{"id":"https://openalex.org/W4416749632","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1109/iros60139.2025.11246898","title":"SplineFormer: An Explainable Transformer Network for Autonomous Endovascular Navigation","display_name":"SplineFormer: An Explainable Transformer Network for Autonomous Endovascular Navigation","publication_year":2025,"publication_date":"2025-10-19","ids":{"openalex":"https://openalex.org/W4416749632","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1109/iros60139.2025.11246898"},"language":null,"primary_location":{"id":"doi:10.1109/iros60139.2025.11246898","is_oa":false,"landing_page_url":"https://doi.org/10.1109/iros60139.2025.11246898","pdf_url":null,"source":null,"license":null,"license_id":null,"version":"publishedVersion","is_accepted":true,"is_published":true,"raw_source_name":"2025 IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems (IROS)","raw_type":"proceedings-article"},"type":"article","indexed_in":["crossref"],"open_access":{"is_oa":false,"oa_status":"closed","oa_url":null,"any_repository_has_fulltext":false},"authorships":[{"author_position":"first","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5003925489","display_name":"Tudor Jianu","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0324-0950"},"institutions":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/I146655781","display_name":"University of Liverpool","ror":"https://ror.org/04xs57h96","country_code":"GB","type":"education","lineage":["https://openalex.org/I146655781"]}],"countries":["GB"],"is_corresponding":true,"raw_author_name":"Tudor Jianu","raw_affiliation_strings":["University of Liverpool,Department of Computer Science,UK"],"raw_orcid":null,"affiliations":[{"raw_affiliation_string":"University of Liverpool,Department of Computer Science,UK","institution_ids":["https://openalex.org/I146655781"]}]},{"author_position":"middle","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5109276789","display_name":"Shayan Doust","orcid":null},"institutions":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/I146655781","display_name":"University of Liverpool","ror":"https://ror.org/04xs57h96","country_code":"GB","type":"education","lineage":["https://openalex.org/I146655781"]}],"countries":["GB"],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Shayan Doust","raw_affiliation_strings":["University of Liverpool,Department of Computer Science,UK"],"raw_orcid":null,"affiliations":[{"raw_affiliation_string":"University of Liverpool,Department of Computer Science,UK","institution_ids":["https://openalex.org/I146655781"]}]},{"author_position":"middle","author":{"id":null,"display_name":"Mengyun Li","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0009-0000-5436-4246"},"institutions":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/I146655781","display_name":"University of Liverpool","ror":"https://ror.org/04xs57h96","country_code":"GB","type":"education","lineage":["https://openalex.org/I146655781"]}],"countries":["GB"],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Mengyun Li","raw_affiliation_strings":["University of Liverpool,Department of Computer Science,UK"],"raw_orcid":"https://orcid.org/0009-0000-5436-4246","affiliations":[{"raw_affiliation_string":"University of Liverpool,Department of Computer Science,UK","institution_ids":["https://openalex.org/I146655781"]}]},{"author_position":"middle","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5045614046","display_name":"Baoru Huang","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4421-652X"},"institutions":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/I146655781","display_name":"University of Liverpool","ror":"https://ror.org/04xs57h96","country_code":"GB","type":"education","lineage":["https://openalex.org/I146655781"]}],"countries":["GB"],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Baoru Huang","raw_affiliation_strings":["University of Liverpool,Department of Computer Science,UK"],"raw_orcid":null,"affiliations":[{"raw_affiliation_string":"University of Liverpool,Department of Computer Science,UK","institution_ids":["https://openalex.org/I146655781"]}]},{"author_position":"middle","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5049356819","display_name":"Tuong Do","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3290-3787"},"institutions":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/I146655781","display_name":"University of Liverpool","ror":"https://ror.org/04xs57h96","country_code":"GB","type":"education","lineage":["https://openalex.org/I146655781"]}],"countries":["GB"],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Tuong Do","raw_affiliation_strings":["University of Liverpool,Department of Computer Science,UK"],"raw_orcid":null,"affiliations":[{"raw_affiliation_string":"University of Liverpool,Department of Computer Science,UK","institution_ids":["https://openalex.org/I146655781"]}]},{"author_position":"middle","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5103899208","display_name":"Hoan Nguyen","orcid":null},"institutions":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/I23582244","display_name":"Ho Chi Minh City University of Science","ror":"https://ror.org/05jfbgm49","country_code":"VN","type":"education","lineage":["https://openalex.org/I123565023","https://openalex.org/I23582244"]},{"id":"https://openalex.org/I67868205","display_name":"VNU University of Science","ror":"https://ror.org/05w54hk79","country_code":"VN","type":"education","lineage":["https://openalex.org/I177233841","https://openalex.org/I67868205"]}],"countries":["VN"],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Hoan Nguyen","raw_affiliation_strings":["University of Information Technology,VNUHCM,Vietnam"],"raw_orcid":null,"affiliations":[{"raw_affiliation_string":"University of Information Technology,VNUHCM,Vietnam","institution_ids":["https://openalex.org/I23582244","https://openalex.org/I67868205"]}]},{"author_position":"middle","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5045163791","display_name":"Karl T. Bates","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0048-141X"},"institutions":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/I146655781","display_name":"University of Liverpool","ror":"https://ror.org/04xs57h96","country_code":"GB","type":"education","lineage":["https://openalex.org/I146655781"]}],"countries":["GB"],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Karl Bates","raw_affiliation_strings":["University of Liverpool,Faculty of Health and Life Sciences,UK"],"raw_orcid":null,"affiliations":[{"raw_affiliation_string":"University of Liverpool,Faculty of Health and Life Sciences,UK","institution_ids":["https://openalex.org/I146655781"]}]},{"author_position":"middle","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5079787626","display_name":"Tung D. Ta","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2342-1364"},"institutions":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/I184597095","display_name":"National Institute of Informatics","ror":"https://ror.org/04ksd4g47","country_code":"JP","type":"facility","lineage":["https://openalex.org/I1319490839","https://openalex.org/I184597095","https://openalex.org/I4210158934"]}],"countries":["JP"],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Tung D. Ta","raw_affiliation_strings":["The University of Tokyo,Department of Creative Informatics,Japan"],"raw_orcid":null,"affiliations":[{"raw_affiliation_string":"The University of Tokyo,Department of Creative Informatics,Japan","institution_ids":["https://openalex.org/I184597095"]}]},{"author_position":"middle","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5070335396","display_name":"Sebastiano Fichera","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1006-4959"},"institutions":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/I146655781","display_name":"University of Liverpool","ror":"https://ror.org/04xs57h96","country_code":"GB","type":"education","lineage":["https://openalex.org/I146655781"]}],"countries":["GB"],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Sebastiano Fichera","raw_affiliation_strings":["University of Liverpool,Department of Mechanical, Materials and Aerospace Engineering,UK"],"raw_orcid":null,"affiliations":[{"raw_affiliation_string":"University of Liverpool,Department of Mechanical, Materials and Aerospace Engineering,UK","institution_ids":["https://openalex.org/I146655781"]}]},{"author_position":"middle","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5049598614","display_name":"Pierre Berthet-Rayne","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9118-4877"},"institutions":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/I146655781","display_name":"University of Liverpool","ror":"https://ror.org/04xs57h96","country_code":"GB","type":"education","lineage":["https://openalex.org/I146655781"]}],"countries":["GB"],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Pierre Berthet-Rayne","raw_affiliation_strings":["University of Liverpool,Honorary Fellow,UK"],"raw_orcid":null,"affiliations":[{"raw_affiliation_string":"University of Liverpool,Honorary Fellow,UK","institution_ids":["https://openalex.org/I146655781"]}]},{"author_position":"last","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5089006585","display_name":"Anh Nguyen","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1449-211X"},"institutions":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/I146655781","display_name":"University of Liverpool","ror":"https://ror.org/04xs57h96","country_code":"GB","type":"education","lineage":["https://openalex.org/I146655781"]}],"countries":["GB"],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Anh Nguyen","raw_affiliation_strings":["University of Liverpool,Department of Computer Science,UK"],"raw_orcid":null,"affiliations":[{"raw_affiliation_string":"University of Liverpool,Department of Computer Science,UK","institution_ids":["https://openalex.org/I146655781"]}]}],"institutions":[],"countries_distinct_count":3,"institutions_distinct_count":11,"corresponding_author_ids":["https://openalex.org/A5003925489"],"corresponding_institution_ids":["https://openalex.org/I146655781"],"apc_list":null,"apc_paid":null,"fwci":0.6013,"has_fulltext":false,"cited_by_count":1,"citation_normalized_percentile":{"value":0.73495292,"is_in_top_1_percent":false,"is_in_top_10_percent":false},"cited_by_percentile_year":{"min":96,"max":98},"biblio":{"volume":null,"issue":null,"first_page":"7718","last_page":"7725"},"is_retracted":false,"is_paratext":false,"is_xpac":false,"primary_topic":{"id":"https://openalex.org/T10868","display_name":"Soft Robotics and Applications","score":0.3953000009059906,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/2204","display_name":"Biomedical Engineering"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/22","display_name":"Engineering"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/3","display_name":"Physical Sciences"}},"topics":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/T10868","display_name":"Soft Robotics and Applications","score":0.3953000009059906,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/2204","display_name":"Biomedical Engineering"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/22","display_name":"Engineering"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/3","display_name":"Physical Sciences"}},{"id":"https://openalex.org/T10916","display_name":"Surgical Simulation and Training","score":0.06069999933242798,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/2746","display_name":"Surgery"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/27","display_name":"Medicine"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/4","display_name":"Health Sciences"}},{"id":"https://openalex.org/T11486","display_name":"Micro and Nano Robotics","score":0.039000000804662704,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/3104","display_name":"Condensed Matter Physics"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/31","display_name":"Physics and Astronomy"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/3","display_name":"Physical Sciences"}}],"keywords":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/transformer","display_name":"Transformer","score":0.5277000069618225},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/limiting","display_name":"Limiting","score":0.5031999945640564},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/robot","display_name":"Robot","score":0.396699994802475},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/representation","display_name":"Representation (politics)","score":0.38089999556541443},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/robotics","display_name":"Robotics","score":0.35100001096725464},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/state","display_name":"State (computer science)","score":0.32339999079704285}],"concepts":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/C41008148","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q21198","display_name":"Computer science","level":0,"score":0.5630999803543091},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C154945302","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q11660","display_name":"Artificial intelligence","level":1,"score":0.5619999766349792},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C66322947","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q11658","display_name":"Transformer","level":3,"score":0.5277000069618225},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C188198153","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1613840","display_name":"Limiting","level":2,"score":0.5031999945640564},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C31972630","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q844240","display_name":"Computer vision","level":1,"score":0.4262000024318695},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C90509273","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q11012","display_name":"Robot","level":2,"score":0.396699994802475},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2776359362","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2145286","display_name":"Representation (politics)","level":3,"score":0.38089999556541443},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C79403827","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q3988","display_name":"Real-time computing","level":1,"score":0.3538999855518341},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C34413123","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q170978","display_name":"Robotics","level":3,"score":0.35100001096725464},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C48103436","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q599031","display_name":"State (computer science)","level":2,"score":0.32339999079704285},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C127413603","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q11023","display_name":"Engineering","level":0,"score":0.319599986076355},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2777891301","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q3475123","display_name":"Navigation system","level":2,"score":0.3156000077724457},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C133731056","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q4917288","display_name":"Control engineering","level":1,"score":0.27379998564720154},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C63479239","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7353546","display_name":"Robustness (evolution)","level":3,"score":0.2583000063896179},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2777160999","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1498222","display_name":"Endovascular surgery","level":2,"score":0.25619998574256897},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C44154836","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q45045","display_name":"Simulation","level":1,"score":0.2551000118255615}],"mesh":[],"locations_count":1,"locations":[{"id":"doi:10.1109/iros60139.2025.11246898","is_oa":false,"landing_page_url":"https://doi.org/10.1109/iros60139.2025.11246898","pdf_url":null,"source":null,"license":null,"license_id":null,"version":"publishedVersion","is_accepted":true,"is_published":true,"raw_source_name":"2025 IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems (IROS)","raw_type":"proceedings-article"}],"best_oa_location":null,"sustainable_development_goals":[],"awards":[],"funders":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/F4320320006","display_name":"Royal Society","ror":"https://ror.org/03wnrjx87"}],"has_content":{"grobid_xml":false,"pdf":false},"content_urls":null,"referenced_works_count":42,"referenced_works":["https://openalex.org/W142335935","https://openalex.org/W1559939387","https://openalex.org/W1563959740","https://openalex.org/W1901129140","https://openalex.org/W1908289777","https://openalex.org/W2018224788","https://openalex.org/W2035228917","https://openalex.org/W2038377233","https://openalex.org/W2039354005","https://openalex.org/W2045804775","https://openalex.org/W2067983060","https://openalex.org/W2078424409","https://openalex.org/W2112721335","https://openalex.org/W2128638241","https://openalex.org/W2132239611","https://openalex.org/W2140544649","https://openalex.org/W2146619776","https://openalex.org/W2277258071","https://openalex.org/W2526978419","https://openalex.org/W2735058844","https://openalex.org/W2756327772","https://openalex.org/W2762844398","https://openalex.org/W2797812281","https://openalex.org/W2909693109","https://openalex.org/W2912021503","https://openalex.org/W2952841966","https://openalex.org/W2954191198","https://openalex.org/W2963747070","https://openalex.org/W2973763250","https://openalex.org/W2982962963","https://openalex.org/W3023151776","https://openalex.org/W3090835024","https://openalex.org/W3139475260","https://openalex.org/W3191197587","https://openalex.org/W3202314155","https://openalex.org/W4220760164","https://openalex.org/W4238928129","https://openalex.org/W4281290335","https://openalex.org/W4312629407","https://openalex.org/W4361276347","https://openalex.org/W4380264742","https://openalex.org/W4400351570"],"related_works":[],"abstract_inverted_index":{"Robot-assisted":[0],"endovascular":[1,109,141],"navigation":[2,32,57,139],"provides":[3],"significant":[4],"advantages,":[5],"including":[6],"reduced":[7],"radiation":[8],"exposure":[9],"for":[10,28,136],"surgeons":[11],"and":[12,30,38,87],"improved":[13,137],"patient":[14],"safety.":[15],"However,":[16],"a":[17,79,84,117,129],"major":[18],"challenge":[19],"is":[20],"to":[21,35],"control":[22],"curvilinear":[23],"instruments":[24],"like":[25],"guidewires":[26],"precisely":[27],"smooth":[29],"accurate":[31],"while":[33],"adapting":[34],"anatomical":[36],"variations":[37],"external":[39],"forces.":[40],"Traditional":[41],"segmentation-based":[42],"approaches":[43],"struggle":[44],"with":[45],"real-time":[46],"prediction":[47],"of":[48,75],"the":[49,71,76,125],"guidewire\u2019s":[50],"evolving":[51],"shape,":[52],"limiting":[53],"their":[54],"effectiveness":[55],"in":[56,128,140],"tasks.":[58],"In":[59],"this":[60],"paper,":[61],"we":[62],"propose":[63],"SplineFormer,":[64],"an":[65,100],"explainable":[66,88],"transformer":[67],"network":[68],"that":[69,91,114],"predicts":[70],"continuous,":[72],"structured":[73],"representation":[74,90],"guidewire":[77],"as":[78],"B-spline.":[80],"This":[81],"formulation":[82],"enables":[83],"compact,":[85],"smooth,":[86],"state":[89],"facilitates":[92],"downstream":[93],"navigation.":[94,110],"By":[95],"leveraging":[96],"SplineFormer\u2019s":[97],"predictions":[98],"within":[99],"imitation":[101],"learning":[102],"framework,":[103],"our":[104],"system":[105],"successfully":[106],"performs":[107],"autonomous":[108,138],"Experimental":[111],"results":[112],"show":[113],"SplineFormer":[115],"achieves":[116],"50%":[118],"success":[119],"rate":[120],"when":[121],"fully":[122],"autonomously":[123],"cannulating":[124],"Brachiocephalic":[126],"Artery":[127],"real":[130],"robotic":[131],"setup,":[132],"demonstrating":[133],"its":[134],"potential":[135],"interventions.":[142]},"counts_by_year":[{"year":2026,"cited_by_count":1}],"updated_date":"2026-01-14T23:40:02.550235","created_date":"2025-11-28T00:00:00"}