Medical robotics is the future of science. Though one Da Vinci surgical robot costs roughly $1.7 million, surgeons who have used it say it is both remarkable and revolutionary. “I do a lot of gallbladder surgery,” explains Dr. Glen Gibson of Annapolis General Hospital. “Operating on livers, stomachs and colons used to be stem-to-stern incisions; I have had to take out (only) one gallbladder by traditional surgery in the last three years.” Robotic surgery promises quicker recovery times, less pain medication and fewer incisions, he adds.
Currently there are three types of robotic surgery systems: Supervisory-Controlled systems, Telesurgical systems and Shared-Control systems. Supervisory-Controlled systems (a.k.a. Computer Assisted Surgery) are the most automated of the three. The surgeon undertakes considerable prep work, inputs data into the robotic system, plans the course of action, takes x-rays, tests the robot’s motions, places the robot in the appropriate start position and oversees the robotic action to ensure everything goes as planned. The most famous prototype is the RoboDoc system developed by Integrated Surgical Systems, which is commonly used in orthopedic surgeries.
The Telesurgical robotic system is the second type of device used in modern robotic surgery. The most common variety, the Da Vinci Robotic Surgical System, enhances the surgery by providing 3-D visualization deep within hard-to-reach places like the heart, as well as enhancing wrist dexterity and control of tiny instruments. This technology allows surgeons to make quicker, more controlled and more accurate movements by using the robot arm with its wider range of motions. It also allows more surgeons to perform these procedures, since many of the techniques performed by robot assistants are highly skilled and extremely difficult for humans to master. Now more procedures (like artery repair and valve repair) can be done without long recovery times or bodily injury.
There are obvious advantages to robotic surgery. In a typical surgery, there are nearly twelve people in the room, although one robot could eliminate the need for so many onlookers. Telesurgical procedures may allow surgeons to perform delicate operations miles away from the patient, controlling robotic arms from a computer terminal, allowing doctors to telecommute to work across the US. Additionally, medical robotics reduce bodily damage, blood loss and pain, thus quickening recovery times. Lastly, the robotic hand has a wider range of motions than the human hand and can also remain steadier, without getting fatigued. For future advancements, robotic engineers are working on reducing the delay between the doctor’s hand movement and the corresponding robotic arms. They’ll also need to look at how the cost may be reduced to open the door for more hospitals to acquire the new robot technology.
Tags: medical robotics, robot arm, robotic surgery, robotic systemRelated posts
Tags: medical robotics, robot arm, robotic surgery, robotic system
