Interventional procedures are typically minimally invasive, using flexible medical devices such as catheters, guide wires and needles, to perform ablations, embolizations, stent placements and more. Imaging, particularly X-ray imaging, is used to track the flexible medical device inside a patient’s body and allow for proper guidance, placement...

Minimally invasive surgery (MIS) is a surgical procedure that typically utilizes an endoscope or other instrument which is passed through a small incision into a body. Because of this, it often results in less trauma, complications and adverse effects versus open-type surgery. It is not without challenges, however, particularly when it comes to tissue...

­MagnetoFluidDynamic (MFD) approaches are promising for controlling electrically conductive fluids, however, they have not yet been developed for control of time-dependent fluid flows in 3D. The main issue with using MFD entails solving the mathematics involved in tuning the magnetic field to achieve the desired 3D fluid flow. Despite several studies...

Steering and positioning medical devices, such as needles, is a promising technique for use in minimally invasive surgeries. However, positioning the device is often complicated by obstacles such as bones, blood vessels and other sensitive tissues. Current methods for steering medical devices have limitations such as restricted radii of curvature, deflection...

Surgical needles are commonly used in diagnostic and therapeutic procedures, as well as minimally invasive surgeries. Precise navigation of a needle during any procedure is vital for accurate target placement and minimization of tissue damage. Needle steering encompasses techniques that guide the tip of a flexible needle shaft to a target that is located...

­Tubular structures are commonly used in boilers and heat exchangers. Working under extreme conditions such as high temperatures, large stress loads, hot and high-velocity steam and pressure leads to corrosion, cracks, and stress-corrosion cracks in either the body or welded connections of these components. Regular inspection of these components...

Soft robotics open up new opportunities to create devices with extraordinary functionalities. Although this is a rapidly growing field with constant advancements, there are still many challenges with designing, modelling and controlling soft robots which hinder their capabilities. For example, soft robotics have difficulty making morphological and gait...

Less invasive medical operations and procedures benefit patients by providing shorter recovery times, decreased risk of infections and a reduction in a number of complications. The rapid advancement of robotic technologies, such as miniature medical robots, could help realize this goal. However, existing small-scale robots are limited in the functions...

Variable electronic components are widely used in applications requiring any type of tuning (filters, transmitters, receivers and more). However, there is no standardized or uniform method of tuning remotely controlled electronic components, particularly for soft electronics or electronics that are difficult to access, such as in implants. Soft electronics...