project:3dpb-med:start
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| project:3dpb-med:start [2026/01/18 03:18] – created gribaart | project:3dpb-med:start [2026/01/18 03:30] (current) – gribaart | ||
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| {{template>: | {{template>: | ||
| name=Autonomous Wound Treatment Robot| | name=Autonomous Wound Treatment Robot| | ||
| - | image=| | + | image=: |
| founder=[[user: | founder=[[user: | ||
| depends=[[3d_printed_robotics_initiative]]| | depends=[[3d_printed_robotics_initiative]]| | ||
| Line 11: | Line 11: | ||
| status = planning | status = planning | ||
| ~~ | ~~ | ||
| + | |||
| + | |||
| ===== Motivation ===== | ===== Motivation ===== | ||
| - | Late one evening, I arrived at an emergency department with a wound infection (7 days post-injury, | + | Late one evening, I arrived at an emergency department with a wound infection (7 days post-injury, |
| I sat by the door, exposed the wound, and asked the nurse: **"Can you look at this for 5 seconds and tell me if it can wait until morning?" | I sat by the door, exposed the wound, and asked the nurse: **"Can you look at this for 5 seconds and tell me if it can wait until morning?" | ||
| Line 25: | Line 27: | ||
| * Emergency systems fail patients over bureaucracy | * Emergency systems fail patients over bureaucracy | ||
| * Consistent, accessible first-line care shouldn' | * Consistent, accessible first-line care shouldn' | ||
| - | * Robots don't have empathy, but they also don't have apathy | + | * Technology can provide the baseline care that humans sometimes refuse to give |
| ===== What We're Building ===== | ===== What We're Building ===== | ||
| - | An open-source 3D-printed robotic system for autonomous wound assessment and treatment: | + | An open-source 3D-printed robotic system for autonomous wound assessment and treatment. |
| **Core Functions: | **Core Functions: | ||
| Line 35: | Line 37: | ||
| * Ultrasonic wound debridement (bacteria elimination, | * Ultrasonic wound debridement (bacteria elimination, | ||
| * Automated cleaning and treatment application | * Automated cleaning and treatment application | ||
| - | * Prescription | + | * Treatment |
| - | **Target | + | **Potential |
| * Emergency department triage (overnight/ | * Emergency department triage (overnight/ | ||
| * Rural clinics with limited staff | * Rural clinics with limited staff | ||
| - | * Veterinary clinics (regulatory pathway | + | * Veterinary clinics (easier |
| - | * Field medicine (refugee camps, disaster zones, | + | * Field medicine (refugee camps, disaster zones) |
| + | |||
| + | **Open Source Philosophy: | ||
| + | * All hardware designs (CAD files, STL files) | ||
| + | * All software (control systems, AI models, protocols) | ||
| + | * Full documentation for replication | ||
| + | * MIT/Apache license | ||
| ===== Technical Overview ===== | ===== Technical Overview ===== | ||
| - | **Hardware:** | + | ==== Hardware |
| - | * 3D-printed robotic arm (6-DOF, PETG/ABS) | + | |
| - | * 4 tool attachments: | + | |
| - | * AI camera + depth sensor | + | |
| - | * Raspberry Pi / Arduino control system | + | |
| - | **Treatment Protocol:** | + | **Robotic Arm:** |
| - | - AI scan → assess severity | + | |
| - | - Liquid rinse → remove debris | + | |
| - | - Ultrasonic debridement | + | |
| - | - Final rinse → sterile flush | + | |
| - | | + | |
| - | | + | |
| - | | + | |
| - | - Output → antibiotic recommendation | + | |
| - | **Key Components:** | + | **Four Tool Attachments:** |
| - | * Vision: OpenCV + TensorFlow | + | * **Air nozzle** — sterile compressed air (debris removal, drying) |
| - | * Control: Custom kinematics + safety monitoring | + | * **Liquid dispenser** — saline/ |
| - | * Data: Treatment logging for continuous improvement | + | * **Ultrasonic probe** — 20-40 kHz debridement head |
| + | * **Ointment applicator** — automated dosing system | ||
| - | ===== Realistic Roadmap ===== | + | **Vision System:** |
| + | * USB camera + depth sensor | ||
| + | * AI-based wound assessment | ||
| + | * Thermal imaging (optional, for infection detection) | ||
| - | ==== Phase 1: Prototype (Months 1-6) ==== | + | **Control:** |
| + | * Raspberry Pi 4 or Arduino-based controller | ||
| + | * Force/ | ||
| + | * Emergency stop mechanism | ||
| - | * ☐ Recruit 2-3 part-time collaborators (robotics, ML, medical background preferred) | + | ==== Treatment Protocol ==== |
| - | * ☐ Design and 3D print basic arm structure | + | |
| - | * ☐ Test individual tool attachments on synthetic models | + | |
| - | * ☐ Build AI vision system (wound detection accuracy goal: 70%+) | + | |
| - | * ☐ First functional demo on synthetic wounds | + | |
| - | * ☐ Document build process for open-source community | + | |
| - | * ☐ Apply for small grants (EU innovation funds, health-tech accelerators: | + | |
| - | **Success criteria:** Working prototype treats synthetic wounds with 70%+ AI accuracy | + | - **AI scan** → assess wound (size, depth, contamination, |
| + | - **Pre-cleaning** → saline rinse + air debris removal | ||
| + | - **Ultrasonic debridement** → antiseptic bath + ultrasound (30-60 sec) | ||
| + | * Critical: ultrasound requires liquid medium to work | ||
| + | - **Final rinse** → sterile saline flush | ||
| + | - **Air dry** → compressed air | ||
| + | - **Apply ointment** → levomekol or equivalent | ||
| + | - **Verification scan** → check cleaning quality, repeat if needed | ||
| + | - **Output recommendation** → antibiotic prescription yes/no | ||
| - | ==== Phase 2: Validation & Pivot Exploration (Months 7-12) ==== | + | ==== Software Stack ==== |
| - | | + | **Vision & AI:** |
| - | | + | |
| - | * ☐ Partner with 2-3 vet clinics | + | * TensorFlow/ |
| - | * ☐ Collect real-world data (target: 100+ treatments) | + | * Wound segmentation (U-Net architecture) |
| - | * ☐ Improve AI accuracy to 85%+ | + | * Infection classifier |
| - | * ☐ Regulatory research: CE Mark pathway, veterinary vs. human certification | + | |
| - | * ☐ Explore NGO partnerships | + | |
| - | **Success criteria:** 3 vet clinics piloting system, 85%+ accuracy, clear regulatory pathway identified | + | **Control System:** |
| + | * Custom kinematics or MoveIt integration | ||
| + | * Real-time force monitoring | ||
| + | * Safety collision detection | ||
| + | * Treatment protocol state machine | ||
| - | ==== Phase 3: Traction | + | **Data |
| + | * All treatments logged for quality analysis | ||
| + | * Continuous model improvement from field data | ||
| - | * ☐ Establish veterinary market beachhead (€500-1000/ | + | ===== Roadmap ===== |
| - | * ☐ Target revenue: €1500-3000/ | + | |
| - | * ☐ Publish results: academic papers, conference presentations | + | |
| - | * ☐ Build case study portfolio (video demos, testimonials) | + | |
| - | * ☐ Apply for larger grants (EU Horizon, health innovation funds: €50-200k) | + | |
| - | * ☐ **Return to human medicine** with proven veterinary technology | + | |
| - | * ☐ Seek pre-seed funding (angels, health-tech VCs: €200-500k) | + | |
| - | **Success criteria:** €2-5k MRR, published validation data, funding secured | + | ==== Phase 1: Proof of Concept (Months 1-6) ==== |
| - | ==== Phase 4: Scale (Months 25-36) ==== | + | * ☐ Design 3D-printable arm structure |
| + | * ☐ Source and test motors, sensors, components | ||
| + | * ☐ Build single-axis test rig | ||
| + | * ☐ Test each tool attachment independently: | ||
| + | * ☐ Air nozzle pressure control | ||
| + | * ☐ Liquid dispenser accuracy | ||
| + | * ☐ Ultrasonic probe effectiveness | ||
| + | * ☐ Ointment application consistency | ||
| + | * ☐ Build AI vision system | ||
| + | * ☐ Create synthetic wound models for testing | ||
| + | * ☐ First complete treatment cycle demonstration | ||
| - | | + | **Milestone:** Working prototype treats synthetic wounds with basic automation |
| - | | + | |
| - | * ☐ Expand deployments: 10+ veterinary sites, 2-3 human pilots (NGO/ | + | |
| - | * ☐ Develop enterprise features (hospital integration, | + | |
| - | * ☐ Establish dual business model: | + | |
| - | * Open-source community edition | + | |
| - | | + | |
| - | | + | |
| - | **Success criteria:** Regulatory approval in progress, €10-30k MRR, seed funding closed | + | ==== Phase 2: Integration & Testing (Months 7-12) ==== |
| - | ==== Phase 5: Growth | + | * ☐ Assemble full 6-DOF robotic arm |
| + | * ☐ Implement tool changer mechanism | ||
| + | * ☐ Integrate all subsystems | ||
| + | * ☐ Improve AI accuracy to 85%+ on diverse wound types | ||
| + | * ☐ Collect 100+ test treatments on synthetic models | ||
| + | * ☐ Document full build process for replication | ||
| + | * ☐ Explore partnerships: | ||
| + | * ☐ Veterinary clinics (easier regulatory environment) | ||
| + | * ☐ NGOs working in field medicine | ||
| + | * ☐ University research collaboration | ||
| - | | + | **Milestone:** System consistently treats wounds autonomously, documentation published |
| - | | + | |
| - | | + | |
| - | * ☐ Series A consideration or sustainable profitability path | + | |
| - | ===== Success Metrics ===== | + | ==== Phase 3: Real-World Validation (Months 13-24) |
| - | **6 months:** | + | |
| - | * ✓ Working prototype | + | |
| - | * ✓ 2-3 active collaborators | + | |
| - | * ✓ AI accuracy >70% | + | |
| + | * ☐ Build community of replicators | ||
| + | * ☐ Research regulatory pathways (veterinary first, then human) | ||
| + | * ☐ Explore grant opportunities for continued development | ||
| - | **12 months:** | + | **Milestone:** 3+ external |
| - | * ✓ 3+ veterinary pilot sites | + | |
| - | * ✓ AI accuracy >85% | + | |
| - | * ✓ €10-50k grant secured | + | |
| - | **24 months:** | + | ==== Phase 4: Scale & Impact |
| - | * ✓ €2-5k MRR | + | |
| - | * ✓ Published validation study | + | |
| - | * ✓ Pre-seed funding | + | |
| - | **36 months:** | + | |
| - | * ✓ CE Mark process underway | + | |
| - | * ✓ €10-30k MRR | + | * ☐ Pursue medical device certification (if feasible) |
| - | * ✓ Seed funding (€500k-1M) | + | * ☐ Expand to humanitarian applications |
| + | * ☐ Continue open-source development with growing community | ||
| - | ===== Business Model ===== | + | ===== Bill of Materials |
| - | **Open-Source Strategy:** | + | **Estimated component sources (not final):** |
| - | * Core hardware/ | + | |
| - | * Community innovation → rapid iteration | + | |
| - | * Marketing effect → credibility & visibility | + | |
| - | **Revenue Streams:** | + | ^ Component Category ^ Examples ^ |
| - | * **Hardware sales:** Certified systems to clinics (€10-20k per unit) | + | | 3D printed parts | PETG/ABS filament, printed in-house | |
| - | * **SaaS subscription: | + | | Motors & actuators | Standard hobby servos or NEMA steppers | |
| - | * **Consumables: | + | | Electronics | Raspberry Pi 4, Arduino, motor drivers | |
| - | * **Support contracts: | + | | Vision | USB camera, Intel RealSense or similar depth sensor | |
| + | | Ultrasonic system | Medical/dental ultrasonic scaler heads | | ||
| + | | Pumps & dispensers | Peristaltic pumps, syringe pump mechanisms | | ||
| + | | Sensors | Force sensors, proximity sensors, limit switches | | ||
| + | | Pneumatics | Small air compressor, tubing, nozzles | | ||
| + | | Consumables | Saline, antiseptic, medical ointments | | ||
| - | **Target Markets (prioritized):** | + | **Cost target:** Keep total build under €5,000 for full system to enable widespread replication |
| - | - **Veterinary clinics** (Year 1-2: easier regulation, faster revenue) | + | |
| - | - **NGO/Field medicine** (Year 2-3: high impact, grant funding) | + | |
| - | - **Human emergency care** (Year 3+: after CE Mark) | + | |
| - | ===== Team & Roles ===== | + | ===== Success Metrics |
| - | **Current:** | + | **Technical Goals:** |
| - | * **Founder:** [[user: | + | * AI wound assessment accuracy >85% |
| + | | ||
| + | | ||
| + | | ||
| - | **Needed:** | + | **Community Goals:** |
| - | * **Robotics engineer** (arm design, motor control) | + | * 2-3 active collaborators by Month 6 |
| - | * **ML engineer** (vision system, AI models) | + | * Full documentation published by Month 12 |
| - | * **Medical advisor** (protocol validation, regulatory guidance) | + | * 3+ external replications by Month 24 |
| - | * **Part-time contributors** | + | * Published validation study (blog/ |
| - | **Advisors (future):** | + | **Impact Goals:** |
| - | * Regulatory consultant (medical device certification) | + | * Demonstrate viability of autonomous wound care |
| - | * Veterinary partner (pilot testing) | + | * Provide accessible healthcare option for underserved areas |
| - | * VC/business mentor (fundraising strategy) | + | * Inspire similar open-source medical robotics projects |
| - | ===== Risks & Mitigation | + | ===== Team & Collaboration |
| - | | Risk | Probability | Mitigation | | + | **Current Team:** |
| - | |------|-------------|------------| | + | * **Project Lead:** [[user: |
| - | | **Regulatory barriers** | High | Start with veterinary market, lower certification bar | | + | |
| - | | **No clinical partners** | Medium | NGO partnerships, | + | |
| - | | **Insufficient funding** | Medium | Apply for grants early, bootstrap with vet revenue | | + | |
| - | | **Technical failure** | Low-Medium | Incremental testing, pivot features if needed | | + | |
| - | | **Team attrition** | Medium | Document everything, open-source for continuity | | + | |
| - | | **Market rejection** | Low | Multiple pivots ready (vet, NGO, military) | | + | |
| - | ===== Links & Resources ===== | + | **Looking For:** |
| + | * **Robotics engineer** — arm design, kinematics, motor control | ||
| + | * **ML/AI developer** — vision system, wound classification models | ||
| + | * **Medical advisor** — protocol validation, safety review | ||
| + | * **Embedded systems** — microcontroller programming, | ||
| + | * **Documentation** — technical writing, video tutorials, build guides | ||
| + | * **Anyone interested!** — part-time contribution welcome | ||
| - | **Project Resources:** | + | **How to Contribute:** |
| - | * Parent project: [[3d_printed_robotics_initiative]] | + | * Join weekly robotics meetups at Brmlab |
| - | * GitHub repository: (to be created) | + | * Check GitHub repository (to be created) |
| - | * Weekly meetings: TBD (part of robotics | + | * Join #robotics |
| - | * Communication: | + | |
| - | **Reference | + | ===== Reference |
| - | * Ultrasonic debridement: | + | |
| - | * AI wound assessment: FDA-approved smartphone apps, academic research | + | |
| - | * Budget robotic arms: BCN3D Moveo, Thor, SO-ARM100 | + | |
| - | * Medical robotics: da Vinci, STAR robot | + | |
| - | **Funding Sources:** | + | **Ultrasonic Wound Technology:** |
| - | * EU Horizon grants | + | * SonicOne |
| - | * Health-tech accelerators (Y Combinator, Startup Health) | + | * UltraMIST — portable ultrasonic wound therapy |
| - | * Angels (health-tech focus) | + | * QOUSTIC |
| - | * VCs (post-traction) | + | |
| - | ===== Open Questions ===== | + | **AI Wound Assessment: |
| + | * FDA-approved smartphone wound apps | ||
| + | * Academic research on diabetic ulcer classification | ||
| + | * Thermal imaging infection detection studies | ||
| - | | + | **Open-Source Robotic Arms:** |
| - | * What grants should we target in Q1 2026? | + | * BCN3D Moveo — [[https:// |
| - | * Should we focus on cats/dogs or larger animals first? | + | * Thor — [[https:// |
| - | * Who knows regulatory consultants for medical devices? | + | * SO-ARM100 — [[https:// |
| - | ---- | + | **Medical Robotics Inspiration: |
| + | * da Vinci Surgical System (tool changing mechanisms) | ||
| + | * STAR robot (autonomous suturing research) | ||
| - | **Status:** Planning phase — seeking initial team members and grant opportunities | + | ===== Safety & Ethics ===== |
| - | **Next Steps:** | + | **Safety Measures: |
| + | * Force-limited actuators to prevent injury | ||
| + | * Patient-accessible emergency stop | ||
| + | * Human oversight for all treatments | ||
| + | * Automatic shutdown on error detection | ||
| + | * Sterile single-use tips for wound contact | ||
| + | |||
| + | **Ethical Principles: | ||
| + | * Clear communication: | ||
| + | * Patient consent required before any treatment | ||
| + | * Edge cases automatically referred to human medical staff | ||
| + | * Privacy: minimal data collection, no storage without consent | ||
| + | * Accessibility: | ||
| + | |||
| + | **Not Intended To:** | ||
| + | * Replace physicians or trained medical professionals | ||
| + | * Handle complex medical cases | ||
| + | * Provide definitive medical diagnoses | ||
| + | * Operate without human oversight (initially) | ||
| + | |||
| + | ===== Current Status & Next Steps ===== | ||
| + | |||
| + | **Status:** Planning phase — recruiting initial team | ||
| + | |||
| + | **Immediate | ||
| - [ ] Recruit 1-2 collaborators | - [ ] Recruit 1-2 collaborators | ||
| - | - [ ] Research EU health innovation grants | + | - [ ] Select base robotic arm design (BCN3D Moveo or Thor) |
| - | - [ ] Design first arm prototype | + | - [ ] Source initial components |
| - | - [ ] Contact | + | - [ ] Create synthetic wound models for testing |
| + | - [ ] Set up GitHub repository | ||
| + | - [ ] Schedule first build session | ||
| + | |||
| + | **First Meeting:** TBD — announce on Brmlab calendar | ||
| + | |||
| + | ===== Discussion ===== | ||
| + | |||
| + | **Questions? | ||
| + | * Weekly meetings: Part of [[3d_printed_robotics_initiative]] sessions | ||
| + | * Online discussion: Brmlab Slack/ | ||
| + | * GitHub: (repository link to be added) | ||
| + | |||
| + | **Open Questions: | ||
| + | * Which robotic arm base should we use? | ||
| + | * Anyone have experience with ultrasonic systems? | ||
| + | * Contacts at veterinary clinics for future testing? | ||
| + | * Tips on medical device regulations in Czech Republic/ | ||
| + | |||
| + | ===== Links & Resources ===== | ||
| + | |||
| + | * Parent project: [[3d_printed_robotics_initiative]] | ||
| + | * GitHub repository: (to be created) | ||
| + | * Build documentation: | ||
| + | * Contact: [[user: | ||
| + | |||
| + | ---- | ||
| **Last Updated:** 2026-01-18 | **Last Updated:** 2026-01-18 | ||
| + | |||
| + | **License: | ||
project/3dpb-med/start.1768706336.txt.gz · Last modified: 2026/01/18 03:18 by gribaart