Abstract: According to some embodiments of the invention, a surgical robot includes a robot arm having an end effector, the end effector comprising a needle assembly. The surgical robot further includes a robot control system operatively connected to the robot arm, and an end effector control system operatively connected to the end effector. The robot control system provides control signals for operation of the robot arm to move the end effector to selected positions relative to a subject. The end effector control system is configured to provide signals for operation of the end effector to at least one of inject material through the needle assembly to a selected location within the subject's body or extract material through the needle assembly from the selected location within the subject's body.

Abstract: According to some embodiments of the invention, an adjusting device for adjusting a passive drip irrigation valve to enable precision irrigation includes a device body configured to be at least one of hand-held or attachable to a robot, the device body having a manipulator end, and a manipulator assembly contained within and extending from the manipulator end of the device body. The manipulator assembly includes a coarse alignment adjustment assembly constructed and arranged to align the adjusting device with the passive drip irrigation valve. The manipulator assembly also includes a fine actuator configured to rotate the passive drip irrigation valve by a specified angle.

Abstract: The present invention offers an alternative for cancer treatment where radiation, thermotherapy, or another therapeutic modality must be delivered to an internal cavity of a subject, for example to treat mouth, anal, cervical, and vaginal cancers. The invention is a new approach that builds on recent results in 3D printing and steerable needle motion planning to create customized implants containing customized curvature-constrained internal channels that fit securely, minimize air gaps, and precisely guide treatment sources through internal printed channels to accurately reach tumors and minimize damage to healthy tissue.

Abstract: According to some embodiments of the invention, an adjusting device for adjusting a passive drip irrigation valve to enable precision irrigation includes a device body configured to be at least one of hand-held or attachable to a robot, the device body having a manipulator end, and a manipulator assembly contained within and extending from the manipulator end of the device body. The manipulator assembly includes a coarse alignment adjustment assembly constructed and arranged to align the adjusting device with the passive drip irrigation valve. The manipulator assembly also includes a fine actuator configured to rotate the passive drip irrigation valve by a specified angle.

Abstract: A method of automatically evolving survey questions includes receiving, at a processor, a first set of textual responses to at least one open-ended question in a survey, reformatting the first set of textual responses as a set of possible textual responses in the form of closed-ended questions with numerical ratings as options, storing the set of possible textual responses in a memory in communication with the processor, selecting and transmitting a subset of the set of possible textual response to survey recipients, receiving, at the processor, participant numerical ratings for each textual response, using the processor to generate a confidence measure and score for each possible textual response based upon the participant ratings, generating a ranked list, with the processor, including the confidence measures, storing the ranked list, and converting at least one of the original open-ended question in the survey to a closed-ended ended question, using a subset of the textual responses.

Abstract: According to some embodiments of the invention, a surgical robot includes a robot arm having an end effector, the end effector comprising a needle assembly. The surgical robot further includes a robot control system operatively connected to the robot arm, and an end effector control system operatively connected to the end effector. The robot control system provides control signals for operation of the robot arm to move the end effector to selected positions relative to a subject. The end effector control system is configured to provide signals for operation of the end effector to at least one of inject material through the needle assembly to a selected location within the subject's body or extract material through the needle assembly from the selected location within the subject's body.

Abstract: A method of automatically evolving survey questions includes receiving, at a processor, a first set of textual responses to at least one open-ended question in a survey, reformatting the first set of textual responses as a set of possible textual responses in the form of closed-ended questions with numerical ratings as options, storing the set of possible textual responses in a memory in communication with the processor, selecting and transmitting a subset of the set of possible textual response to survey recipients, receiving, at the processor, participant numerical ratings for each textual response, using the processor to generate a confidence measure and score for each possible textual response based upon the participant ratings, generating a ranked list, with the processor, including the confidence measures, storing the ranked list, and converting at least one of the original open-ended question in the survey to a closed-ended ended question, using a subset of the textual responses.

Abstract: The present invention offers an alternative for cancer treatment where radiation, thermotherapy, or another therapeutic modality must be delivered to an internal cavity of a subject, for example to treat mouth, anal, cervical, and vaginal cancers. The invention is a new approach that builds on recent results in 3D printing and steerable needle motion planning to create customized implants containing customized curvature-constrained internal channels that fit securely, minimize air gaps, and precisely guide treatment sources through internal printed channels to accurately reach tumors and minimize damage to healthy tissue.