Robotic Catheter in the Heart
June 4, 2019 | Terry Sharrer
Robotic catheters have been in use for some time, but this piece describes one, developed at Harvard Medical School, that is self-navigating. “The device is 8 millimeters across, with a camera and an LED light on its tip that work as a combined optic and touch sensor. A machine-learning algorithm that was trained on approximately 2,000 heart-tissue images was used to guide it as it moved. The touch sensor periodically tapped against the heart’s tissue as the device wound its way through, helping it know where it was and making sure it wasn’t likely to damage the tissue.” MORE
Image Credit: Harvard Medical School and TechnologyReview.com