Towards optical biopsy of olfactory cells using concentric tube robots with follow-the-leader deployment

In this paper, we propose to take advantage of concentric tube robots (CTR) properties to design a robotic system for optical biopsies with fiber-based imaging modalities. Follow-the-leader (FTL) deployment, with CTR body following its tip, is being integrated as a design constraint in order to minimize the device invasiveness. A design procedure is proposed and developed in the context of olfactory cell inspection. Stability issues of CTR are considered with theoretical validation of FTL deployment. Finally, an experimental assessment in lab conditions is being conducted that includes the device deployment and the reproduction of scanning task for imaging. The whole surface to be inspected can be accessed, and 20 μm resolution of the CTR tip is observed.