We use cookies to understand how you use our site and to improve your experience. This includes personalizing content and advertising. To learn more, click here. By continuing to use our site, you accept our use of cookies. Cookie Policy.

Features Partner Sites Information LinkXpress
Sign In
Advertise with Us

Download Mobile App




Autonomous Surgical Robots Outperform Human Hands

By HospiMedica International staff writers
Posted on 16 May 2016
Print article
Image: The STAR autonomous surgical robot (Photo courtesy of the Children\'s National Health System).
Image: The STAR autonomous surgical robot (Photo courtesy of the Children\'s National Health System).
A supervised, autonomous robot can perform surgery on soft tissue more effectively than a surgeon's hands, or even a surgeon assisted by a robot, claims a new study.

Developed at the Sheikh Zayed Institute for Pediatric Surgical Innovation at Children's National Health System (Washington, DC, USA), the Smart Tissue Autonomous Robot (STAR) consists of tools for suturing, as well as fluorescent and three-dimensional (3D) imaging, force sensing, and submillimeter positioning. For example, the robot's tracking system combines near-infrared (NIR) fluorescent marking with a plenoptic camera to create 3D images of the target tissue. The images are then processed to enable accurate, uninhibited tracking of tissue deformation during the surgery.

Another piece of software, an intelligent algorithm, combines with the tracking system to guide and autonomously adjust (in real time) the surgical plan as the tissue moves around and changes. The researchers tested STAR in an anastomosis procedure, which involved connecting tubular intestinal loops in live pigs. They then compared metrics of the anastomosis, including consistency of suturing informed by the average suture spacing, the pressure at which the anastomosis leaked, the number of mistakes that required removing the needle from the tissue, completion time, and lumen reduction in intestinal anastomoses.

The results showed that when compared to manual laparoscopic surgery and robotic assisted surgery (RAS), the outcome of the supervised autonomous procedures was superior in both ex vivo porcine tissues and in living pigs. According the researchers, the results demonstrate the potential of such autonomous robots in improving the efficacy, consistency, functional outcome, and accessibility of surgical techniques. The study was published on May 4, 2016, in Science Translational Medicine.

“STAR is a supervised robot that effectively removes the surgeon's hands from the procedure, and instead, the surgeon supervises the robots autonomously planned and performed stitching or suturing,” said senior author pediatric surgeon Peter Kim, MD, vice president of the Sheikh Zayed Institute. “The intention is not to replace surgeons, but to improve results by complementing human skills with enhanced vision, dexterity, and machine intelligence.”

Related Links:
Children's National Health System
Gold Member
SARS‑CoV‑2/Flu A/Flu B/RSV Sample-To-Answer Test
SARS‑CoV‑2/Flu A/Flu B/RSV Cartridge (CE-IVD)
Gold Member
12-Channel ECG
CM1200B
Silver Member
Compact 14-Day Uninterrupted Holter ECG
NR-314P
New
PACS Workstation
CHILI Web Viewer

Print article

Channels

Critical Care

view channel
Image: Researchers have developed a novel risk score for cardiovascular complications after bone marrow transplant (Photo courtesy of 123RF)

Novel Tool Predicts Cardiovascular Risks after Bone Marrow Transplantation

Every year, thousands of people undergo bone marrow transplants to potentially cure serious diseases like leukemia, lymphoma, and immune deficiency disorders. While these transplants can be lifesaving,... Read more

Patient Care

view channel
Image: The newly-launched solution can transform operating room scheduling and boost utilization rates (Photo courtesy of Fujitsu)

Surgical Capacity Optimization Solution Helps Hospitals Boost OR Utilization

An innovative solution has the capability to transform surgical capacity utilization by targeting the root cause of surgical block time inefficiencies. Fujitsu Limited’s (Tokyo, Japan) Surgical Capacity... Read more

Health IT

view channel
Image: First ever institution-specific model provides significant performance advantage over current population-derived models (Photo courtesy of Mount Sinai)

Machine Learning Model Improves Mortality Risk Prediction for Cardiac Surgery Patients

Machine learning algorithms have been deployed to create predictive models in various medical fields, with some demonstrating improved outcomes compared to their standard-of-care counterparts.... Read more

Point of Care

view channel
Image: The new eye-safe laser technology can diagnose traumatic brain injury (Photo courtesy of 123RF)

Novel Diagnostic Hand-Held Device Detects Known Biomarkers for Traumatic Brain Injury

The growing need for prompt and efficient diagnosis of traumatic brain injury (TBI), a major cause of mortality globally, has spurred the development of innovative diagnostic technologies.... Read more
Copyright © 2000-2024 Globetech Media. All rights reserved.