AI Bronchoscopy Robot for Remote Emergency Rescue
AI bronchoscopy robot enables remote emergency rescue, no CT needed. Affordable, portable & autonomous for FBA treatment. Published in Science Robotics.
"RoboPub" Publication: 20% Discount Offer Link.
The “Lifesaving Artifact” is Here!
Foreign Body Aspiration (FBA)—it’s something everyone fears encountering.
When children accidentally choke on food or the elderly get something stuck while eating, it can range from persistent coughing to life-threatening situations. Data shows that children under 5 and the elderly are the most vulnerable groups.
What’s even more critical is that while the traditional Heimlich maneuver is effective for large foreign bodies lodged in the main airway, it’s powerless against small objects that slip deep into the bronchi (accounting for over 80% of cases). If not removed promptly, these can lead to severe lung infections, obstructions, or even respiratory failure.
This is where a bronchoscope comes in. But here’s the problem—bronchoscopy requires high technical expertise and often relies on pre-operative CT scans. In resource-scarce areas, the lack of expert doctors and specialized equipment makes treatment extremely challenging.
Now, a team led by Professor Wang Yue, Researcher Lu Haojian, and Professor Xiong Rong from Zhejiang University’s College of Control Science and Engineering, in collaboration with the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University and University College London (UCL), has developed an AI-powered bronchoscopy robot system. It doesn’t require CT scans, supports remote operation, and most crucially, the AI can autonomously search for foreign bodies in the lungs!
