Assistive Robot to Aid with Catheter Insertion

Abstract

There is an overlap between those who need to insert a urinary catheter and those who have tremors, such as the elderly or those who have multiple sclerosis. Currently, there are no proposed solutions to aid those with hand tremors insert a catheter comfortably. The shaking motion of a tremor can make catheter insertion painful because the patient will have difficulty inserting the catheter into the small opening of the urethra. If the shaking motion of the tremor was reduced or suppressed, the catheter would enter the body more smoothly and in turn make the cathing process easier and more comfortable. In addition, an automated device would help the patient insert the catheter more steadily into the body. This paper discusses a preliminary idea for an assistive robotic device that would aid with catheter insertion for hand tremor patients. A demonstration was constructed to show how the device is intended to work, and an in depth overview was completed to select the best tremor suppression technique. Finally, further work is discussed on how to move the design forward and prepare the device for testing.