Developing an Economical Device To Perform Semi Automated Venipuncture

Abstract

The most common surgical procedure performed is venipuncture . Most notably needed for IV insertion and blood sampling, venipuncture is a critical and frequent operation. Yet it is also an incredibly difficult procedure for medical practitioners, with manual first attempt insertion rates ranging from 50-80\%, even with imaging assistance [16]. Venipuncture failure often inflicts tissue and/or nerve damage and can induce further surgical complications including increased difficulty in further venipuncture attempts. Thus it has been highly desirable to produce a robotic system that is capable of either autonomously performing or assisting in acquiring intravenous access. There have been numerous attempts to develop such systems, consisting of robots that utilize a range of ultrasonic, electronic, and NIR visioning techniques to sense veins and then utalize a high DOF arm to perform an insertion [1]. While robots have varying positive success in labs, the economic and spatial scale of these systems would likely be inhibitive for practical use. This project strives to develop a more economical and compact system via designing a 1 DOF robot. The paper explores several potential components that could be utilized in such a robot and various tests to assure these components technical specifications within the robotic system.