In the operating room, surgeons can see inside the human body in real time using advanced imaging techniques, but primary care physicians, the people who are on the front lines of diagnosing illnesses, haven't commonly had access to the same technology – until now.

Engineers from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) have created a new imaging tool for primary care physicians: a handheld scanner that would enable them to image all the sites they commonly examine, and more, such as bacterial colonies in the middle ear in 3D, or monitor the thickness and health of patients' retinas. The device relies on optical coherence tomography (OCT), a visualization technology that is similar to ultrasound imaging, but uses light instead of sound to produce the images.

To monitor chronic conditions such as ear infections, primary care physicians currently rely on instruments that are essentially magnifying glasses, says UIUC physician and biomedical engineer Stephen Boppart, who will present the team’s findings at FiO. The new handheld imaging device would give doctors a way to quantitatively monitor these conditions, and possibly make more efficient and accurate referrals to specialists.

The scanners include three basic components: a near-infrared light source and OCT system, a video camera to relay real-time images of surface features and scan locations, and a microelectromechanical (MEMS)-based scanner to direct the light. Near-infrared wavelengths of light penetrate deeper into human tissues than other wavelengths more readily absorbed by the body. By measuring the time it takes the light to bounce back from tissue microstructure, computer algorithms build a picture of the structure of tissue under examination.

Diabetic patients in particular may benefit from the device. About 40 to 45 percent of diabetics develop leaky blood vessels in their retinas – a condition called retinopathy, which can lead to thickening of the retina, blurry vision, and eventually blindness. The handheld OCT device would allow doctors to monitor the health of the retina, potentially catching retinopathy in its early stages. In some cases, changes in the eye could help doctors diagnose diabetes, Boppart says.

Boppart and his team are hopeful that falling production costs combined with smaller, more compact designs will enable more physicians to take advantage of the scanners, and become a common point-of-care tool. Eventually, they would like to see the imagers at work in developing countries as well. He and an international team of collaborators recently received a $5 million National Institutes of Health Bioengineering Research Partnership grant to further refine the device.

Fanuc Robotics’ new ARC Mate 0iA robot is extremely lightweight and compact, specifically designed for arc welding applications. The new robot is ideal for a variety of applications, including smaller parts that are typically welded manually. 

ARC Mate 0iA Features and Benefits

•    Ideal solution for cost-effective welding of small parts
•    Provides the same reliability and repeatability as all Fanuc ARC Mate series robots
•    Lightweight and compact robot designed to fit in tight spaces
•    High-speed operation minimizes robot cycle times
•    All welding setup is done through the teach pendant
•    ArcLink XT, the industry’s first Ethernet-based welding network
•    Lincoln Electric’s R350 integrated welding power source
•    Handles various advanced welding waveforms such as thin metal spatterless welding or highly controlled pulse welding for optimized welds
•    Multiple mounting positions including floor, angle, and wall.  The J3-axis flips over itself for invert mounting
•    High-precision coordinated motion with the welding positioner

ARC Mate 100iC intelligent welding robot

Fanuc Robotics’ 6-axis, ARC Mate 100iC intelligent welding robot features a compact design, class-leading operation efficiency, speed, load capacity, and enhanced performance for welding parts of all shapes and sizes.  
 
Compared to traditional dress packages, which are mounted externally on the robot’s arm, the ARC Mate 100iC’s internal routing allows the dress package to follow the motion range of the robot, simplifying programming and eliminating the worries of bending, snagging or breaking cables. 

The ARC Mate 100iC and new R-30iB Controller can be integrated in a welding system that includes the weld torch cable, wire feeder, and welding power supply.

ARC Mate 100iC Features and Benefits

•    Cantilevered forearm is inherently rigid, simplifying cable management and maintenance
•    Integrated wire feed control cable, with shielding gas hose and welding power cables
•    ServoTorch, integrated pull torch with touch retract-start
•    Integrated weld ground, pneumatic gripper controls and vacuum cup grippers
•    All mounting position with no working envelope limitations
•    ArcLink XT, the industry’s first Ethernet-based welding network
•    Lincoln Electric R350 integrated welding power source
•    Handles various advanced welding waveforms such as thin metal spatterless welding or highly controlled pulse welding for optimized welds
•    Multiple mounting positions include floor, invert, and angle
•    High motion range including “best in class” reach versus stroke
 

Index Corporation's Traub TNL18 sliding/fixed headstock automatic lathe features seven linear axes and an extra B-axis, expanding its applicability to particularly challenging machining tasks.

With the additional B-axis in the upper tool carrier, which can pivot 100°, highly complex parts, and complicated contour elements that also require additional operations such as milling, drilling, lateral drilling, or l-threading, may be machined at any angular position.
   
Previously, for parallel main spindle operations, angled tool holders were necessary with "normal" turret positioning – now the turret simply pivots. In addition, the 8-position turret with the double driven toolholder per position capability provides additional flexibility.

Higher workpiece quality is possible by the omission of angle-adjustable tool holders, creating more stable machining conditions in the machine system.

Tool turret indexing is carried out by an NC rotary axis without a mechanical lock. This permits free angle positioning of the turret. The lathe also comes with the new Traub compact shank system, improved for high-precision mounting of tool holders in the turret.

The new M-2iA from

is the third in a series of high-speed, parallel-link “Genkotsu” robots that includes the M-1iA and M-3iA robots.  Two new models are available to meet a variety of applications, and both offer a 3kg payload, and 4-axes of motion with a single-axis rotation at the wrist.  The M-2iA/3SL long-arm model offers a larger motion range than the M-2iA/3S.  
    
The 4-axis M-2iA has a single-axis wrist for simple assembly and high-speed picking operations, offering speeds up to 3,500° per second.  In addition, a hollow wrist lets hoses and cables to be routed internally, which minimizes wear and tear on the tooling cables.

The M-2iA operates with Fanuc’s latest R-30iB controller with integrated intelligent functions such as iRVision, Force Sensing, Robot Link, and Collision Guard.  

The M-2iA robot offers a wide range of benefits, including:

•    Portable and compact size allows operation in small spaces.
•    Four-axis design (single-axis wrist) accurately moves parts at extremely high-speeds.
•    A hollow wrist allows tooling cables to be routed internally, minimizing wear and tear.
•    Food option features a special coating to handle acid and alkaline disinfectants.
•    Ability to work with primary (unpackaged) or secondary (packaged) food products.
•    Optional IP69 rating for the entire robot means the robot is waterproof and can withstand harsh environments, including dust and high-pressure cleaning.
•    Supports Fanuc’s latest intelligent features including iRVision and force sensing.
•    Collision Guard detects robot collisions with external objects, minimizing damage to the part and robot.
•    Robot Link controls and coordinates up to ten robots through a network exchange of robot positional data.