Surgical Robots

Surgical robots have revolutionised minimally invasive surgery, enabling surgeons to perform complex procedures with greater precision and safety, better outcomes, and lower costs.

A wide range of operations can be performed with robotic assistance. This includes surgery for prostate cancer, spinal disease, radiosurgery, pancreatectomy, heart surgery, and bowel resection¹.

The da Vinci surgical system, for instance, uses a console that allows the surgeon to control four robotic arms, each of which has a surgical instrument attached.

The robotic arms are controlled remotely via a master controller that transforms the surgeons’ hand movements to the motion of the surgical instruments. The system, which also includes a 3D camera, provides real-time feedback on the location and movement of the instruments, and the tissue characteristics.

The ARTAS robotic hair restoration system uses advanced imaging and computer vision algorithms to identify and harvest healthy hair follicles from the back of the patient’s scalp.

The system then implants the follicles into the balding areas of the scalp with precise accuracy, resulting in a more natural-looking and permanent solution to hair loss.

Another example is the Mako robotic-arm, which is designed for joint replacement surgeries. Its system uses a CT scan to create a 3D model of the patient’s joint, allowing the surgeon to plan and simulate the surgery before it takes place. The robotic arm then assists the surgeon in performing the precise cuts and placement of the implant.

A major benefit of surgical robotics technology is its ability to perform minimally invasive surgeries. Minimally invasive surgeries require smaller incisions, resulting in less blood loss, reduced pain, and faster recovery times. Additionally, robot-assisted surgeries have a lower risk of infection and other complications.

In addition to improving surgical outcomes, intelligent systems for surgical robots also have the potential to reduce the workload of surgical teams and improve patient safety.

For example, the Smart Tissue Autonomous Robot (STAR) is a surgical robotics system that can perform soft tissue surgeries without direct human supervision.

The STAR system uses AI algorithms to analyse real-time data from cameras and force sensors to guide its movements and make surgical decisions. This reduces the workload of surgical teams and improves patient safety by reducing the risk of human error.

Surgical robots, however, come with challenges. They’re expensive and involve specialised training. It must be ensured that their systems are safe, reliable, and transparent in their decision-making processes.

Further advancements will make such robotic systems more widely available and affordable. They will likely be combined with virtual and augmented reality systems.

References:
1. Thai et al, 2020