A low-cost probe changer for robotic ultrasonography

Research into robotic ultrasonography is attracting an increasing number of researchers every year. Various mounting interfaces are used to attach different types of ultrasound probes to the end of a robot arm. Changing probes typically requires a manual intervention, which limits the application and effectiveness of the entire system. This paper presents a lowcost probe mounting interface that allows the robot to change the ultrasound probe automatically. The proposed probe changer includes three sections: wrist adaptor, probe holder, and probe holder stand. The performance of the developed probe changer was evaluated using repeatability and force interaction analyses. These analyses showed that the proposed probe changer can be effectively used to change the probe during ultrasonography without human intervention and is sufficiently rigid for typical ultrasound motions.