS develop remote ultrasound system using robotics

The new system allows remote ultrasound access through a robotic arm. It does not involve direct physical contact with patients like ultrasound scanning.

The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi and All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) have jointly developed telerobotic ultrasound system that allows remote ultrasound access through a robotic arm. 

During a routine ultrasound scan, radiologists stand in close contact with the patient, which puts them at risk of COVID-19 transmission. However, cross-sectional imaging is preferred instead in the current pandemic scenario with stringent social distancing requirements – a more expensive and less dynamic technique. Ultrasonography is a non-invasive, non-ionising, cost-effective, rapid, bedside, and readily available modality with immense use in point-of-care and follow-up examinations. 

The research team at IIT Delhi was led by Prof Chetan Arora and Prof Subir Kumar Saha, while Dr Chandrashekhara from AIIMS. Suvayan Nandi was the lead contributor from Addverb Technologies. The other research team members include Deepak Raina (PMRF Research Scholar, IIT Delhi); Dr Krithika Rangarajan, Dr Ayushi Agarwal, (AIIMS, New Delhi); and Hardeep Singh (Addverb). 

Prof Chetan Arora and Prof Subir Kumar Saha from IIT Delhi said, “This requirement came to us from the faculty of AIIMS New Delhi, when the whole country had been put on lockdown in June 2020, and the number of cases and deaths was rising rapidly. The prevailing situation impacted regular health care services, especially those involving direct physical contact with patients like ultrasound scanning. We wanted to contribute to the safety of healthcare professionals by leveraging our expertise in robotic technology.”   

Dr Chandrashekhara, AIIMS, New Delhi, “The system will promote healthcare and make our system more prepared for further pandemics. Besides its role in the pandemic, it will allow a better outreach of ultrasound imaging to remote rural areas of India. The radiologist manipulates the ultrasound probe remotely from a remote location, acquires the ultrasonographs, and then transmits them to the monitors at the doctor’s end through a Wi-Fi network. Sitting at a remote location, the doctor can visualize all the images and assess the patient, similar to a clinical setting. The facility can also be extended for global outreach.”  

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