Robots can operate through incisions smaller than a single human finger.
Robotic surgery has been within the realm of science fiction for decades. Arguably, the most iconic depiction can be found in "The Empire Strikes Back," when back in 1980 a 2-1B robotic surgeon was envisioned reattaching Luke Skywalker's severed hand. Reality did not take long to overtake fiction, however, and by 1985 the Programmable Universal Machine for Assembly (PUMA) was already placing needles in order to increase the precision of neurosurgical biopsies. Robotic assistants are becoming more versatile every day, and today they can benefit surgeons and patients in several areas.
Steady Pulse
Even the most skilled doctor is bound to get fatigued after several hours of surgery, and this fatigue can easily translate into hand tremors. Robots, however, can surpass even the steadiest of the human hands. When a human doctor controls a robotic arm, it is possible to get the best of both worlds: For example, the software for the robotic neurosurgery assistant NeuroArm is programmed to compensate for tremors, so if the doctor's arm shakes the computer can ignore it and perform a steady motion. NeuroArm is made from titanium, a paramagnetic material, in order to allow for operation near the powerful magnets required for MRI.
Microsurgery
Operating on small organs can be impossible without robotic assistance. For example, reattaching a severed fallopian tube with a diameter of 0.2 inches is extremely challenging. However, the operation has been successfully performed with the aid of robotic assistants. The robot seamlessly translates the surgeon's movements into precise, real-time movements of the surgical instruments inside the patient, but the movements are made 11 times smaller.
A Moving Target
Traditionally, operating on a human heart has involved a very risky step: the heart had to be stopped for the duration of the operation and reanimated afterward. Sometimes, the procedure damages the tissues. This risk can be avoided by using robotic assistants. The human-controlled device can compensate for the motion of the organ by making lightning-fast adjustments in response to every single heartbeat.
Minimally Invasive Procedures
Where a human surgeon had to slice open a patient in order to reach the affected area, a robotic surgeon can work through pencil-thin incisions instead. The da Vinci surgical robot created by Intuitive Surgical requires three or four incisions no larger than the diameter of a pencil in the patient's abdomen. A camera is inserted through one of those incisions, and the surgical instruments are controlled through the others. These minimally invasive procedures reduce the discomfort of the patient and allow for shorter recuperation times.
Telemedicine
A robotic assistant can be controlled by a surgeon who is actually located on the other side of the world. Thus, a specialist located in New York can easily operate on a patient that is in a remote African village. Using a robotic tele-surgery system like SRI's M7, a doctor can operate on the battlefield without risking his life, can provide help in developing countries without leaving his usual practice or can perform emergency procedures on personnel stationed in remote locations like arctic bases or off-shore drilling platforms.
Tags: robotic assistants, robotic surgeon, surgical instruments
