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Intelligence Applications
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INTRODUCTION
The
word 'robot' evokes many different thoughts and images, perhaps conflicting ones.
Some may think of a metal humanoid, others of an industrial arm, and yet more
may think, unfortunately, of a lost job. In the field of medical robotics, the
word robot is just as fuzzily defined, with many different applications. These
range from simplistic laboratory robots, to highly complex surgical robots that
can either aid a human surgeon or execute operations by themselves.
The idea of robotics in surgery got its start in the military. The idea was to
develop technology where a surgeon could perform an operation from a remote location
on an injured soldier in the battlefield. This concept has evolved into robotics
to enhance surgical performance. In this instance, a robotic arm called Endowrist
performs the procedure with the surgeon guiding the robotic arm from a location
in or adjacent to the operating room. The surgeon sits at a station peering at
a monitor that shows a magnified view of the surgical field. A computer mimics
and enhances his hand movements. The computer in this instance makes the movements
more precise by dampening even a tiny tremor in the surgeon's hands, which might
increase the difficulty in performing procedures under high power microscopic
magnification. Examples of such procedures now being performed that were extremely
difficult if not impossible before this technology are fallopian tube repair in
women, microsurgery on the fetus, and minimally invasive coronary bypass surgery.
The Zeus robot made by Computer Motion and a similar device, the Endowrist made
by Intuitive Surgical are now in clinical trials for the above-mentioned procedures.
Even with the robot to enhance the surgeon's ability, a great deal of practice
is required to master the technique.
The reasons behind the interest in the adoption of medical robots are multitudinous.
There is a great analogy to be found with the automation involved in the manufacturing
industry. That is not to say that the issues of medical robotics are the same,
but that the advantages to be gained are similar. Robots provide industry with
something that is, to them, more valuable than even the most dedicated and hard-working
employee - namely speed, accuracy, repeatability, reliability, and cost-efficiency.
A robotic aid, for example, one that holds a viewing instrument for a surgeon,
will not become fatigued, for however long it is used. It will position the instrument
accurately with no tremor, and it will be able to perform just as well on the
100th occasion as it did on the first. The use of robotics and computers in minimally
invasive spine surgery has resulted in more accurate surgical procedures, shortened
operative time and fewer complications. It is expected that Computer Enhanced
Image Guidance Systems will improve the precision of these procedures as a result
of real time 3-D imaging at the time of the surgery. Diagnostic studies will be
digitally transmitted to the operating room and projected to monitors to further
aid the surgeon in performing the correct procedure with minimal trauma to the
patient
SURGICAL
NAVIGATION SYSTEM
A surgical navigation system has been built that
is currently used regularly for neurosurgical cases such as tumor resection at
Brigham and Women's Hospital. The system consists of a portable cart containing
a Sun UltraSPARC workstation and the hardware to drive the laser scanner and Flashpoint
tracking system (Image Guided Technologies, Boulder, CO). On top of the cart is
mounted an articulated extendible arm to which a bar is attached to house the
laser scanner and Flashpoint cameras. The three linear Flashpoint cameras are
inside the bar. The laser is attached to one end of the bar, and a video camera
to the other. The joint between the arm and scanning bar has three degrees-of-freedom
to allow easy placement of the bar in desired configurations
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