ESPE Yearbook of Paediatric Endocrinology

Brief Summary: These authors developed a fully autonomous robotic ultrasound (US) system for thyroid scanning (FARUS). The system consists of a six-degree-of-freedom UR3 manipulator that carries a linear US probe, a US probe fixture, a six-axis force/torque sensor and a Kinect camera. Using reinforcement learning, Bayesian optimization, and deep learning, the system dynamically adjusts the probe position and performs real-time segmentation of thyroid tissue and potential nodules. 500 contrast-enhanced head and neck CT images were used for the estimation of the thyroid scanning range, and FARUS was trained and optimized by comparing manually collected thyroid ultrasonography data to ultrasonography data obtained by FARUS in 165 healthy volunteers (from college students to elderly individuals). A clinical study in 19 adult patients (age 53.05±5.90 years) shows that FARUS can achieve results comparable to manual scans performed by experienced clinicians. FARUS can also assess thyroid nodules based on the American College of Radiology (ACR) Thyroid Imaging Reporting and Data System (TI-RADS) guidelines, assisting in the diagnosis of malignant nodules. This new technology offers a non-invasive, consistent, and reliable solution for thyroid screening.

This is the first in-human study of fully autonomous robotic US scanning of the thyroid gland. In 2022, Zhang et al reported results of a feasibility study of a 5G-based telerobotic US system for thyroid examination on a rural Island, with the patient’s subsystem and the subsystem operated by a tele-doctor at another hospital connected by the fast and large-bandwidth 5G network [1]. However, the autonomous nature of FARUS minimizes operator dependency and, with that, may be especially valuable for rapid outpatient screening or in resource-limited settings.

Reference: 1. Ya-Qin Zhang, Hao-Hao Yin, Tian He, Le-Hang Guo, Chong-Ke Zhao, Hui-Xiong Xu. Clinical application of a 5G-based telerobotic ultrasound system for thyroid examination on a rural island: a prospective study. Endocrine. 2022 Jun;76(3):620-634. doi: 10.1007/s12020-022-03011-0. PMID: 35182363