THE CHALLENGE:
Contactless manipulation of objects is a critical need in various fields, particularly in biomedical applications where non-invasive techniques are essential. Traditional methods often require direct contact with the objects being manipulated, which can lead to unwanted disturbances or damage, especially when dealing with delicate biological tissues or operating within complex biological environments. The ability to precisely control and move objects without physical interference opens up possibilities for advanced medical procedures, targeted drug delivery, and intricate biological research, where maintaining the integrity of the surrounding environment is paramount.
However, current approaches to contactless manipulation face significant challenges that limit their effectiveness and versatility. Many existing technologies, such as optical tweezers and magnetic manipulation systems, struggle with limitations in penetration depth, control precision, and the range of materials they can effectively manipulate. Optical methods, for example, are often hindered by scattering and absorption in biological tissues, reducing their applicability in medical settings. Magnetic systems may require specially designed objects with specific magnetic properties, restricting their use to certain scenarios. Additionally, real-time monitoring and feedback mechanisms are frequently inadequate, making it difficult to achieve precise control and stability during manipulation tasks. These limitations highlight the need for more advanced solutions that can overcome the barriers imposed by current technologies.
OUR SOLUTION:
The robot-assisted acoustic tweezers system enables precise contactless manipulation of objects by generating tunable acoustic vortex beams through coaxial holographic chiral lenses paired with inner and outer ring transducers operating at distinct frequencies. By independently managing the excitation signals of these transducers, the system can adjust the chirality of the acoustic vortex beams, allowing for meticulous control over angular momentum. This capability facilitates four degrees of freedom in manipulation: three-dimensional translation achieved via robotic positioning and rotational control through chirality tuning. Additionally, the integration of ultrasound imaging allows for real-time monitoring of the manipulation process within opaque media, ensuring accurate control even when direct visual observation is not possible. The system is capable of operating through biological barriers such as tissue and bone, functioning effectively as a contactless gripper that can trap, rotate, and translate objects with high precision.
What sets this technology apart is its sophisticated integration of acoustic physics and programmable robotics, which together provide unparalleled control in four degrees of freedom without any physical contact. The use of coaxial holographic chiral lenses and dual-frequency transducers enables the fine-tuning of acoustic vortex beams and total angular momentum, allowing for complex manipulation tasks like trapping and rotating objects through thick biological barriers. The inclusion of ultrasound imaging for real-time feedback in non-transparent environments ensures reliable and precise operation where traditional methods may fail. Moreover, the system has been experimentally validated across various challenging scenarios, demonstrating its versatility and superiority in non-invasive manipulation. These unique features make it exceptionally valuable for advanced biomedical applications, such as manipulating blood clots or disintegrating kidney stones without invasive procedures.
ADVANTAGES:
- Enables contactless manipulation, preventing physical damage to objects
- Provides precise four-degree-of-freedom control for complex movements
- Operates effectively through biological barriers like tissue and bone
- Integrates real-time ultrasound imaging for accurate monitoring
- Suitable for a wide range of biomedical applications, including non-invasive procedures
- Allows fine rotational and translational control via tunable acoustic vortex beams
- Facilitates manipulation of objects in opaque media where direct observation is not possible
POTENTIAL APPLICATIONS:
- Non-invasive surgical tools
- Medical device manipulation
- Biological sample handling
- Kidney stone management
- Blood clot manipulation
Fig. 1. Illustrations of robot-assisted chirality-tunable acoustic vortex tweezers for contactless, multifunctional, 4-DOF object manipulation. (A) Schematic of a robot-assisted acoustic vortex tweezing system that has a chirality-tunable acoustic vortex tweezing device integrated with a robotic arm. (B) Illustration of 4-DOF object manipulation. The acoustic vortex device can generate a chirality-tunable acoustic vortex beam to trap an object at the vortex center and control the object rotation Ωz. The integrated robotic system can achieve 3D translation (ux, uy, uz) of the acoustically trapped object in a contactless, high-precision, and programmable manner. With these features, the robot-assisted acoustic vortex tweezing system offers shielded object manipulation functionality such as (C) penetrating a thick tissue to trap and manipulate an object on the other side of the tissue, (D) generating ‘contactless’ acoustic tweezers in a complex blood vessel to trap and translate an object in the blood vessel, and (E) penetrating a skull to trap and manipulate an object in the space surrounded by the skull.
