Video-Assisted Thyroidectomy for Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma

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Celestino Pio Lombardi

2010-01-01

Full Text Available Background. The results of video-assisted thyroidectomy (VAT were evaluated in a large series of patients with papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC, especially in terms of completeness of the surgical resection and short-to-medium term recurrence. Methods. The medical records of all patients who underwent video-assisted thyroidectomy for PTC between June 1998 and May 2009 were reviewed. Results. Three hundred fifty-nine patients were included. One hundred twenty-six patients underwent concomitant central neck node removal. Final histology showed 285 pT1, 26 pT2, and 48 pT3 PTC. Lymph node metastases were found in 27 cases. Follow-up was completed in 315 patients. Mean postoperative serum thyroglobulin level off levothyroxine was 5.4 ng/mL. Post operative ultrasonography showed no residual thyroid tissue in all the patients. Mean post-operative 131I uptake was 1.7%. One patient developed lateral neck recurrence. No other recurrence was observed.

Comparison of Bilateral Axillo-Breast Approach Robotic Thyroidectomy with Open Thyroidectomy for Graves' Disease.

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Kwon, Hyungju; Yi, Jin Wook; Song, Ra-Yeong; Chai, Young Jun; Kim, Su-jin; Choi, June Young; Lee, Kyu Eun

2016-03-01

There is an ongoing debate about whether robotic thyroidectomy (RT) is appropriate for Graves' disease. The aim of this study was to compare the safety of bilateral axillo-breast approach (BABA) RT with that of open thyroidectomy (OT) in patients with Graves' disease. From January 2008 to June 2014, 189 (44 BABA RT and 145 OT) patients underwent total thyroidectomy for Graves' disease. Recurrence of Graves' disease, intraoperative blood loss, hospital stay, and complication rates including recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN) palsy and hypoparathyroidism were analyzed between BABA RT and OT groups, after propensity score matching according to age, gender, body mass index, surgical indication, the extent of operation, excised thyroid weight, and follow-up period. No patient experienced recurrence of Graves' disease after median follow-up of 35.0 months. Intraoperative blood loss (151.8 ± 165.4 mL vs. 134.5 ± 75.4 mL; p = 0.534) and hospital stay (3.4 ± 0.7 day vs. 3.3 ± 0.7 day; p = 0.564) were not different between BABA RT and OT groups. Complication rates including transient RLN palsy (11.4 vs. 11.4%; p = 1.000), transient hypoparathyroidism (18.2 vs. 20.5%; p = 0.787), permanent RLN palsy (0 vs. 2.3%; p = 0.315), and permanent hypoparathyroidism (2.3 vs. 2.3%; p = 1.000) were also comparable between groups. BABA RT for Graves' disease showed comparable surgical completeness and complications to conventional OT. BABA RT can be recommended as an alternative surgical option for patients with Graves' disease who are concerned about cosmesis.

Endoscopic and keyhole endoscope-assisted neurosurgical approaches: a qualitative survey on technical challenges and technological solutions.

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Marcus, Hani J; Cundy, Thomas P; Hughes-Hallett, Archie; Yang, Guang-Zhong; Darzi, Ara; Nandi, Dipankar

2014-10-01

The literature reflects a resurgence of interest in endoscopic and keyhole endoscope-assisted neurosurgical approaches as alternatives to conventional microsurgical approaches in carefully selected cases. The aim of this study was to assess the technical challenges of neuroendoscopy, and the scope for technological innovations to overcome these barriers. All full members of the Society of British Neurosurgeons (SBNS) were electronically invited to participate in an online survey. The open-ended structured survey asked three questions; firstly, whether the surgeon presently utilises or has experience with endoscopic or endoscope-assisted approaches; secondly, what they consider to be the major technical barriers to adopting such approaches; and thirdly, what technological advances they foresee improving safety and efficacy in the field. Responses were subjected to a qualitative research method of multi-rater emergent theme analysis. Three clear themes emerged: 1) surgical approach and better integration with image-guidance systems (20%), 2) intra-operative visualisation and improvements in neuroendoscopy (49%), and 3) surgical manipulation and improvements in instruments (74%). The analysis of responses to our open-ended survey revealed that although opinion was varied three major themes could be identified. Emerging technological advances such as augmented reality, high-definition stereo-endoscopy, and robotic joint-wristed instruments may help overcome the technical difficulties associated with neuroendoscopic approaches. Results of this qualitative survey provide consensus amongst the technology end-user community such that unambiguous goals and priorities may be defined. Systems integrating these advances could improve the safety and efficacy of endoscopic and endoscope-assisted neurosurgical approaches.

A comparative study of postoperative pain for open thyroidectomy versus bilateral axillo-breast approach robotic thyroidectomy using a self-reporting application for iPad.

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Chai, Young Jun; Song, Junho; Kang, Jiyoung; Woo, Jung-Woo; Song, Ra-Yeong; Kwon, Hyungju; Kim, Su-Jin; Choi, June Young; Lee, Kyu Eun

2016-05-01

Postoperative pain for robotic thyroid surgeries including bilateral axillo-breast approach (BABA) has not been well studied. In this study, we have developed a self-reporting application (SRA) for iPad and prospectively collected pain scores from open thyroidectomy (OT) and BABA robotic thyroidectomy (RT) patients. Female patients who underwent total thyroidectomy for papillary thyroid carcinoma were included. Patients recorded pain scores for throat, anterior neck, posterior neck, chest, and back on postoperative days 1, 2, and 3. Once discharged, on postoperative day 14, a survey was also conducted on satisfaction of SRA and cosmesis. A total of 54 patients were enrolled (27 BABA RT and 27 OT). There were no significant differences between the 2 groups in clinicopathological characteristics and postoperative complication rates. Postoperative pain scores at days 1, 2, 3, and 14 were not significantly different between the groups for throat, anterior neck, posterior neck, or back. Postoperative analgesic requirements were similar between the 2 groups. Wound satisfaction scores were significantly higher in the BABA RT group (BABA RT 7.4 vs. OT 5.7; P = 0.016). Satisfaction scores for the usefulness of SRA were above 7.2 for all four questionnaire items on the 10-point scale. Postoperative pain for BABA RT is equivalent to OT but offers greater cosmetic satisfaction for patients. A mobile device application such as SRA may facilitate proper assessment and management of pain in postoperative patients.

Epigastric hernia contiguous with the laparoscopic port site after endoscopic robotic total prostatectomy.

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Moriwaki, Yoshihiro; Otani, Jun; Okuda, Junzo; Maemoto, Ryo

2018-03-23

Both laparoscopic and endoscopic robotic surgery are widely accepted for many abdominal surgeries. However, the port site for the laparoscope cannot be easily sutured without defect, particularly in the cranial end; this can result in a port-site incisional hernia and trigger the progressive thinning and stretching of the linea alba, leading to epigastric hernia. In the present case, we encountered an epigastric hernia contiguous with an incisional scar at the port site from a previous endoscopic robotic total prostatectomy. Abdominal ultrasound and CT revealed that the width of the linea alba was 30-48 mm. Previous CT images prepared before endoscopic robotic prostatectomy had shown a thinning of the linea alba. We should be aware of the possibility of epigastric hernia after laparoscopic and endoscopic robotic surgery. In laparoscopic and endoscopic robotic surgery for a high-risk patient for epigastric hernia, we should consider additional sutures cranial to the port-site incision to prevent of an epigastric hernia. © 2018 Japan Society for Endoscopic Surgery, Asia Endosurgery Task Force and John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.

Applied anatomy of a new approach of endoscopic technique in thyroid gland surgery.

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Liu, Hong; Xie, Yong-jun; Xu, Yi-quan; Li, Chao; Liu, Xing-guo

2012-10-01

To explore the feasibility and safety of transtracheal assisted sublingual approach to totally endoscopic thyroidectomy by studying the anatomical approach and adjacent structures. A total of 5 embalmed adult cadavers from Chengdu Medical College were dissected layer by layer in the cervical region, pharyngeal region, and mandible region, according to transtracheal assisted sublingual approach that was verified from the anatomical approach and planes. A total of 15 embalmed adult cadavers were dissected by arterial vascular casting technique, imaging scanning technique, and thin layer cryotomy. Then the vessel and anatomical structures of thyroid surgical region were analyzed qualitatively and quantitatively. Three-dimensional visualization of larynx artery was reconstructed by Autodesk 3ds Max 2010(32). Transtracheal assisted sublingual approach for totally endoscopic thyroidectomy was simulated on 5 embalmed adult cadavers. The sublingual observed access was located in the middle of sublingual region. The geniohyoid muscle, mylohyoid seam, and submental triangle were divided in turn in the middle to reach the plane under the plastima muscles. Superficial cervical fascia, anterior body of hyoid bone, and infrahyoid muscles were passed in sequence to reach thyroid gland surgical region. The transtracheal operational access was placed from the cavitas oris propria, isthmus faucium, subepiglottic region, laryngeal pharynx, and intermediate laryngeal cavit, and then passed from the top down in order to reach pars cervicalis tracheae where a sagittal incision was made in the anterior wall of cartilagines tracheales to reach a ascertained surgical region. Transtracheal assisted sublingual approach to totally endoscopic thyroidectomy is anatomically feasible and safe and can be useful in thyroid gland surgery.

Technological advances in robotic-assisted laparoscopic surgery.

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Tan, Gerald Y; Goel, Raj K; Kaouk, Jihad H; Tewari, Ashutosh K

2009-05-01

In this article, the authors describe the evolution of urologic robotic systems and the current state-of-the-art features and existing limitations of the da Vinci S HD System (Intuitive Surgical, Inc.). They then review promising innovations in scaling down the footprint of robotic platforms, the early experience with mobile miniaturized in vivo robots, advances in endoscopic navigation systems using augmented reality technologies and tracking devices, the emergence of technologies for robotic natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery and single-port surgery, advances in flexible robotics and haptics, the development of new virtual reality simulator training platforms compatible with the existing da Vinci system, and recent experiences with remote robotic surgery and telestration.

Robotics in endoscopy.

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Klibansky, David; Rothstein, Richard I

2012-09-01

The increasing complexity of intralumenal and emerging translumenal endoscopic procedures has created an opportunity to apply robotics in endoscopy. Computer-assisted or direct-drive robotic technology allows the triangulation of flexible tools through telemanipulation. The creation of new flexible operative platforms, along with other emerging technology such as nanobots and steerable capsules, can be transformational for endoscopic procedures. In this review, we cover some background information on the use of robotics in surgery and endoscopy, and review the emerging literature on platforms, capsules, and mini-robotic units. The development of techniques in advanced intralumenal endoscopy (endoscopic mucosal resection and endoscopic submucosal dissection) and translumenal endoscopic procedures (NOTES) has generated a number of novel platforms, flexible tools, and devices that can apply robotic principles to endoscopy. The development of a fully flexible endoscopic surgical toolkit will enable increasingly advanced procedures to be performed through natural orifices. The application of platforms and new flexible tools to the areas of advanced endoscopy and NOTES heralds the opportunity to employ useful robotic technology. Following the examples of the utility of robotics from the field of laparoscopic surgery, we can anticipate the emerging role of robotic technology in endoscopy.

[Digital imaging and robotics in endoscopic surgery].

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Go, P M

1998-05-23

The introduction of endoscopical surgery has among other things influenced technical developments in surgery. Owing to digitalisation, major progress will be made in imaging and in the sophisticated technology sometimes called robotics. Digital storage makes the results of imaging diagnostics (e.g. the results of radiological examination) suitable for transmission via video conference systems for telediagnostic purposes. The availability of digital video technique renders possible the processing, storage and retrieval of moving images as well. During endoscopical operations use may be made of a robot arm which replaces the camera man. The arm does not grow tired and provides a stable image. The surgeon himself can operate or address the arm and it can remember fixed image positions to which it can return if ordered to do so. The next step is to carry out surgical manipulations via a robot arm. This may make operations more patient-friendly. A robot arm can also have remote control: telerobotics. At the Internet site of this journal a number of supplements to this article can be found, for instance three-dimensional (3D) illustrations (which is the purpose of the 3D spectacles enclosed with this issue) and a quiz (http:@appendix.niwi. knaw.nl).

The current status of robotic transaxillary thyroidectomy in the United States: an experience from two centers.

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Zaidi, Nisar; Daskalaki, Despoina; Quadri, Pablo; Okoh, Alexis; Giulianotti, Pier Cristoforo; Berber, Eren

2017-08-01

Few studies exist regarding the state of robotic transaxillary thyroidectomy (RT) and its outcomes at high-volume institutions. Eighty-nine patients underwent RT between January 2009 and September 2015 at two tertiary centers. Data were collected from prospectively-maintained IRB-approved databases. Patient demographic and clinical data, and trends were evaluated. Indications for RT included biopsy-proven or suspicion for malignancy in 20.2%, atypical cells or follicular neoplasm in 27.7%, multinodular goiter in 26.6%, thyrotoxicosis in 8.5%, need for completion thyroidectomy in 5.3%, and non-diagnostic FNA in 3.2%. 56% underwent total thyroidectomy and 44% lobectomy. Operative time (OT) was 153.5 minutes for lobectomies and 192.6 minutes for total thyroidectomy. The complication rate was 11.7%: temporary RLN neuropraxia in 2 patients, permanent hypoparathyroidism in 1 patient, temporary hypoparathyroidism in 6 patients, flap seroma in 1 patient, and flap hematoma in 1 patient. Pathology showed malignancy in 43 patients. At a mean follow-up of 31.9 months, there were no recurrences. Since 2013, the number of RTs performed has risen. The number of out-of-state patients increased from 18% to 37% after 2011. RT was performed without compromising outcomes in selected patients. There remains interest among patients seeking this procedure in expert centers.

A Novel Telemanipulated Robotic Assistant for Surgical Endoscopy: Preclinical Application to ESD.

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Zorn, Lucile; Nageotte, Florent; Zanne, Philippe; Legner, Andras; Dallemagne, Bernard; Marescaux, Jacques; de Mathelin, Michel

2018-04-01

Minimally invasive surgical interventions in the gastrointestinal tract, such as endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD), are very difficult for surgeons when performed with standard flexible endoscopes. Robotic flexible systems have been identified as a solution to improve manipulation. However, only a few such systems have been brought to preclinical trials as of now. As a result, novel robotic tools are required. We developed a telemanipulated robotic device, called STRAS, which aims to assist surgeons during intraluminal surgical endoscopy. This is a modular system, based on a flexible endoscope and flexible instruments, which provides 10 degrees of freedom (DoFs). The modularity allows the user to easily set up the robot and to navigate toward the operating area. The robot can then be teleoperated using master interfaces specifically designed to intuitively control all available DoFs. STRAS capabilities have been tested in laboratory conditions and during preclinical experiments. We report 12 colorectal ESDs performed in pigs, in which large lesions were successfully removed. Dissection speeds are compared with those obtained in similar conditions with the manual Anubiscope platform from Karl Storz. We show significant improvements ( ). These experiments show that STRAS (v2) provides sufficient DoFs, workspace, and force to perform ESD, that it allows a single surgeon to perform all the surgical tasks and those performances are improved with respect to manual systems. The concepts developed for STRAS are validated and could bring new tools for surgeons to improve comfort, ease, and performances for intraluminal surgical endoscopy.

A prospective comparison of patient body image after robotic thyroidectomy and conventional open thyroidectomy in patients with papillary thyroid carcinoma.

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Lee, Sohee; Kim, Ha Yan; Lee, Cho Rok; Park, Seulkee; Son, Haiyoung; Kang, Sang-Wook; Jeong, Jong Ju; Nam, Kee-Hyun; Chung, Woong Youn; Park, Cheong Soo

2014-07-01

Body image is associated with self-esteem and identity and has a close relationship with quality of life (QoL). We compared the impact of surgical scars on the patient's perception of body image between conventional open thyroidectomy (OT) and robotic thyroidectomy (RT) in female papillary thyroid carcinoma patients. From October 2009 to December 2010, we enrolled prospectively 116 papillary thyroid carcinoma patients who underwent total thyroidectomy at the Yonsei University Health System (Seoul, Korea). Of these 116 patients, 56 had OT and 60 RT. Their scars were assessed using the Vancouver Scar Scale (VSS), and psychometric properties were evaluated using the Body Image Scale (BIS) questionnaire postoperatively. Both groups were compared using cross-sectional and time-series methods. Mean age was significantly younger in the RT group. Regarding scar quality, the OT group showed superiority in scar pigmentation and the total VSS score during the early postoperative period, but the VSS score improved over time and was similar between both groups at 9 months. The RT group had better scores regarding most of the BIS items, a trend that remained relatively constant over time. In patients with noticeable scars (VSS ≥ 2) at 9 months, the RT group had better BIS scores regarding almost all items, including "self-conscious," "physical attractiveness," "feeling of less feminine," "sexual attractiveness," "dissatisfaction with body, scar and appearance when dressed," and "avoidance of people due to appearance." RT provides a better self-body image and improves QoL compared with conventional OT by avoiding a noticeable cervical scar. Copyright © 2014 Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.

Transoral robotic surgery vs. endoscopic partial midline glossectomy for obstructive sleep apnea

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David Folk

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Objective: To compare sleep-related outcomes in obstructive sleep apnea hypopnea syndrome (OSAHS patients following base of tongue resection via robotic surgery and endoscopic midline glossectomy. Methods: This was a retrospective study. A total of 114 robotic and 37 endoscopic midline glossectomy surgeries were performed between July 2010 and April 2015 as part of single or multilevel surgery. Patients were excluded for indications other than sleep apnea or if complete sleep studies were not obtained. Thus, 45 robotic and 16 endoscopic surgeries were included in the analysis. Results: In the robotic surgery group there were statistically significant improvements in AHI [(44.4 ± 22.6 events/h–(14.0 ± 3.0 events/h, P < 0.001] Epworth Sleepiness Scale (12.3 ± 4.6 to 4.5 ± 2.9, P < 0.001, and O2 nadir (82.0% ± 6.1% to 85.0% ± 5.4%, P < 0.001. In the endoscopic group there were also improvements in AHI (48.7 ± 30.2 to 27.4 ± 31.9, P = 0.06, Epworth Sleepiness Scale (12.6 ± 5.5 to 8.3 ± 4.5, P = 0.08, and O2 nadir (80.2% ± 8.6% to 82.7% ± 6.5%, P = 0.4. Surgical success rate was 75.6% and 56.3% in the robotic and endoscopic groups, respectively. Greater volume of tissue removed was predictive of surgical success in the robotic cases (10.3 vs. 8.6 ml, P = 0.02. Conclusions: Both robotic surgery and endoscopic techniques for tongue base reduction improve objective measures of sleep apnea. Greater success rates may be achieved with robotic surgery compared to traditional methods. Keywords: Sleep surgery, Transoral robotic surgery, TORS, Midline glossectomy, Partial glossectomy, Posterior glossectomy

An Innovate Robotic Endoscope Guidance System for Transnasal Sinus and Skull Base Surgery: Proof of Concept.

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Friedrich, D T; Sommer, F; Scheithauer, M O; Greve, J; Hoffmann, T K; Schuler, P J

2017-12-01

Objective  Advanced transnasal sinus and skull base surgery remains a challenging discipline for head and neck surgeons. Restricted access and space for instrumentation can impede advanced interventions. Thus, we present the combination of an innovative robotic endoscope guidance system and a specific endoscope with adjustable viewing angle to facilitate transnasal surgery in a human cadaver model. Materials and Methods  The applicability of the robotic endoscope guidance system with custom foot pedal controller was tested for advanced transnasal surgery on a fresh frozen human cadaver head. Visualization was enabled using a commercially available endoscope with adjustable viewing angle (15-90 degrees). Results  Visualization and instrumentation of all paranasal sinuses, including the anterior and middle skull base, were feasible with the presented setup. Controlling the robotic endoscope guidance system was effectively precise, and the adjustable endoscope lens extended the view in the surgical field without the common change of fixed viewing angle endoscopes. Conclusion  The combination of a robotic endoscope guidance system and an advanced endoscope with adjustable viewing angle enables bimanual surgery in transnasal interventions of the paranasal sinuses and the anterior skull base in a human cadaver model. The adjustable lens allows for the abandonment of fixed-angle endoscopes, saving time and resources, without reducing the quality of imaging.

AssistMe robot, an assistance robotic platform

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. I. Alexan

2012-06-01

Full Text Available This paper presents the design and implementation of a full size assistance robot. Its main purpose it to assist a person and eventually avoid a life threatening situation. Its implementation revolves around a chipKIT Arduino board that interconnects a robotic base controller with a 7 inch TABLET PC and various sensors. Due to the Android and Arduino combination, the robot can interact with the person and provide an easy development platform for future improvement and feature adding. The TABLET PC is Webcam, WIFI and Bluetooth enabled, offering a versatile platform that is able to process data and in the same time provide the user a friendly interface.

Natural orifice transgastric endoscopic wedge hepatic resection in an experimental model using an intuitively controlled master and slave transluminal endoscopic robot (MASTER).

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Phee, S J; Ho, K Y; Lomanto, D; Low, S C; Huynh, V A; Kencana, A P; Yang, K; Sun, Z L; Chung, S C Sydney

2010-09-01

The lack of triangulation of standard endoscopic devices limits the degree of freedom for surgical maneuvers during natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery (NOTES). This study explored the feasibility of adapting an intuitively controlled master and slave transluminal endoscopic robot (MASTER) the authors developed to facilitate wedge hepatic resection in NOTES. The MASTER consists of a master controller, a telesurgical workstation, and a slave manipulator that holds two end-effectors: a grasper, and a monopolar electrocautery hook. The master controller is attached to the wrist and fingers of the operator and connected to the manipulator by electrical and wire cables. Movements of the operator are detected and converted into control signals driving the slave manipulator via a tendon-sheath power transmission mechanism allowing nine degrees of freedom. Using this system, wedge hepatic resection was performed through the transgastric route on two female pigs under general anesthesia. Entry into the peritoneal cavity was via a 10-mm incision made on the anterior wall of the stomach by the electrocautery hook. Wedge hepatic resection was performed using the robotic grasper and hook. Hemostasis was achieved with the electrocautery hook. After the procedure, the resected liver tissue was retrieved through the mouth using the grasper. Using the MASTER, transgastric wedge hepatic resection was successfully performed on two pigs with no laparoscopic assistance. The entire procedure took 9.4 min (range, 8.5-10.2 min), with 7.1 min (range, 6-8.2 min) spent on excision of the liver tissue. The robotics-controlled device was able to grasp, retract, and excise the liver specimen successfully in the desired plane. This study demonstrated for the first time that the MASTER could effectively mitigate the technical constraints normally encountered in NOTES procedures. With it, the triangulation of surgical tools and the manipulation of tissue became easy, and wedge hepatic

Endoscopic vision-based tracking of multiple surgical instruments during robot-assisted surgery.

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Ryu, Jiwon; Choi, Jaesoon; Kim, Hee Chan

2013-01-01

Robot-assisted minimally invasive surgery is effective for operations in limited space. Enhancing safety based on automatic tracking of surgical instrument position to prevent inadvertent harmful events such as tissue perforation or instrument collisions could be a meaningful augmentation to current robotic surgical systems. A vision-based instrument tracking scheme as a core algorithm to implement such functions was developed in this study. An automatic tracking scheme is proposed as a chain of computer vision techniques, including classification of metallic properties using k-means clustering and instrument movement tracking using similarity measures, Euclidean distance calculations, and a Kalman filter algorithm. The implemented system showed satisfactory performance in tests using actual robot-assisted surgery videos. Trajectory comparisons of automatically detected data and ground truth data obtained by manually locating the center of mass of each instrument were used to quantitatively validate the system. Instruments and collisions could be well tracked through the proposed methods. The developed collision warning system could provide valuable information to clinicians for safer procedures. © 2012, Copyright the Authors. Artificial Organs © 2012, International Center for Artificial Organs and Transplantation and Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Robot-assisted general surgery.

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Hazey, Jeffrey W; Melvin, W Scott

2004-06-01

With the initiation of laparoscopic techniques in general surgery, we have seen a significant expansion of minimally invasive techniques in the last 16 years. More recently, robotic-assisted laparoscopy has moved into the general surgeon's armamentarium to address some of the shortcomings of laparoscopic surgery. AESOP (Computer Motion, Goleta, CA) addressed the issue of visualization as a robotic camera holder. With the introduction of the ZEUS robotic surgical system (Computer Motion), the ability to remotely operate laparoscopic instruments became a reality. US Food and Drug Administration approval in July 2000 of the da Vinci robotic surgical system (Intuitive Surgical, Sunnyvale, CA) further defined the ability of a robotic-assist device to address limitations in laparoscopy. This includes a significant improvement in instrument dexterity, dampening of natural hand tremors, three-dimensional visualization, ergonomics, and camera stability. As experience with robotic technology increased and its applications to advanced laparoscopic procedures have become more understood, more procedures have been performed with robotic assistance. Numerous studies have shown equivalent or improved patient outcomes when robotic-assist devices are used. Initially, robotic-assisted laparoscopic cholecystectomy was deemed safe, and now robotics has been shown to be safe in foregut procedures, including Nissen fundoplication, Heller myotomy, gastric banding procedures, and Roux-en-Y gastric bypass. These techniques have been extrapolated to solid-organ procedures (splenectomy, adrenalectomy, and pancreatic surgery) as well as robotic-assisted laparoscopic colectomy. In this chapter, we review the evolution of robotic technology and its applications in general surgical procedures.

Robot assistant versus human or another robot assistant in patients undergoing laparoscopic cholecystectomy.

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Gurusamy, Kurinchi Selvan; Samraj, Kumarakrishnan; Fusai, Giuseppe; Davidson, Brian R

2012-09-12

The role of a robotic assistant in laparoscopic cholecystectomy is controversial. While some trials have shown distinct advantages of a robotic assistant over a human assistant others have not, and it is unclear which robotic assistant is best. The aims of this review are to assess the benefits and harms of a robot assistant versus human assistant or versus another robot assistant in laparoscopic cholecystectomy, and to assess whether the robot can substitute the human assistant. We searched the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) in The Cochrane Library, MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Science Citation Index Expanded (until February 2012) for identifying the randomised clinical trials. Only randomised clinical trials (irrespective of language, blinding, or publication status) comparing robot assistants versus human assistants in laparoscopic cholecystectomy were considered for the review. Randomised clinical trials comparing different types of robot assistants were also considered for the review. Two authors independently identified the trials for inclusion and independently extracted the data. We calculated the risk ratio (RR) or mean difference (MD) with 95% confidence interval (CI) using the fixed-effect and the random-effects models based on intention-to-treat analysis, when possible, using Review Manager 5. We included six trials with 560 patients. One trial involving 129 patients did not state the number of patients randomised to the two groups. In the remaining five trials 431 patients were randomised, 212 to the robot assistant group and 219 to the human assistant group. All the trials were at high risk of bias. Mortality and morbidity were reported in only one trial with 40 patients. There was no mortality or morbidity in either group. Mortality and morbidity were not reported in the remaining trials. Quality of life or the proportion of patients who were discharged as day-patient laparoscopic cholecystectomy patients were not reported in any

Image-based navigation for a robotized flexible endoscope

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van der Stap, N.; Slump, Cornelis H.; Broeders, Ivo Adriaan Maria Johannes; van der Heijden, Ferdinand; Luo, Xiongbiao; Reichl, Tobias; Mirota, Daniel; Soper, Timothy

2014-01-01

Robotizing flexible endoscopy enables image-based control of endoscopes. Especially during high-throughput procedures, such as a colonoscopy, navigation support algorithms could improve procedure turnaround and ergonomics for the endoscopist. In this study, we have developed and implemented a

Pointing with a One-Eyed Cursor for Supervised Training in Minimally Invasive Robotic Surgery

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kibsgaard, Martin; Kraus, Martin

2016-01-01

Pointing in the endoscopic view of a surgical robot is a natural and effcient way for instructors to communicate with trainees in robot-assisted minimally invasive surgery. However, pointing in a stereo-endoscopic view can be limited by problems such as video delay, double vision, arm fatigue......-day training units in robot- assisted minimally invasive surgery on anaesthetised pigs....

Robotic assisted laparoscopic colectomy.

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

Pandalai, S

2010-06-01

Robotic surgery has evolved over the last decade to compensate for limitations in human dexterity. It avoids the need for a trained assistant while decreasing error rates such as perforations. The nature of the robotic assistance varies from voice activated camera control to more elaborate telerobotic systems such as the Zeus and the Da Vinci where the surgeon controls the robotic arms using a console. Herein, we report the first series of robotic assisted colectomies in Ireland using a voice activated camera control system.

Successful Treatment of Anterior Tracheal Necrosis after Total Thyroidectomy Using Vacuum-Assisted Closure Therapy

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Grégory Philippe

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Total thyroidectomy involving the adjacent structures of the trachea can cause tracheal damage such as early tracheal necrosis. The authors describe the first case of anterior tracheal necrosis following total thyroidectomy treated using vacuum-assisted closure device. After two weeks of VAC  therapy, there was no evidence of ongoing infection and the trachea was partially closed around a tracheotomy cannula, removed after 3 months. The use of a VAC  therapy to reduce and close the tracheal rent and to create a rapid granulation tissue over tracheal structure appeared as a good opportunity after anterior tracheal necrosis.

Assistant Personal Robot (APR: Conception and Application of a Tele-Operated Assisted Living Robot

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Eduard Clotet

2016-04-01

Full Text Available This paper presents the technical description, mechanical design, electronic components, software implementation and possible applications of a tele-operated mobile robot designed as an assisted living tool. This robotic concept has been named Assistant Personal Robot (or APR for short and has been designed as a remotely telecontrolled robotic platform built to provide social and assistive services to elderly people and those with impaired mobility. The APR features a fast high-mobility motion system adapted for tele-operation in plain indoor areas, which incorporates a high-priority collision avoidance procedure. This paper presents the mechanical architecture, electrical fundaments and software implementation required in order to develop the main functionalities of an assistive robot. The APR uses a tablet in order to implement the basic peer-to-peer videoconference and tele-operation control combined with a tactile graphic user interface. The paper also presents the development of some applications proposed in the framework of an assisted living robot.

Robotic assisted andrological surgery

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Parekattil, Sijo J; Gudeloglu, Ahmet

2013-01-01

The introduction of the operative microscope for andrological surgery in the 1970s provided enhanced magnification and accuracy, unparalleled to any previous visual loop or magnification techniques. This technology revolutionized techniques for microsurgery in andrology. Today, we may be on the verge of a second such revolution by the incorporation of robotic assisted platforms for microsurgery in andrology. Robotic assisted microsurgery is being utilized to a greater degree in andrology and a number of other microsurgical fields, such as ophthalmology, hand surgery, plastics and reconstructive surgery. The potential advantages of robotic assisted platforms include elimination of tremor, improved stability, surgeon ergonomics, scalability of motion, multi-input visual interphases with up to three simultaneous visual views, enhanced magnification, and the ability to manipulate three surgical instruments and cameras simultaneously. This review paper begins with the historical development of robotic microsurgery. It then provides an in-depth presentation of the technique and outcomes of common robotic microsurgical andrological procedures, such as vasectomy reversal, subinguinal varicocelectomy, targeted spermatic cord denervation (for chronic orchialgia) and robotic assisted microsurgical testicular sperm extraction (microTESE). PMID:23241637

[Implementation of a robotic video-assisted thoracic surgical program].

Science.gov (United States)

Baste, J-M; Riviera, C; Nouhaud, F-X; Rinieri, P; Melki, J; Peillon, C

2016-03-01

Recent publications from North America have shown the benefits of robot-assisted thoracic surgery. We report here the process of setting up such a program in a French university centre and early results in a unit with an average treatment volume. Retrospective review of a single institution database. The program was launched after a 6-month preparation period. From January 2012 to January 2013, totally endoscopic, full robot-assisted procedures were performed on 30 patients (17 males). Median age was 54 [Q1-Q3, 48-63] years and ASA score 2 [1,2]. Operative procedures included thymectomy (9 ; 30%), lobectomy with nodes resection (11 ; 38%), segmentectomy (4 ; 14%), lymphadenectomy (3 ; 10%), Bronchogenic cyst (2, 5%) and posterior mediastinal mass resection (1 ; 3%). No conversion was required. Median blood loss was 50mL [10-100]. Median operating time was 135 min (105-165) including 30 min [20-40] for docking, 90min for robot-assisted operating [70-120] and 15 min [10-15] for lesion extraction. CO2 insufflation was used in 28 cases (93%). Hospital stay was 4 days [4-6] with 6 minor complications (20%) (Grade 1 according to the Clavien-Dindo classification). After a median 4 months follow-up [2-7], all patients were alive and demonstrated a good quality of life. This series suggests that full robotic thoracic procedures are safe and effective treatment for various pathologies, with low morbidity and without a significant learning curve, even in a lower volume centre. This technology should accompany the development of minimally invasive thoracic surgery. The importance of robotic training should be emphasized to optimize procedures and costs. Copyright © 2015 SPLF. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Modified Tumescent Solution for Creating Working Space During Endoscopic Thyroidectomy.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Li-Yong; Zhao, Wen-Xin; Wang, Bo; Yan, Shou-Yi; Wen, Jia

2018-04-01

To study the feasibility of gas-liquid mixing tumescent solution for creating a working space (WS) in endoscopic thyroidectomy (ET). A prospective study was performed on 186 patients with thyroid tumor who had undergone ET via chest and breast approach. Patients were randomly divided into 2 groups to receive traditional tumescent solution as group A and modified tumescent solution (gas-liquid mixing tumescent solution) as group B. This study compares the following surgical outcome parameters between the 2 groups, including changes of blood pressure, heart rate, and oxygen saturation before and after creating a WS, time for creating a WS, operative time, hemorrhage volume for creating a WS, overall hemorrhage volume, overall postoperative drainage volume, postoperative pain score, postoperative hospitalization, number of retrieved lymph nodes, total serum calcium, serum parathyroid hormone, and cases of transient and permanent recurrent laryngeal nerve palsy. No postoperative bleeding, permanent recurrent laryngeal nerve palsy, incision and surgical site infection, air embolism, flap injury occurred in both groups. The mean time for creating a WS and the whole operation in group B was significantly shorter than that in group A ( P .05). The clinical application of gas-liquid mixing tumescent solution can effectively reduce the time for creating a WS and whole operative time, and worthy of being widely used in ET as a safe and effective technique.

[Robot-assisted pancreatic resection].

Science.gov (United States)

Müssle, B; Distler, M; Weitz, J; Welsch, T

2017-06-01

Although robot-assisted pancreatic surgery has been considered critically in the past, it is nowadays an established standard technique in some centers, for distal pancreatectomy and pancreatic head resection. Compared with the laparoscopic approach, the use of robot-assisted surgery seems to be advantageous for acquiring the skills for pancreatic, bile duct and vascular anastomoses during pancreatic head resection and total pancreatectomy. On the other hand, the use of the robot is associated with increased costs and only highly effective and professional robotic programs in centers for pancreatic surgery will achieve top surgical and oncological quality, acceptable operation times and a reduction in duration of hospital stay. Moreover, new technologies, such as intraoperative fluorescence guidance and augmented reality will define additional indications for robot-assisted pancreatic surgery.

[Simulation-based robot-assisted surgical training].

Science.gov (United States)

Kolontarev, K B; Govorov, A V; Rasner, P I; Sheptunov, S A; Prilepskaya, E A; Maltsev, E G; Pushkar, D Yu

2015-12-01

Since the first use of robotic surgical system in 2000, the robot-assisted technology has gained wide popularity throughout the world. Robot-assisted surgical training is a complex issue that requires significant efforts from students and teacher. During the last two decades, simulation-based training had received active development due to wide-spread occurrence and popularization of laparoscopic and robot-assisted surgical techniques. We performed a systematic review to identify the currently available simulators for robot-assisted surgery. We searched the Medline and Pubmed, English sources of literature data, using the following key words and phrases: "robotics", "robotic surgery", "computer assisted surgery", "simulation", "computer simulation", "virtual reality", "surgical training", and "surgical education". There were identified 565 publications, which meet the key words and phrases; 19 publications were selected for the final analysis. It was established that simulation-based training is the most promising teaching tool that can be used in the training of the next generation robotic surgeons. Today the use of simulators to train surgeons is validated. Price of devices is an obvious barrier for inclusion in the program for training of robotic surgeons, but the lack of this tool will result in a sharp increase in the duration of specialists training.

Introduction and use of video-assisted endoscopic thyroidectomy for patients in Belarus affected by the Chernobyl nuclear disaster.

Science.gov (United States)

Igarashi, Takehito; Shimizu, Kazuo; Yakubouski, Siarhei; Akasu, Haruki; Okamura, Ritsuko; Sugitani, Iwao; Jikuzono, Tomoo; Danilova, Larisa

2013-11-01

We developed video-assisted neck surgery (VANS) - a feasible, simple, and safe endoscopic thyroid procedure with cosmetic benefits - in 1998. To date, we have performed this procedure 633 times. We have also introduced the VANS method in Belarus, a country that was left contaminated by the Chernobyl nuclear disaster. From a mass screening, nine Belarusian patients, including two with papillary carcinoma of the thyroid, were selected to undergo an operation using the VANS method, performed by a single surgeon (author Shimizu). We compared indicating factors for minimally invasive surgery, specifically the operating time and blood loss, between the Belarusian cases and the 33 most recent cases performed at our institute in Tokyo. The procedures in Belarus were performed under very different working conditions than in Japan. However, operating time and blood loss improved for the Belarusian cases as the surgeon gained experience in this environment; all the cosmetic outcomes were excellent. Subsequently, over a 2-year period, surgeons in Belarus performed the VANS method, with modification, for 29 cases of thyroid tumor. The VANS method is easily learned by inexperienced surgeons without major technical problems. © 2013 Japan Society for Endoscopic Surgery, Asia Endosurgery Task Force and Wiley Publishing Asia Pty Ltd.

Performance Evaluation Methods for Assistive Robotic Technology

Science.gov (United States)

Tsui, Katherine M.; Feil-Seifer, David J.; Matarić, Maja J.; Yanco, Holly A.

Robots have been developed for several assistive technology domains, including intervention for Autism Spectrum Disorders, eldercare, and post-stroke rehabilitation. Assistive robots have also been used to promote independent living through the use of devices such as intelligent wheelchairs, assistive robotic arms, and external limb prostheses. Work in the broad field of assistive robotic technology can be divided into two major research phases: technology development, in which new devices, software, and interfaces are created; and clinical, in which assistive technology is applied to a given end-user population. Moving from technology development towards clinical applications is a significant challenge. Developing performance metrics for assistive robots poses a related set of challenges. In this paper, we survey several areas of assistive robotic technology in order to derive and demonstrate domain-specific means for evaluating the performance of such systems. We also present two case studies of applied performance measures and a discussion regarding the ubiquity of functional performance measures across the sampled domains. Finally, we present guidelines for incorporating human performance metrics into end-user evaluations of assistive robotic technologies.

Cost-Benefit Performance Simulation of Robot-Assisted Thoracic Surgery As Required for Financial Viability under the 2016 Revised Reimbursement Paradigm of the Japanese National Health Insurance System.

Science.gov (United States)

Kajiwara, Naohiro; Kato, Yasufumi; Hagiwara, Masaru; Kakihana, Masatoshi; Ohira, Tatsuo; Kawate, Norihiko; Ikeda, Norihiko

2018-04-20

To discuss the cost-benefit performance (CBP) and establish a medical fee system for robotic-assisted thoracic surgery (RATS) under the Japanese National Health Insurance System (JNHIS), which is a system not yet firmly established. All management steps for RATS are identical, such as preoperative and postoperative management. This study examines the CBP based on medical fees of RATS under the JNHIS introduced in 2016. Robotic-assisted laparoscopic prostatectomy (RALP) and robotic-assisted partial nephrectomy (RAPN) now receive insurance reimbursement under the category of use of support devices for endoscopic surgery ($5420 and $3485, respectively). If the same standard amount were to be applied to RATS, institutions would need to perform at least 150 or 300 procedures thoracic operation per year to show a positive CBP ($317 per procedure as same of RALP and $130 per procedure as same of RAPN, respectively). Robotic surgery in some areas receives insurance reimbursement for its "supportive" use for endoscopic surgery as for RALP and RAPN. However, at present, it is necessary to perform da Vinci Surgical System Si (dVSi) surgery at least 150-300 times in a year in a given institution to prevent a deficit in income.

[Endoscopic assistance in surgery of cerebellopontine angle tumors].

Science.gov (United States)

Poshataev, V K; Shimansky, V N; Tanyashin, S V; Karnaukhov, V V

2014-01-01

During the period of 2010-2012, 33 patients with cerebellopontine angle tumors were operated on at the Burdenko Neurosurgical Institute (Moscow, Russia) using different types of endoscopic assistance. All patients were operated on via the retrosigmoid suboccipital approach in semi-sitting and prone positions. 30° and 70° endoscopes were used during the surgery. Endoscopic assistance allowed us to increase the completeness of tumor removal and to reduce the risk of postoperative complications by retaining the anatomic integrity of cranial nerves and vascular structures in the base of the posterior cranial fossa. These benefits made it possible to maintain and improve quality of life in patients with CPA tumors in the postoperative period.

Non-Exposure, Device-Assisted Endoscopic Full-thickness Resection.

Science.gov (United States)

Bauder, Markus; Schmidt, Arthur; Caca, Karel

2016-04-01

Recent developments have expanded the frontier of interventional endoscopy toward more extended resections following surgical principles. This article presents two new device-assisted techniques for endoscopic full-thickness resection in the upper and lower gastrointestinal tract. Both methods are nonexposure techniques avoiding exposure of gastrointestinal contents to the peritoneal cavity by a "close first-cut later" principle. The full-thickness resection device is a novel over-the-scope device designed for clip-assisted full-thickness resection of colorectal lesions. Endoscopic full-thickness resection of gastric subepithelial tumors can be performed after placing transmural sutures underneath the tumor with a suturing device originally designed for endoscopic antireflux therapy. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A novel semi-automatic snake robot for natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery: preclinical tests in animal and human cadaver models (with video).

Science.gov (United States)

Son, Jaebum; Cho, Chang Nho; Kim, Kwang Gi; Chang, Tae Young; Jung, Hyunchul; Kim, Sung Chun; Kim, Min-Tae; Yang, Nari; Kim, Tae-Yun; Sohn, Dae Kyung

2015-06-01

Natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery (NOTES) is an emerging surgical technique. We aimed to design, create, and evaluate a new semi-automatic snake robot for NOTES. The snake robot employs the characteristics of both a manual endoscope and a multi-segment snake robot. This robot is inserted and retracted manually, like a classical endoscope, while its shape is controlled using embedded robot technology. The feasibility of a prototype robot for NOTES was evaluated in animals and human cadavers. The transverse stiffness and maneuverability of the snake robot appeared satisfactory. It could be advanced through the anus as far as the peritoneal cavity without any injury to adjacent organs. Preclinical tests showed that the device could navigate the peritoneal cavity. The snake robot has advantages of high transverse force and intuitive control. This new robot may be clinically superior to conventional tools for transanal NOTES.

Limited Evidence for Robot-assisted Surgery

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Broholm, Malene; Onsberg Hansen, Iben; Rosenberg, Jacob

2016-01-01

-assisted surgery. Open versus robot-assisted surgery was investigated in 3 studies. A lower blood loss and a longer operative time were found after robot-assisted surgery. No other difference was detected. CONCLUSIONS: At this point there is not enough evidence to support the significantly higher costs......PURPOSE: To evaluate available evidence on robot-assisted surgery compared with open and laparoscopic surgery. METHOD: The databases Medline, Embase, and Cochrane Library were systematically searched for randomized controlled trials comparing robot-assisted surgery with open and laparoscopic...... surgery regardless of surgical procedure. Meta-analyses were performed on each outcome with appropriate data material available. Cochrane Collaboration's tool for assessing risk of bias was used to evaluate risk of bias on a study level. The GRADE approach was used to evaluate the quality of evidence...

A Miniature Robot for Retraction Tasks under Vision Assistance in Minimally Invasive Surgery

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Giuseppe Tortora

2014-03-01

Full Text Available Minimally Invasive Surgery (MIS is one of the main aims of modern medicine. It enables surgery to be performed with a lower number and severity of incisions. Medical robots have been developed worldwide to offer a robotic alternative to traditional medical procedures. New approaches aimed at a substantial decrease of visible scars have been explored, such as Natural Orifice Transluminal Endoscopic Surgery (NOTES. Simple surgical tasks such as the retraction of an organ can be a challenge when performed from narrow access ports. For this reason, there is a continuous need to develop new robotic tools for performing dedicated tasks. This article illustrates the design and testing of a new robotic tool for retraction tasks under vision assistance for NOTES. The retraction robots integrate brushless motors to enable additional degrees of freedom to that provided by magnetic anchoring, thus improving the dexterity of the overall platform. The retraction robot can be easily controlled to reach the target organ and apply a retraction force of up to 1.53 N. Additional degrees of freedom can be used for smooth manipulation and grasping of the organ.

Surgical Residents are Excluded From Robot-assisted Surgery

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Broholm, Malene; Rosenberg, Jacob

2015-01-01

PURPOSE: Implementation of a robotic system may influence surgical training. The aim was to report the charge of the operating surgeon and the bedside assistant at robot-assisted procedures in urology, gynecology, and colorectal surgery. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A review of hospital charts from...... performed. In 10 (1.3%) of these procedures, a resident attended as bedside assistant and never as operating surgeon in the console. CONCLUSIONS: Our results demonstrate a severe problem with surgical education. Robot-assisted surgery is increasingly used; however, robotic surgical training during residency...... surgical procedures during a 1-year period from October 2013 to October 2014. All robot-assisted urologic, gynecologic, and colorectal procedures were identified. Charge of both operating surgeon in the console and bedside assistant were registered. RESULTS: A total of 774 robot-assisted procedures were...

Human-robot interaction tests on a novel robot for gait assistance.

Science.gov (United States)

Tagliamonte, Nevio Luigi; Sergi, Fabrizio; Carpino, Giorgio; Accoto, Dino; Guglielmelli, Eugenio

2013-06-01

This paper presents tests on a treadmill-based non-anthropomorphic wearable robot assisting hip and knee flexion/extension movements using compliant actuation. Validation experiments were performed on the actuators and on the robot, with specific focus on the evaluation of intrinsic backdrivability and of assistance capability. Tests on a young healthy subject were conducted. In the case of robot completely unpowered, maximum backdriving torques were found to be in the order of 10 Nm due to the robot design features (reduced swinging masses; low intrinsic mechanical impedance and high-efficiency reduction gears for the actuators). Assistance tests demonstrated that the robot can deliver torques attracting the subject towards a predicted kinematic status.

Robotic Control of a Traditional Flexible Endoscope for Therapy

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Ruiter, Jeroen; Bonnema, Gerrit Maarten; van der Voort, Mascha C.; Broeders, Ivo Adriaan Maria Johannes

2013-01-01

In therapeutic flexible endoscopy a team of physician and assistant(s) is required to control all independent translations and rotations of the flexible endoscope and its instruments. As a consequence the physician lacks valuable force feedback information on tissue interaction, communication errors

Human-Robot Interaction: Does Robotic Guidance Force Affect Gait-Related Brain Dynamics during Robot-Assisted Treadmill Walking?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kristel Knaepen

Full Text Available In order to determine optimal training parameters for robot-assisted treadmill walking, it is essential to understand how a robotic device interacts with its wearer, and thus, how parameter settings of the device affect locomotor control. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of different levels of guidance force during robot-assisted treadmill walking on cortical activity. Eighteen healthy subjects walked at 2 km.h-1 on a treadmill with and without assistance of the Lokomat robotic gait orthosis. Event-related spectral perturbations and changes in power spectral density were investigated during unassisted treadmill walking as well as during robot-assisted treadmill walking at 30%, 60% and 100% guidance force (with 0% body weight support. Clustering of independent components revealed three clusters of activity in the sensorimotor cortex during treadmill walking and robot-assisted treadmill walking in healthy subjects. These clusters demonstrated gait-related spectral modulations in the mu, beta and low gamma bands over the sensorimotor cortex related to specific phases of the gait cycle. Moreover, mu and beta rhythms were suppressed in the right primary sensory cortex during treadmill walking compared to robot-assisted treadmill walking with 100% guidance force, indicating significantly larger involvement of the sensorimotor area during treadmill walking compared to robot-assisted treadmill walking. Only marginal differences in the spectral power of the mu, beta and low gamma bands could be identified between robot-assisted treadmill walking with different levels of guidance force. From these results it can be concluded that a high level of guidance force (i.e., 100% guidance force and thus a less active participation during locomotion should be avoided during robot-assisted treadmill walking. This will optimize the involvement of the sensorimotor cortex which is known to be crucial for motor learning.

Human-Robot Interaction: Does Robotic Guidance Force Affect Gait-Related Brain Dynamics during Robot-Assisted Treadmill Walking?

Science.gov (United States)

Knaepen, Kristel; Mierau, Andreas; Swinnen, Eva; Fernandez Tellez, Helio; Michielsen, Marc; Kerckhofs, Eric; Lefeber, Dirk; Meeusen, Romain

2015-01-01

In order to determine optimal training parameters for robot-assisted treadmill walking, it is essential to understand how a robotic device interacts with its wearer, and thus, how parameter settings of the device affect locomotor control. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of different levels of guidance force during robot-assisted treadmill walking on cortical activity. Eighteen healthy subjects walked at 2 km.h-1 on a treadmill with and without assistance of the Lokomat robotic gait orthosis. Event-related spectral perturbations and changes in power spectral density were investigated during unassisted treadmill walking as well as during robot-assisted treadmill walking at 30%, 60% and 100% guidance force (with 0% body weight support). Clustering of independent components revealed three clusters of activity in the sensorimotor cortex during treadmill walking and robot-assisted treadmill walking in healthy subjects. These clusters demonstrated gait-related spectral modulations in the mu, beta and low gamma bands over the sensorimotor cortex related to specific phases of the gait cycle. Moreover, mu and beta rhythms were suppressed in the right primary sensory cortex during treadmill walking compared to robot-assisted treadmill walking with 100% guidance force, indicating significantly larger involvement of the sensorimotor area during treadmill walking compared to robot-assisted treadmill walking. Only marginal differences in the spectral power of the mu, beta and low gamma bands could be identified between robot-assisted treadmill walking with different levels of guidance force. From these results it can be concluded that a high level of guidance force (i.e., 100% guidance force) and thus a less active participation during locomotion should be avoided during robot-assisted treadmill walking. This will optimize the involvement of the sensorimotor cortex which is known to be crucial for motor learning.

[The rational application of Da Vinci surgical system in thyroidectomy].

Science.gov (United States)

He, Q Q

2017-08-01

Da Vinci surgical system is the most advanced minimally invasive surgical platform in the world, and this system has been widely used in cardiac surgery, urology surgery, gynecologic surgery and general surgery. Although the application of this system was relatively late in thyroid surgery, the number of thyroidectomy with Da Vinci surgical system is increasing quickly. Having reviewed recent studies and summarized clinical experience, compared with traditional open operation, the robotic thyroidectomy has the same surgical safety and effectiveness in selective patients with thyroid cancer. In this paper, several aspects on this novel operation were demonstrated, including surgical indications and contraindications, the approaches, surgical procedures and postoperative complications, in order to promote the rational application of Da Vinci surgical system in thyroidectomy.

Robot-assisted surgery in gynecological oncology

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kristensen, Steffen E; Mosgaard, Berit J; Rosendahl, Mikkel

2017-01-01

INTRODUCTION: Robot-assisted surgery has become more widespread in gynecological oncology. The purpose of this systematic review is to present current knowledge on robot-assisted surgery, and to clarify and discuss controversies that have arisen alongside the development and deployment. MATERIAL...... was performed by screening of titles and abstracts, and by full text scrutiny. From 2001 to 2016, a total of 76 references were included. RESULTS: Robot-assisted surgery in gynecological oncology has increased, and current knowledge supports that the oncological safety is similar, compared with previous...

Pose Tracking Algorithm of an Endoscopic Surgery Robot Wrist

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, L; Yin, H L; Meng, Q

2006-01-01

In recent two decades, more and more research on the endoscopic surgery has been carried out [2]. Most of the work focuses on the development of the robot in the field of robotics and the navigation of the surgery tools based on computer graphics. But the tracking and locating of the EndoWrist is also a very important aspect. This paper deals with the the tracking algorithm of the EndoWrist's pose (position and orientation). The linear tracking of the position is handled by the Kalman Filter. The quaternion-based nonlinear orientation tracking is implemented with the Extended Kalman Filter. The most innovative point of this paper is the parameterization of the motion model of the Extended Kalman Filter

Knowledge assistant for robotic environmental characterization

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Feddema, J.; Rivera, J.; Tucker, S.; Matek, J.

1996-08-01

A prototype sensor fusion framework called the open-quotes Knowledge Assistantclose quotes has been developed and tested on a gantry robot at Sandia National Laboratories. This Knowledge Assistant guides the robot operator during the planning, execution, and post analysis stages of the characterization process. During the planning stage, the Knowledge Assistant suggests robot paths and speeds based on knowledge of sensors available and their physical characteristics. During execution, the Knowledge Assistant coordinates the collection of data through a data acquisition open-quotes specialist.close quotes During execution and postanalysis, the Knowledge Assistant sends raw data to other open-quotes specialists,close quotes which include statistical pattern recognition software, a neural network, and model-based search software. After the specialists return their results, the Knowledge Assistant consolidates the information and returns a report to the robot control system where the sensed objects and their attributes (e.g., estimated dimensions, weight, material composition, etc.) are displayed in the world model. This report highlights the major components of this system

Assistive and Rehabilitation Robotic System

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Adrian Abrudean

2015-06-01

Full Text Available A short introduction concerning the content of Assistive Technology and Rehabilitation Engineering is followed by a study of robotic systems which combine two or more assistive functions. Based on biomechanical aspects, a complex robotic system is presented, starting with the study of functionality and ending with the practical aspects of the prototype development.

Evaluation of robotic-assisted platysmaplasty procedures in a cadaveric model using the da Vinci Surgical System.

Science.gov (United States)

Taghizadeh, Farhan; Reiley, Carol; Mohr, Catherine; Paul, Malcolm

2014-03-01

We are evaluating the technical feasibility of robotic-assisted laparoscopic vertical-intermediate platysmaplasty in conjunction with an open rhytidectomy. In a cadaveric study, the da Vinci Surgical System was used to access certain angles in the lower neck that are difficult for traditional short incision, short flap procedures. Ergonomics, approach, and technical challenges were noted. To date, there are no published reports of robotic-assisted neck lifts, motivating us to assess its potential in this field of plastic surgery. Standard open technique short flap rhytidectomies with concurrent experimental robotic-assisted platysmaplasties (neck lifts) were performed on six cadavers with the da Vinci Si Surgical System(®) (Intuitive Surgical, Sunnyvale, CA, USA). The surgical procedures were performed on a diverse cadaver population from June 2011 to January 2012. The procedures included (1) submental incision and laser-assisted liposuction, (2) open rhytidectomy, and (3) robotic-assisted platysmaplasty using knot-free sutures. A variety of sutures and fat extraction techniques, coupled with 0° and 30° three-dimensional endoscopes, were utilized to optimize visualization of the platysma. An unaltered da Vinci Si Surgical System with currently available instruments was easily adaptable to neck lift surgery. Mid-neck platysma exposure was excellent, tissue handling was delicate and precise, and suturing was easily performed. Robotic-assisted surgery has the potential to improve outcomes in neck lifts by offering the ability to manipulate instruments with increased freedom of movement, scaled motion, tremor reduction, and stereoscopic three-dimensional visualization in the deep neck. Future clinical studies on live human patients can better assess subject and surgeon benefits arising from the use of the da Vinci system for neck lifts. Evidence obtained from multiple time series with or without the intervention, such as case studies. Dramatic results in

A technical review of flexible endoscopic multitasking platforms.

Science.gov (United States)

Yeung, Baldwin Po Man; Gourlay, Terence

2012-01-01

Further development of advanced therapeutic endoscopic techniques and natural orifice translumenal endoscopic surgery (NOTES) requires a powerful flexible endoscopic multitasking platform. Medline search was performed to identify literature relating to flexible endoscopic multitasking platform from year 2004-2011 using keywords: Flexible endoscopic multitasking platform, NOTES, Instrumentation, Endoscopic robotic surgery, and specific names of various endoscopic multitasking platforms. Key articles from articles references were reviewed. Flexible multitasking platforms can be classified as either mechanical or robotic. Purely mechanical systems include the dual channel endoscope (DCE) (Olympus), R-Scope (Olympus), the EndoSamurai (Olympus), the ANUBIScope (Karl-Storz), Incisionless Operating Platform (IOP) (USGI), and DDES system (Boston Scientific). Robotic systems include the MASTER system (Nanyang University, Singapore) and the Viacath (Hansen Medical). The DCE, the R-Scope, the EndoSamurai and the ANUBIScope have integrated visual function and instrument manipulation function. The IOP and DDES systems rely on the conventional flexible endoscope for visualization, and instrument manipulation is integrated through the use of a flexible, often lockable, multichannel access device. The advantage of the access device concept is that it allows optics and instrument dissociation. Due to the anatomical constrains of the pharynx, systems are designed to have a diameter of less than 20 mm. All systems are controlled by traction cable system actuated either by hand or by robotic machinery. In a flexible system, this method of actuation inevitably leads to significant hysteresis. This problem will be accentuated with a long endoscope such as that required in performing colonic procedures. Systems often require multiple operators. To date, the DCE, the R-Scope, the IOP, and the Viacath system have data published relating to their application in human. Alternative forms of

Perioperative outcomes of video- and robot-assisted segmentectomies.

Science.gov (United States)

Rinieri, Philippe; Peillon, Christophe; Salaün, Mathieu; Mahieu, Julien; Bubenheim, Michael; Baste, Jean-Marc

2016-02-01

Video-assisted thoracic surgery appears to be technically difficult for segmentectomy. Conversely, robotic surgery could facilitate the performance of segmentectomy. The aim of this study was to compare the early results of video- and robot-assisted segmentectomies. Data were collected prospectively on videothoracoscopy from 2010 and on robotic procedures from 2013. Fifty-one patients who were candidates for minimally invasive segmentectomy were included in the study. Perioperative outcomes of video-assisted and robotic segmentectomies were compared. The minimally invasive segmentectomies included 32 video- and 16 robot-assisted procedures; 3 segmentectomies (2 video-assisted and 1 robot-assisted) were converted to lobectomies. Four conversions to thoracotomy were necessary for anatomical reason or arterial injury, with no uncontrolled bleeding in the robotic arm. There were 7 benign or infectious lesions, 9 pre-invasive lesions, 25 lung cancers, and 10 metastatic diseases. Patient characteristics, type of segment, conversion to thoracotomy, conversion to lobectomy, operative time, postoperative complications, chest tube duration, postoperative stay, and histology were similar in the video and robot groups. Estimated blood loss was significantly higher in the video group (100 vs. 50 mL, p = 0.028). The morbidity rate of minimally invasive segmentectomy was low. The short-term results of video-assisted and robot-assisted segmentectomies were similar, and more data are required to show any advantages between the two techniques. Long-term oncologic outcomes are necessary to evaluate these new surgical practices. © The Author(s) 2016.

Ultrasound-assisted endoscopic partial plantar fascia release.

Science.gov (United States)

Ohuchi, Hiroshi; Ichikawa, Ken; Shinga, Kotaro; Hattori, Soichi; Yamada, Shin; Takahashi, Kazuhisa

2013-01-01

Various surgical treatment procedures for plantar fasciitis, such as open surgery, percutaneous release, and endoscopic surgery, exist. Skin trouble, nerve disturbance, infection, and persistent pain associated with prolonged recovery time are complications of open surgery. Endoscopic partial plantar fascia release offers the surgeon clear visualization of the anatomy at the surgical site. However, the primary medial portal and portal tract used for this technique have been shown to be in close proximity to the posterior tibial nerves and their branches, and there is always the risk of nerve damage by introducing the endoscope deep to the plantar fascia. By performing endoscopic partial plantar fascia release under ultrasound assistance, we could dynamically visualize the direction of the endoscope and instrument introduction, thus preventing nerve damage from inadvertent insertion deep to the fascia. Full-thickness release of the plantar fascia at the ideal position could also be confirmed under ultrasound imaging. We discuss the technique for this new procedure.

Intelligence for Human-Assistant Planetary Surface Robots

Science.gov (United States)

Hirsh, Robert; Graham, Jeffrey; Tyree, Kimberly; Sierhuis, Maarten; Clancey, William J.

2006-01-01

The central premise in developing effective human-assistant planetary surface robots is that robotic intelligence is needed. The exact type, method, forms and/or quantity of intelligence is an open issue being explored on the ERA project, as well as others. In addition to field testing, theoretical research into this area can help provide answers on how to design future planetary robots. Many fundamental intelligence issues are discussed by Murphy [2], including (a) learning, (b) planning, (c) reasoning, (d) problem solving, (e) knowledge representation, and (f) computer vision (stereo tracking, gestures). The new "social interaction/emotional" form of intelligence that some consider critical to Human Robot Interaction (HRI) can also be addressed by human assistant planetary surface robots, as human operators feel more comfortable working with a robot when the robot is verbally (or even physically) interacting with them. Arkin [3] and Murphy are both proponents of the hybrid deliberative-reasoning/reactive-execution architecture as the best general architecture for fully realizing robot potential, and the robots discussed herein implement a design continuously progressing toward this hybrid philosophy. The remainder of this chapter will describe the challenges associated with robotic assistance to astronauts, our general research approach, the intelligence incorporated into our robots, and the results and lessons learned from over six years of testing human-assistant mobile robots in field settings relevant to planetary exploration. The chapter concludes with some key considerations for future work in this area.

Robotic-assisted versus laparoscopic colectomy: cost and clinical outcomes.

Science.gov (United States)

Davis, Bradley R; Yoo, Andrew C; Moore, Matt; Gunnarsson, Candace

2014-01-01

Laparoscopic colectomies, with and without robotic assistance, are performed to treat both benign and malignant colonic disease. This study compared clinical and economic outcomes for laparoscopic colectomy procedures with and without robotic assistance. Patients aged ≥18 years having primary inpatient laparoscopic colectomy procedures (cecectomy, right hemicolectomy, left hemicolectomy, and sigmoidectomy) identified by International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Edition procedure codes performed between 2009 and the second quarter of 2011 from the Premier Hospital Database were studied. Patients were matched to a control cohort using propensity scores for disease, comorbidities, and hospital characteristics and were matched 1:1 for specific colectomy procedure. The outcomes of interest were hospital cost of laparoscopic robotic-assisted colectomy compared with traditional laparoscopic colectomy, surgery time, adverse events, and length of stay. Of 25,758 laparoscopic colectomies identified, 98% were performed without robotic assistance and 2% were performed with robotic assistance. After matching, 1066 patients remained, 533 in each group. Lengths of stay were not significantly different between the matched cohorts, nor were rates of major, minor, and/or surgical complications. Inpatient procedures with robotic assistance were significantly more costly than those without robotic assistance ($17,445 vs $15,448, P = .001). Operative times were significantly longer for robotic-assisted procedures (4.37 hours vs 3.34 hours, P < .001). Segmental colectomies can be performed safely by either laparoscopic or robotic-assisted methods. Increased per-case hospital costs for robotic-assisted procedures and prolonged operative times suggest that further investigation is warranted when considering robotic technology for routine laparoscopic colectomies.

Assistive/Socially Assistive Robotic Platform for Therapy and Recovery: Patient Perspectives

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Matthew White

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Improving adherence to therapy is a critical component of advancing outcomes and reducing the cost of rehabilitation. A robotic platform was previously developed to explore how robotics could be applied to the social dimension of rehabilitation to improve adherence. This paper aims to report on feedback given by end users of the robotic platform as well as the practical applications that socially assistive robotics could have in the daily life activities of a patient. A group of 10 former and current patients interacted with the developed robotic platform during a simulated exercise session before taking an experience-based survey. A portion of these participants later provided verbal feedback as part of a focus group on the potential utility of such a platform. Identified applications included assistance with reaching exercise goals, managing to-do lists, and supporting participation in social and recreational activities. The study participants expressed that the personality characteristics of the robotic system should be adapted to individual preferences and that the assistance provided over time should align with the progress of their recovery. The results from this study are encouraging and will be useful for further development of socially assistive robotics.

Intelligent assistive robots recent advances in assistive robotics for everyday activities

CERN Document Server

Moreno, Juan; Kong, Kyoungchul; Amirat, Yacine

2015-01-01

This book deals with the growing challenges of using assistive robots in our everyday activities along with providing intelligent assistive services. The presented applications concern mainly healthcare and wellness such as helping elderly people, assisting dependent persons, habitat monitoring in smart environments, well-being, security, etc. These applications reveal also new challenges regarding control theory, mechanical design, mechatronics, portability, acceptability, scalability, security, etc.  

Virtual tutor systems for robot-assisted instruction

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, Zhijing; Zhao, Deyu; Zhang, Zizhen; Wei, Yongji; Qi, Bingchen; Okawa, Yoshikuni

2004-03-01

Virtual Reality technology belongs to advanced computer technology, it has been applied in instruction field and gains obvious effect. At the same time, robot assisted instruction comes true with the continuous development of Robot technology and artificial intelligence technology. This paper introduces a virtual tutor system for robot assisted instruction.

Pose Tracking Algorithm of an Endoscopic Surgery Robot Wrist

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wang, L [Chinese-German Institute of Automatic Control Engineering, Tongji University (China); Yin, H L [Chinese-German Institute of Automatic Control Engineering, Tongji University (China); Meng, Q [Shanghai University of Electric Power (China)

2006-10-15

In recent two decades, more and more research on the endoscopic surgery has been carried out [2]. Most of the work focuses on the development of the robot in the field of robotics and the navigation of the surgery tools based on computer graphics. But the tracking and locating of the EndoWrist is also a very important aspect. This paper deals with the the tracking algorithm of the EndoWrist's pose (position and orientation). The linear tracking of the position is handled by the Kalman Filter. The quaternion-based nonlinear orientation tracking is implemented with the Extended Kalman Filter. The most innovative point of this paper is the parameterization of the motion model of the Extended Kalman Filter.

‘Active citizenship’ and feeding assistive robotics

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nickelsen, Niels Christian Mossfeldt

2018-01-01

Would you want to be fed by a robot? This question may or may not sound attractive to a severely disabled citizen striving for self-reliance. Recently assistive robotics have become a new factor to rely on in relation to a number of aspects of social work and health care. These initiatives have...... study, I discuss the ways humans engage with them, how they co-produce everyday life in housing institutions, and the sensitivity of assistive robotics. During the latest years, Feeding Assistive Robotics (FAR) have enjoyed strong political endorsement in Denmark. Nevertheless, I argue, it is difficult...

Measuring the Latency of an Augmented Reality System for Robot-Assisted Minimally Invasive Surgery

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jørgensen, Martin Kibsgaard; Kraus, Martin

2017-01-01

visual communication in training for robot-assisted minimally invasive surgery with da Vinci surgical systems. To make sure that our augmented reality system provides the best possible user experience, we investigated the video latency of the da Vinci surgical system and how the components of our system...... affect the overall latency. To measure the photon-to-photon latency, we used a microcontroller to determine the time between the activation of a lightemitting diode in front of the endoscopic camera and the corresponding increase in intensity of the surgeon's display as measured by a phototransistor...

Endoscope-Assisted Enucleation of Mandibular Odontogenic Keratocyst Tumors.

Science.gov (United States)

Romano, Antonio; Orabona, Giovanni D A; Abbate, Vincenzo; Maglitto, Fabio; Solari, Domenico; Iaconetta, Giorgio; Califano, Luigi

2016-09-01

The keratocyst odontogenic tumor (KCOT) represents a rare and benign but locally aggressive developmental cystic lesion usually affecting the posterior aspect of the mandible bone, the treatment of which has always been raising debate, since Philipsen first described it as a distinct pathological entity in 1956.Recent studies have proposed the use of endoscope-assisted surgical technique, due to the possibility given by the endoscope of improving the effectiveness of the treatment of these lesions thanks to a better visualization of operative field and though a better understanding of the pathology. In this article, we would like to present our experience with the endoscope-assisted treatment of KCOT of the posterior region of the mandible.From April 2000 to April 2012, 32 patients treated for KCOT were enrolled in our retrospective study: patients were divided in 2 groups according to the type of treatment, that is, 18 were treated with traditional enucleation surgery (TES), and 14 patients underwent endoscopic assisted enucleation surgery (EES).Fischer exact test and Kaplan-Meier curves were used to compare the outcomes between the 2 focusing on the recurrence and complication rates. In the TES group, patients we found a higher recurrence rate (39%) and higher postoperative complication rate at 5-year follow-up.Our data suggested, though, that EES seems to be a feasible alternative for the treatment of posterior mandibular KCOT. Further studies and larger series are needed to confirm these results.

Early results after robot-assisted colorectal surgery

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Eriksen, Jens Ravn; Helvind, Neel Maria; Jakobsen, Henrik Loft

2013-01-01

Implementation of robotic technology in surgery is challenging in many ways. The aim of this study was to present the implementation process and results of the first two years of consecutive robot-assisted laparoscopic (RAL) colorectal procedures.......Implementation of robotic technology in surgery is challenging in many ways. The aim of this study was to present the implementation process and results of the first two years of consecutive robot-assisted laparoscopic (RAL) colorectal procedures....

The value of haptic feedback in conventional and robot-assisted minimal invasive surgery and virtual reality training: a current review.

Science.gov (United States)

van der Meijden, O A J; Schijven, M P

2009-06-01

Virtual reality (VR) as surgical training tool has become a state-of-the-art technique in training and teaching skills for minimally invasive surgery (MIS). Although intuitively appealing, the true benefits of haptic (VR training) platforms are unknown. Many questions about haptic feedback in the different areas of surgical skills (training) need to be answered before adding costly haptic feedback in VR simulation for MIS training. This study was designed to review the current status and value of haptic feedback in conventional and robot-assisted MIS and training by using virtual reality simulation. A systematic review of the literature was undertaken using PubMed and MEDLINE. The following search terms were used: Haptic feedback OR Haptics OR Force feedback AND/OR Minimal Invasive Surgery AND/OR Minimal Access Surgery AND/OR Robotics AND/OR Robotic Surgery AND/OR Endoscopic Surgery AND/OR Virtual Reality AND/OR Simulation OR Surgical Training/Education. The results were assessed according to level of evidence as reflected by the Oxford Centre of Evidence-based Medicine Levels of Evidence. In the current literature, no firm consensus exists on the importance of haptic feedback in performing minimally invasive surgery. Although the majority of the results show positive assessment of the benefits of force feedback, results are ambivalent and not unanimous on the subject. Benefits are least disputed when related to surgery using robotics, because there is no haptic feedback in currently used robotics. The addition of haptics is believed to reduce surgical errors resulting from a lack of it, especially in knot tying. Little research has been performed in the area of robot-assisted endoscopic surgical training, but results seem promising. Concerning VR training, results indicate that haptic feedback is important during the early phase of psychomotor skill acquisition.

A novel method for creating working space during endoscopic thyroidectomy via bilateral areolar approach.

Science.gov (United States)

Tan, Yi-Hong; Du, Guo-Neng; Xiao, Yu-Gen; Qiu, Wan-Shou; Wu, Tao

2013-12-01

Endoscopic thyroidectomy (ET) can be performed through the bilateral areolar approach (BAA). A working space (WS) is typically created on the surface of the pectoral fascia in the chest wall and in the subplatysmal space in the neck. There are several limitations of using this WS. The aim of this study was to establish a new WS for ET. A retrospective review was performed on 85 patients with benign thyroid nodules who had undergone ET through a BAA. A WS was created between the anterior and poster layers of the superficial pectoral fascia (SPF) in the chest and underneath the deep layer of the investing layer (IL) in the neck. The time for creating the WS was 7.2 ± 2.1 (range, 5-12) minutes. No hemorrhage occurred during the procedure. Fat liquefaction occurred in 2 patients. Edema of the neck skin flap presented as lack of a suprasternal notch. No skin numbness occurred. No patient required postoperative pain medication. All patients were extremely satisfied with the cosmetic results. This new method of establishing a WS between the two layers of the SPF and underneath the IL is simple and fast, provides good exposure, yields less postoperative pain, and has a lower risk of skin burn.

Face, content and concurrent validity of the Mimic® dV-Trainer for robot-assisted endoscopic surgery: a prospective study.

Science.gov (United States)

Egi, H; Hattori, M; Tokunaga, M; Suzuki, T; Kawaguchi, K; Sawada, H; Ohdan, H

2013-01-01

The aim of this study was to determine whether any correlation exists between the performance of the Mimic® dV-Trainer (Mimic Technologies, Seattle, Wash., USA) and the da Vinci Surgical System (Intuitive Surgical, Sunnyvale, Calif., USA). Twelve participants were recruited, ranging from residents to consultants. We used four training tasks, consisting of 'Pick and Place', 'Peg Board', 'Thread the Rings' and 'Suture Sponge', from the software program of the Mimic dV-Trainer. The performance of the participants was recorded and measured. Additionally, we prepared the same tasks for the da Vinci Surgical System. All participants completed the tasks using the da Vinci Surgical System and were assessed according to time, the Objective Structured Assessment of Technical Skill checklist and the global rating score for endoscopic suturing assessed by two independent blinded observers. After performing these tasks, the participants completed a questionnaire that evaluated the Mimic dV-Trainer's face and content validity. The final results for each participant for the Mimic dV-Trainer and the da Vinci Surgical System were compared. All participants ranked the Mimic dV-Trainer as a realistic training platform that is useful for residency training. There was a significant relationship between the Mimic dV-Trainer and the da Vinci Surgical System in all four tasks. We verified the reliability of the assessment of the checklist and the global rating scores for endoscopic suturing assessed by the two blinded observers using Cronbach's alpha test (r = 0.803, 0.891). We evaluated the concurrent validity of the Mimic dV-Trainer and the da Vinci Surgical System. Our results suggest the possibility that training using the Mimic dV-Trainer may therefore be able to improve the operator's performance during live robot-assisted surgery. © 2013 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Robotic-assisted thermal ablation of liver tumours

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Abdullah, Basri Johan Jeet; Yeong, Chai Hong; Goh, Khean Lee; Yoong, Boon Koon; Ho, Gwo Fuang; Yim, Carolyn Chue Wai; Kulkarni, Anjali

2015-01-01

This study aimed to assess the technical success, radiation dose, safety and performance level of liver thermal ablation using a computed tomography (CT)-guided robotic positioning system. Radiofrequency and microwave ablation of liver tumours were performed on 20 patients (40 lesions) with the assistance of a CT-guided robotic positioning system. The accuracy of probe placement, number of readjustments and total radiation dose to each patient were recorded. The performance level was evaluated on a five-point scale (5-1: excellent-poor). The radiation doses were compared against 30 patients with 48 lesions (control) treated without robotic assistance. Thermal ablation was successfully completed in 20 patients with 40 lesions and confirmed on multiphasic contrast-enhanced CT. No procedure related complications were noted in this study. The average number of needle readjustment was 0.8 ± 0.8. The total CT dose (DLP) for the entire robotic assisted thermal ablation was 1382 ± 536 mGy.cm, while the CT fluoroscopic dose (DLP) per lesion was 352 ± 228 mGy.cm. There was no statistically significant (p > 0.05) dose reduction found between the robotic-assisted versus the conventional method. This study revealed that robotic-assisted planning and needle placement appears to be safe, with high accuracy and a comparable radiation dose to patients. (orig.)

Robotic-assisted thermal ablation of liver tumours

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Abdullah, Basri Johan Jeet; Yeong, Chai Hong [University of Malaya, Department of Biomedical Imaging and University of Malaya Research Imaging Centre, Faculty of Medicine, Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia); University of Malaya, Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia); Goh, Khean Lee [University of Malaya, Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia); Yoong, Boon Koon [University of Malaya, Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia); Ho, Gwo Fuang [University of Malaya, Department of Oncology, Faculty of Medicine, Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia); Yim, Carolyn Chue Wai [University of Malaya, Department of Anesthesia, Faculty of Medicine, Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia); Kulkarni, Anjali [Perfint Healthcare Corporation, Florence, OR (United States)

2015-01-15

This study aimed to assess the technical success, radiation dose, safety and performance level of liver thermal ablation using a computed tomography (CT)-guided robotic positioning system. Radiofrequency and microwave ablation of liver tumours were performed on 20 patients (40 lesions) with the assistance of a CT-guided robotic positioning system. The accuracy of probe placement, number of readjustments and total radiation dose to each patient were recorded. The performance level was evaluated on a five-point scale (5-1: excellent-poor). The radiation doses were compared against 30 patients with 48 lesions (control) treated without robotic assistance. Thermal ablation was successfully completed in 20 patients with 40 lesions and confirmed on multiphasic contrast-enhanced CT. No procedure related complications were noted in this study. The average number of needle readjustment was 0.8 ± 0.8. The total CT dose (DLP) for the entire robotic assisted thermal ablation was 1382 ± 536 mGy.cm, while the CT fluoroscopic dose (DLP) per lesion was 352 ± 228 mGy.cm. There was no statistically significant (p > 0.05) dose reduction found between the robotic-assisted versus the conventional method. This study revealed that robotic-assisted planning and needle placement appears to be safe, with high accuracy and a comparable radiation dose to patients. (orig.)

Fast-track video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Holbek, Bo Laksafoss; Petersen, René Horsleben; Kehlet, Henrik

2016-01-01

Objectives To provide a short overview of fast-track video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) and to identify areas requiring further research. Design A literature search was made using key words including: fast-track, enhanced recovery, video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery, robot......-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (RATS), robotic, thoracotomy, single-incision, uniportal, natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery (NOTES), chest tube, air-leak, digital drainage, pain management, analgesia, perioperative management, anaesthesia and non-intubated. References from articles were screened for further...

Human-robot interaction strategies for walker-assisted locomotion

CERN Document Server

Cifuentes, Carlos A

2016-01-01

This book presents the development of a new multimodal human-robot interface for testing and validating control strategies applied to robotic walkers for assisting human mobility and gait rehabilitation. The aim is to achieve a closer interaction between the robotic device and the individual, empowering the rehabilitation potential of such devices in clinical applications. A new multimodal human-robot interface for testing and validating control strategies applied to robotic walkers for assisting human mobility and gait rehabilitation is presented. Trends and opportunities for future advances in the field of assistive locomotion via the development of hybrid solutions based on the combination of smart walkers and biomechatronic exoskeletons are also discussed. .

Real-Time Augmented Reality for Robotic-Assisted Surgery

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jørgensen, Martin Kibsgaard; Kraus, Martin

2015-01-01

Training in robotic-assisted minimally invasive surgery is crucial, but the training with actual surgery robots is relatively expensive. Therefore, improving the efficiency of this training is of great interest in robotic surgical education. One of the current limitations of this training is the ......-dimensional computer graphics in real time. Our system makes it possible to easily deploy new user interfaces for robotic-assisted surgery training. The system has been positively evaluated by two experienced instructors in robot-assisted surgery....... is the limited visual communication between the instructor and the trainee. As the trainee's view is limited to that of the surgery robot's camera, even a simple task such as pointing is difficult. We present a compact system to overlay the video streams of the da Vinci surgery systems with interactive three...

Advancements in robotic-assisted thoracic surgery.

Science.gov (United States)

Steenwyk, Brad; Lyerly, Ralph

2012-12-01

Advancements in robotic-assisted thoracic surgery present potential advantages for patients as well as new challenges for the anesthesia and surgery teams. This article describes the major aspects of the surgical approach for the most commonly performed robotic-assisted thoracic surgical procedures as well as the pertinent preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative anesthetic concerns. Copyright © 2012. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Clinical outcomes of endoscope-assisted vitrectomy for treatment of rhegmatogenous retinal detachment

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yokoyama S

2017-11-01

Full Text Available Sho Yokoyama,1 Takashi Kojima,2 Toshio Mori,3 Taisuke Matsuda,1 Hiroyuki Sato,3 Norihiko Yoshida,4 Tatsushi Kaga,1 R Theodore Smith,5 Kazuo Ichikawa6 1Department of Ophthalmology, Japan Community Healthcare Organization Chukyo Hospital, Nagoya, Japan; 2Department of Ophthalmology, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan; 3Department of Ophthalmology, Iida Municipal Hospital, Iida, Japan; 4Department of Ophthalmology, Japanese Red Cross Gifu Hospital, Gifu, Japan; 5Department of Ophthalmology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA; 6Chukyo Eye Clinic, Nagoya, Japan Summary: We evaluated the clinical outcomes for ophthalmic endoscope-assisted vitrectomy in consecutive patients with uncomplicated rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (RRD. The primary success rate was 98.4% (125/127 without performing a posterior drainage retinotomy or using perfluorocarbon liquids (PFCL for subretinal fluid drainage.Purpose: To investigate the clinical outcomes of endoscope-assisted vitrectomy in patients with uncomplicated RRD.Methods: We examined 127 eyes from consecutive patients who underwent repair of RRD by 23- or 25-gauge endoscope-assisted vitrectomy, with a minimum follow-up of 3 months. Eyes with the following criteria were excluded: Giant retinal tears, grade C proliferative vitreoretinopathy, dense vitreous hemorrhage, retinal detachment secondary to other ocular diseases, and prior retinal or vitreous surgery. All cases underwent subretinal fluid drainage, endolaser photocoagulation and fundus inspection were performed under ophthalmic endoscopic observation. Success rate, visual acuity, surgery time and complications were evaluated.Results: Primary and final success rate was 98.4% (125/127 and 100% (127/127, respectively, Surgery time was 59.6±26.3 minutes. The best-corrected visual acuity significantly improved from 20/100 to 20/20 (P<0.0001. There were 2 cases (1.6% of creation of a peripheral drainage retinotomy and 4

Da Vinci Xi Robot-Assisted Penetrating Keratoplasty.

Science.gov (United States)

Chammas, Jimmy; Sauer, Arnaud; Pizzuto, Joëlle; Pouthier, Fabienne; Gaucher, David; Marescaux, Jacques; Mutter, Didier; Bourcier, Tristan

2017-06-01

This study aims (1) to investigate the feasibility of robot-assisted penetrating keratoplasty (PK) using the new Da Vinci Xi Surgical System and (2) to report what we believe to be the first use of this system in experimental eye surgery. Robot-assisted PK procedures were performed on human corneal transplants using the Da Vinci Xi Surgical System. After an 8-mm corneal trephination, four interrupted sutures and one 10.0 monofilament running suture were made. For each procedure, duration and successful completion of the surgery as well as any unexpected events were assessed. The depth of the corneal sutures was checked postoperatively using spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT). Robot-assisted PK was successfully performed on 12 corneas. The Da Vinci Xi Surgical System provided the necessary dexterity to perform the different steps of surgery. The mean duration of the procedures was 43.4 ± 8.9 minutes (range: 28.5-61.1 minutes). There were no unexpected intraoperative events. SD-OCT confirmed that the sutures were placed at the appropriate depth. We confirm the feasibility of robot-assisted PK with the new Da Vinci Surgical System and report the first use of the Xi model in experimental eye surgery. Operative time of robot-assisted PK surgery is now close to that of conventional manual surgery due to both improvement of the optical system and the presence of microsurgical instruments. Experimentations will allow the advantages of robot-assisted microsurgery to be identified while underlining the improvements and innovations necessary for clinical use.

Evolution of robotic nephrectomy for living donation: from hand-assisted to totally robotic technique.

Science.gov (United States)

Giacomoni, Alessandro; Di Sandro, Stefano; Lauterio, Andrea; Concone, Giacomo; Mangoni, Iacopo; Mihaylov, Plamen; Tripepi, Matteo; De Carlis, Luciano

2014-09-01

The application of robotic-assisted surgery offers EndoWrist instruments and 3-D visualization of the operative field, which are improvements over traditional laparoscopy. The results of the few studies published so far have shown that living donor nephrectomy using the robot-assisted technique is safe, feasible, and offers advantages to patients. Since November 2009, 16 patients have undergone robotic-assisted living donor nephrectomy at our Institute. Patients were divided into two groups according to the surgical technique adopted for the procedure: Group A, hand-assisted robotic nephrectomy (eight patients); Group B, totally robotic nephrectomy (eight patients). Intra-operative bleeding was similar in the two groups (90 vs 100 mL for Group A and B, respectively). Median warm ischemia time was significantly shorter in Group A (2.3 vs 5.1 min for Group A and B, respectively, P-value = 0.05). Switching to the open procedure was never required. Median operative time was not significantly longer in Group A than Group B (275 min vs 250 min, respectively). Robotic assisted living kidney recovery is a safe and effective procedure. Considering the overall technical, clinical, and feasibility aspects of living kidney donation, we believe that the robotic assisted technique is the method of choice for surgeon's comfort and donors' safety. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Assistance dogs provide a useful behavioral model to enrich communicative skills of assistance robots.

Science.gov (United States)

Gácsi, Márta; Szakadát, Sára; Miklósi, Adám

2013-01-01

These studies are part of a project aiming to reveal relevant aspects of human-dog interactions, which could serve as a model to design successful human-robot interactions. Presently there are no successfully commercialized assistance robots, however, assistance dogs work efficiently as partners for persons with disabilities. In Study 1, we analyzed the cooperation of 32 assistance dog-owner dyads performing a carrying task. We revealed typical behavior sequences and also differences depending on the dyads' experiences and on whether the owner was a wheelchair user. In Study 2, we investigated dogs' responses to unforeseen difficulties during a retrieving task in two contexts. Dogs displayed specific communicative and displacement behaviors, and a strong commitment to execute the insoluble task. Questionnaire data from Study 3 confirmed that these behaviors could successfully attenuate owners' disappointment. Although owners anticipated the technical competence of future assistance robots to be moderate/high, they could not imagine robots as emotional companions, which negatively affected their acceptance ratings of future robotic assistants. We propose that assistance dogs' cooperative behaviors and problem solving strategies should inspire the development of the relevant functions and social behaviors of assistance robots with limited manual and verbal skills.

Minimally invasive thyroidectomy (MIT): indications and results.

Science.gov (United States)

Docimo, Giovanni; Salvatore Tolone, Salvatore; Gili, Simona; d'Alessandro, A; Casalino, G; Brusciano, L; Ruggiero, Roberto; Docimo, Ludovico

2013-01-01

To establish if the indication for different approaches for thyroidectomy and the incision length provided by means of pre-operative assessment of gland volume and size of nodules resulted in safe and effective outcomes and in any notable aesthetic or quality-of-life impact on patients. Ninehundred eightytwo consecutive patients, undergoing total thyroidectomy, were enrolled. The thyroid volume and maximal nodule diameter were measured by means of ultrasounds. Based on ultrasounds findings, patients were divided into three groups: minimally invasive video assisted thyroidectomy (MIVAT), minimally invasive thyroidectomy (MIT) and conventional thyroidectomy (CT) groups. The data concerning the following parameters were collected: operative time, postoperative complications, postoperative pain and cosmetic results. The MIVAT group included 179 patients, MIT group included 592 patients and CT group included 211 patients. Incidence of complications did not differ significantly in each group. In MIVAT and MIT group, the perception of postoperative pain was less intense than CT group. The patients in the MIVAT (7±1.5) and MIT (8±2) groups were more satisfied with the cosmetic results than those in CT group (5±1.3) (p= MIT is a technique totally reproducible, and easily convertible to perform surgical procedures in respect of the patient, without additional complications, increased costs, and with better aesthetic results.

Robot-assisted urologic surgery in 2010 - Advancements and future outlook

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Paurush Babbar

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Robotic surgery is a cutting edge and minimally invasive procedure, which has generated a great deal of excitement in the urologic community. While there has been much advancement in this emerging technology, it is safe to say that robotic urologic surgery holds tremendous potential for progress in the near future. Hence, it is paramount that urologists stay up-to-date regarding new developments in the realm of robotics with respect to novel applications, limitations and opportunities for incorporation into their practice. Robot-assisted surgery provides an enhanced 3D view, increased magnification of the surgical field, better manual dexterity, relatively bloodless field, elimination of surgeon′s tremor, reduction in a surgeon′s fatigue and mitigation of scattered light. All these factors translate into greater precision of surgical dissection, which is imperative in providing better intraoperative and postoperative outcomes. Pioneering work assessing the feasibility of robotic surgery in urology began in the early 2000′s with robot-assisted radical prostatectomy and has since expanded to procedures such as robot-assisted radical cystectomy, robot-assisted partial nephrectomy, robot-assisted nephroureterectomy and robot-assisted pyeloplasty. A MEDLINE search was used to identify recent articles (within the last two years and publications of specific importance, which highlighted the recent developments and future direction of robotics. This review will use the aforementioned urologic surgeries as vehicles to evaluate the current status and future role of robotics in the advancement of the field of urology.

Robot-assisted surgery: the future is here.

Science.gov (United States)

Gerhardus, Diana

2003-01-01

According to L. Wiley Nifong, director of robotic surgery at East Carolina University's Brody School of Medicine, "Nationally, only one-fourth of the 15 million surgeries performed each year are done with small incisions or what doctors call 'minimally invasive surgery'." Robots could raise that number substantially (Stark 2002). Currently, healthcare organizations use robot technology for thoracic, abdominal, pelvic, and neurological surgical procedures. Minimally invasive surgery reduces the amount of inpatient hospital days, and the computer in the system filters any hand tremors a physician may have during the surgery. The use of robot-assisted surgery improves quality of care because the patient experiences less pain after the surgery. Robot-assisted surgery demonstrates definite advantages for the patient, physician, and hospital; however, healthcare organizations in the United States have yet to acquire the technology because of implementation costs and the lack of FDA (Food and Drug Administration) approval for using the technology for certain types of heart procedures. This article focuses on robot-assisted surgery advantages to patients, physicians, and hospitals as well as on the disadvantages to physicians. In addition, the article addresses implementation costs, which creates financial hurdles for most healthcare organizations; offers recommendations for administrators to embrace this technology for strategic positioning; and enumerates possible roles for robots in medicine.

Subcutaneous endoscopically assisted ligation using miniport for ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Background This report describes the first miniport method using subcutaneous endoscopically assisted ligation (SEAL) for the treatment of girls with inguinal hernia. To validate its safety and efficacy, the authors evaluated their early experiences. Methods Between April 2014 and December 2014, 19 SEALs using miniport ...

da Vinci robot-assisted keyhole neurosurgery: a cadaver study on feasibility and safety.

Science.gov (United States)

Marcus, Hani J; Hughes-Hallett, Archie; Cundy, Thomas P; Yang, Guang-Zhong; Darzi, Ara; Nandi, Dipankar

2015-04-01

The goal of this cadaver study was to evaluate the feasibility and safety of da Vinci robot-assisted keyhole neurosurgery. Several keyhole craniotomies were fashioned including supraorbital subfrontal, retrosigmoid and supracerebellar infratentorial. In each case, a simple durotomy was performed, and the flap was retracted. The da Vinci surgical system was then used to perform arachnoid dissection towards the deep-seated intracranial cisterns. It was not possible to simultaneously pass the 12-mm endoscope and instruments through the keyhole craniotomy in any of the approaches performed, limiting visualization. The articulated instruments provided greater dexterity than existing tools, but the instrument arms could not be placed in parallel through the keyhole craniotomy and, therefore, could not be advanced to the deep cisterns without significant clashing. The da Vinci console offered considerable ergonomic advantages over the existing operating room arrangement, allowing the operating surgeon to remain non-sterile and seated comfortably throughout the procedure. However, the lack of haptic feedback was a notable limitation. In conclusion, while robotic platforms have the potential to greatly enhance the performance of transcranial approaches, there is strong justification for research into next-generation robots, better suited to keyhole neurosurgery.

Subcutaneous endoscopically assisted ligation using miniport for ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

miniport for the treatment of girls with inguinal hernia. Akinari Hinoki*, Ikeda ... method using subcutaneous endoscopically assisted ligation (SEAL) for the ... the open technique and an additional 2 mm miniport). A ... (unilateral, n = 9) or 42 ± 8 min (bilateral, n = 5). The mean .... Methods of laparoscopic repair have recently ...

Endoscope-Assisted Transoral Fixation of Mandibular Condyle Fractures: Submandibular Versus Transoral Endoscopic Approach.

Science.gov (United States)

Hwang, Na-Hyun; Lee, Yoon-Hwan; You, Hi-Jin; Yoon, Eul-Sik; Kim, Deok-Woo

2016-07-01

In recent years, endoscope-assisted transoral approach for condylar fracture treatment has attracted much attention. However, the surgical approach is technically challenging: the procedure requires specialized instruments and the surgeons experience a steep learning curve. During the transoral endoscopic (TE) approach several instruments are positioned through a narrow oral incision making endoscope maneuvering very difficult. For this reason, the authors changed the entry port of the endoscope from transoral to submandibular area through a small stab incision. The aim of this study is to assess the advantage of using the submandibular endoscopic intraoral approach (SEI).The SEI approach requires intraoral incision for fracture reduction and fixation, and 4 mm size submandibular stab incision for endoscope and traction wires. Fifteen patients with condyle neck and subcondyle fractures were operated under the submandibular approach and 15 patients with the same diagnosis were operated under the standard TE approach.The SEI approach allowed clear visualization of the posterior margin of the ramus and condyle, and the visual axis was parallel to the condyle ramus unit. The TE approach clearly shows the anterior margin of the condyle and the sigmoid notch. The surgical time of the SEI group was 128 minutes and the TE group was 120 minutes (P >0.05). All patients in the TE endoscope group were fixated with the trocar system, but only 2 lower neck fracture patients in the SEI group required a trocar. The other 13 subcondyle fractures were fixated with an angulated screw driver (P <0.05). There were no differences in complication and surgical outcomes.The submandibular endoscopic approach has an advantage of having more space with good visualization, and facilitated the use of an angulated screw driver.

Robot-assisted procedures in pediatric neurosurgery.

Science.gov (United States)

De Benedictis, Alessandro; Trezza, Andrea; Carai, Andrea; Genovese, Elisabetta; Procaccini, Emidio; Messina, Raffaella; Randi, Franco; Cossu, Silvia; Esposito, Giacomo; Palma, Paolo; Amante, Paolina; Rizzi, Michele; Marras, Carlo Efisio

2017-05-01

OBJECTIVE During the last 3 decades, robotic technology has rapidly spread across several surgical fields due to the continuous evolution of its versatility, stability, dexterity, and haptic properties. Neurosurgery pioneered the development of robotics, with the aim of improving the quality of several procedures requiring a high degree of accuracy and safety. Moreover, robot-guided approaches are of special interest in pediatric patients, who often have altered anatomy and challenging relationships between the diseased and eloquent structures. Nevertheless, the use of robots has been rarely reported in children. In this work, the authors describe their experience using the ROSA device (Robotized Stereotactic Assistant) in the neurosurgical management of a pediatric population. METHODS Between 2011 and 2016, 116 children underwent ROSA-assisted procedures for a variety of diseases (epilepsy, brain tumors, intra- or extraventricular and tumor cysts, obstructive hydrocephalus, and movement and behavioral disorders). Each patient received accurate preoperative planning of optimal trajectories, intraoperative frameless registration, surgical treatment using specific instruments held by the robotic arm, and postoperative CT or MR imaging. RESULTS The authors performed 128 consecutive surgeries, including implantation of 386 electrodes for stereo-electroencephalography (36 procedures), neuroendoscopy (42 procedures), stereotactic biopsy (26 procedures), pallidotomy (12 procedures), shunt placement (6 procedures), deep brain stimulation procedures (3 procedures), and stereotactic cyst aspiration (3 procedures). For each procedure, the authors analyzed and discussed accuracy, timing, and complications. CONCLUSIONS To the best their knowledge, the authors present the largest reported series of pediatric neurosurgical cases assisted by robotic support. The ROSA system provided improved safety and feasibility of minimally invasive approaches, thus optimizing the surgical

Robot-assisted radical prostatectomy is a safe procedure

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Thomsen, Frederik Birkebæk; Berg, Kasper Drimer; Hvarness, Helle

2013-01-01

We present our departmental experience with robot-assisted radical prostatectomy and describe complications and early results for the first 239 consecutive patients.......We present our departmental experience with robot-assisted radical prostatectomy and describe complications and early results for the first 239 consecutive patients....

Virtual modeling of robot-assisted manipulations in abdominal surgery.

Science.gov (United States)

Berelavichus, Stanislav V; Karmazanovsky, Grigory G; Shirokov, Vadim S; Kubyshkin, Valeriy A; Kriger, Andrey G; Kondratyev, Evgeny V; Zakharova, Olga P

2012-06-27

To determine the effectiveness of using multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) data in preoperative planning of robot-assisted surgery. Fourteen patients indicated for surgery underwent MDCT using 64 and 256-slice MDCT. Before the examination, a specially constructed navigation net was placed on the patient's anterior abdominal wall. Processing of MDCT data was performed on a Brilliance Workspace 4 (Philips). Virtual vectors that imitate robotic and assistant ports were placed on the anterior abdominal wall of the 3D model of the patient, considering the individual anatomy of the patient and the technical capabilities of robotic arms. Sites for location of the ports were directed by projection on the roentgen-positive tags of the navigation net. There were no complications observed during surgery or in the post-operative period. We were able to reduce robotic arm interference during surgery. The surgical area was optimal for robotic and assistant manipulators without any need for reinstallation of the trocars. This method allows modeling of the main steps in robot-assisted intervention, optimizing operation of the manipulator and lowering the risk of injuries to internal organs.

Endoscope-assisted approach to excision of branchial cleft cysts.

Science.gov (United States)

Teng, Stephanie E; Paul, Benjamin C; Brumm, John D; Fritz, Mark; Fang, Yixin; Myssiorek, David

2016-06-01

The purpose of this study is to describe an endoscope-assisted surgical technique for the excision of branchial cleft cysts and compare it to the standard approach. Retrospective case series review. Twenty-seven cases described as branchial cleft excisions performed by a single surgeon at one academic medical center were identified between 2007 and 2014. Twenty-five cases (8 endoscopic, 17 standard approach) were included in the study. Cases were excluded if final pathology was malignant. Patient charts were reviewed, and two techniques were compared through analysis of incision size, operative time, and surgical outcomes. This study showed that the length of incision required for the endoscopic approach (mean = 2.13 ± 0.23) was significantly less than that of the standard approach (mean = 4.10 ± 1.46, P = 0.008) despite the fact that there was no significant difference in cyst size between the two groups (P = 0.09). The other variables examined, including operative time and surgical outcomes, were not significantly different between the two groups. This transcervical endoscope-assisted approach to branchial cleft cyst excision is a viable option for uncomplicated cases. It provides better cosmetic results than the standard approach and does not negatively affect outcomes, increase operative time, or result in recurrence. 4. Laryngoscope, 126:1339-1342, 2016. © 2015 The American Laryngological, Rhinological and Otological Society, Inc.

Arm reduced robotic-assisted laparoscopic hysterectomy with transvaginal cuff closure.

Science.gov (United States)

Bodur, Serkan; Dede, Murat; Fidan, Ulas; Firatligil, Burcin F; Ulubay, Mustafa; Ozturk, Mustafa; Yenen, Mufit C

2017-09-01

The use of robotics for benign etiology in gynecology has not proven to be more beneficial when compared to traditional laparoscopy. The major concern regarding robotic hysterectomy stems from its high cost. To evaluate the clinical utility and effectiveness of one-arm reduced robotic-assisted laparoscopic hysterectomy as a cost-effective surgical option for total robotic hysterectomy. A sample population of 54 women who underwent robotic-assisted laparoscopic surgery for benign gynecologic indications was evaluated, and two groups were identified: (1) the two-armed robotic-assisted laparoscopic surgery group (n = 38 patients), and (2) the three-armed robotic-assisted laparoscopic surgery group (n = 16 patients). An increased cost was observed when three-armed robotic surgery was employed for benign gynecologic surgery (p < 0.001). The cost reduction observed in the study group was primarily derived from one robotic arm reduction and vaginal closure of the cuff. This cost reduction was achieved without an increase in complication rates or undesirable postoperative outcomes. An estimated profit between $399.5 and $421.5 was made for each patient depending on the suture material chosen for cuff closure. Two-armed surgery resulted in an 18.6% reduction in procedure-specific costs for robotic hysterectomy. Two-armed robotic-assisted laparoscopic hysterectomy appears to be a cost-effective solution for robotic gynecologic surgery. This surgical solution can be performed as effectively as classical three-armed robotic hysterectomies for benign indications without the risk of increased surgical-related morbidities. This approach has the potential to be a widely preferred surgical approach in medical communities where cost reduction is one of the primary determinants of surgery type.

Laparoscopy-assisted Robotic Myomectomy Using the DA Vinci System

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shih-Peng Mao

2007-06-01

Conclusion: Minimally invasive surgery is the trend of the future. Robot-assisted laparoscopic surgery is a new technique for myomectomy. This robotic system provides a three-dimensional operative field and an easy-to-use control panel, which may be of great help when applying the suturing techniques and may shorten the learning curve. More experience with and long-term follow-up of robotic surgery may be warranted to further validate the role the robot-assisted approach in gynecologic surgery.

Socially assistive robots : a comprehensive approach to extending independent living

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Johnson, D.O.; Cuijpers, R.H.; Juola, J.F.; Torta, E.; Simonov, M.; Frisiello, A.; Bazzani, M.; Yan, W.; Weber, C.; Wermter, S.; Meins, N.; Oberzaucher, J.; Panek, P. (Paul); Edelmayer, G.; Mayer, P.; Beck, C.

2014-01-01

Demographic developments have challenged our research on how to assist elderly people by using robots. The KSERA (Knowledgeable SErvice Robots for Aging) project integrates smart home technology and a socially-assistive robot to extend independent living for elderly people, in particular those with

Balancing the shortcomings of microscope and endoscope: endoscope-assisted technique in microsurgical removal of recurrent epidermoid cysts in the posterior fossa.

Science.gov (United States)

Ebner, F H; Roser, F; Thaher, F; Schittenhelm, J; Tatagiba, M

2010-10-01

We report about endoscope-assisted surgery of epidermoid cysts in the posterior fossa focusing on the application of neuro-endoscopy and the clinical outcome in cases of recurrent epidermoid cysts. 25 consecutively operated patients with an epidermoid cyst in the posterior fossa were retrospectively analysed. Surgeries were performed both with an operating microscope (OPMI Pentero or NC 4, Zeiss Company, Oberkochen, Germany) and endoscopic equipment (4 mm rigid endoscopes with 30° and 70° optics; Karl Storz Company, Tuttlingen, Germany) under continuous intraoperative monitoring. Surgical reports and DVD-recordings were evaluated for identification of adhesion areas and surgical details. 7 (28%) of the 25 patients were recurrences of previously operated epidermoid cysts. Mean time to recurrence was 17 years (8-22 years). In 5 cases the endoscope was used as an adjunctive tool for inspection/endoscope-assisted removal of remnants. The effective time of use of the endoscope was limited to the end stage of the procedure, but was very effective. In a modern operative setting and with the necessary surgical experience recurrent epidermoid cysts may be removed with excellent clinical results. The combined use of microscope and endoscope offers relevant advantages in demanding anatomic situations. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

The immediate effects of robot-assistance on energy consumption and cardiorespiratory load during walking compared to walking without robot-assistance: a systematic review.

Science.gov (United States)

Lefeber, Nina; Swinnen, Eva; Kerckhofs, Eric

2017-10-01

The integration of sufficient cardiovascular stress into robot-assisted gait (RAG) training could combine the benefits of both RAG and aerobic training. The aim was to summarize literature data on the immediate effects of RAG compared to walking without robot-assistance on metabolic-, cardiorespiratory- and fatigue-related parameters. PubMed and Web of Science were searched for eligible articles till February 2016. Means, SDs and significance values were extracted. Effect sizes were calculated. Fourteen studies were included, concerning 155 participants (85 healthy subjects, 39 stroke and 31 spinal cord injury patients), 9 robots (2 end-effectors, 1 treadmill-based and 6 wearable exoskeletons), and 7 outcome parameters (mostly oxygen consumption and heart rate). Overall, metabolic and cardiorespiratory parameters were lower during RAG compared to walking without robot-assistance (moderate to large effect sizes). In healthy subjects, when no body-weight support (BWS) was provided, RAG with an end-effector device was more energy demanding than walking overground (p > .05, large effect sizes). Generally, results suggest that RAG is less energy-consuming and cardiorespiratory stressful than walking without robot-assistance, but results depend on factors such as robot type, walking speed, BWS and effort. Additional research is needed to draw firm conclusions. Implications for Rehabilitation Awareness of the energy consumption and cardiorespiratory load of robot-assisted gait (RAG) training is important in the rehabilitation of (neurological) patients with impaired cardiorespiratory fitness and patients who are at risk of cardiovascular diseases. On the other hand, the integration of sufficient cardiometabolic stress in RAG training could combine the effects of both RAG and aerobic training. Energy consumption and cardiorespiratory load during walking with robot-assistance seems to depend on factors such as robot type, walking speed, body-weight support or amount of

Innovations in robotic surgery.

Science.gov (United States)

Gettman, Matthew; Rivera, Marcelino

2016-05-01

Developments in robotic surgery have continued to advance care throughout the field of urology. The purpose of this review is to evaluate innovations in robotic surgery over the past 18 months. The release of the da Vinci Xi system heralded an improvement on the Si system with improved docking, the ability to further manipulate robotic arms without clashing, and an autofocus universal endoscope. Robotic simulation continues to evolve with improvements in simulation training design to include augmented reality in robotic surgical education. Robotic-assisted laparoendoscopic single-site surgery continues to evolve with improvements on technique that allow for tackling previously complex pathologic surgical anatomy including urologic oncology and reconstruction. Last, innovations of new surgical platforms with robotic systems to improve surgeon ergonomics and efficiency in ureteral and renal surgery are being applied in the clinical setting. Urologic surgery continues to be at the forefront of the revolution of robotic surgery with advancements in not only existing technology but also creation of entirely novel surgical systems.

Care routines, feeding assistive robotics and the disabled body

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nickelsen, Niels Christian Mossfeldt

Care routines, feeding assistive robotics and the disabled body Niels Christian Mossfeldt NickelsenAbstract for 4S, Barcelona, track 62. Short abstract 300 signs including spacesSeveral feeding assistive robotics are described in the literature, but few studies have explored the reception. I report...... from an ethnographic study of the British Neater-Eater robot in a housing institution for the disabled. Due to a number of values the implementation is something of a balancing act.Long abstract 248 wordsSeveral feeding assistive robotics (FAR) are described in the literature; Neater-Eater; My Spoon...... the result is demeaning (Nickelsen, 2013). During the last decade feeding has broadly been eliminated from nurses’ responsibilities and relegated to non-professionals (Martinsen et al. 2007). It has become low status work and as such it is currently robotized. Despite the lack of knowledge...

Application requirements for Robotic Nursing Assistants in hospital environments

Science.gov (United States)

Cremer, Sven; Doelling, Kris; Lundberg, Cody L.; McNair, Mike; Shin, Jeongsik; Popa, Dan

2016-05-01

In this paper we report on analysis toward identifying design requirements for an Adaptive Robotic Nursing Assistant (ARNA). Specifically, the paper focuses on application requirements for ARNA, envisioned as a mobile assistive robot that can navigate hospital environments to perform chores in roles such as patient sitter and patient walker. The role of a sitter is primarily related to patient observation from a distance, and fetching objects at the patient's request, while a walker provides physical assistance for ambulation and rehabilitation. The robot will be expected to not only understand nurse and patient intent but also close the decision loop by automating several routine tasks. As a result, the robot will be equipped with sensors such as distributed pressure sensitive skins, 3D range sensors, and so on. Modular sensor and actuator hardware configured in the form of several multi-degree-of-freedom manipulators, and a mobile base are expected to be deployed in reconfigurable platforms for physical assistance tasks. Furthermore, adaptive human-machine interfaces are expected to play a key role, as they directly impact the ability of robots to assist nurses in a dynamic and unstructured environment. This paper discusses required tasks for the ARNA robot, as well as sensors and software infrastructure to carry out those tasks in the aspects of technical resource availability, gaps, and needed experimental studies.

Review: Robot assisted laparoscopic surgery in gynaecological ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Review: Robot assisted laparoscopic surgery in gynaecological oncology. ... robot suggests "to be able to act without human interference and being able to ... or in space), its use as telesurgery is still very limited and practically not feasible.

A new AS-display as part of the MIRO lightweight robot for surgical applications

Science.gov (United States)

Grossmann, Christoph M.

2010-02-01

The DLR MIRO is the second generation of versatile robot arms for surgical applications, developed at the Institute for Robotics and Mechatronics at Deutsche Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt (DLR) in Oberpfaffenhofen, Germany. With its low weight of 10 kg and dimensions similar to those of the human arm, the MIRO robot can assist the surgeon directly at the operating table where space is scarce. The planned scope of applications of this robot arm ranges from guiding a laser unit for the precise separation of bone tissue in orthopedics to positioning holes for bone screws, robot assisted endoscope guidance and on to the multi-robot concept for endoscopic minimally invasive surgery. A stereo-endoscope delivers two full HD video streams that can even be augmented with information, e.g vectors indicating the forces that act on the surgical tool at any given moment. SeeFront's new autostereoscopic 3D display SF 2223, being a part of the MIRO assembly, will let the surgeon view the stereo video stream in excellent quality, in real time and without the need for any viewing aids. The presentation is meant to provide an insight into the principles at the basis of the SeeFront 3D technology and how they allow the creation of autostereoscopic display solutions ranging from smallest "stamp-sized" displays to 30" desktop versions, which all provide comfortable freedom of movement for the viewer along with excellent 3D image quality.

Magnetically-driven medical robots: An analytical magnetic model for endoscopic capsules design

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Jing; Barjuei, Erfan Shojaei; Ciuti, Gastone; Hao, Yang; Zhang, Peisen; Menciassi, Arianna; Huang, Qiang; Dario, Paolo

2018-04-01

Magnetic-based approaches are highly promising to provide innovative solutions for the design of medical devices for diagnostic and therapeutic procedures, such as in the endoluminal districts. Due to the intrinsic magnetic properties (no current needed) and the high strength-to-size ratio compared with electromagnetic solutions, permanent magnets are usually embedded in medical devices. In this paper, a set of analytical formulas have been derived to model the magnetic forces and torques which are exerted by an arbitrary external magnetic field on a permanent magnetic source embedded in a medical robot. In particular, the authors modelled cylindrical permanent magnets as general solution often used and embedded in magnetically-driven medical devices. The analytical model can be applied to axially and diametrically magnetized, solid and annular cylindrical permanent magnets in the absence of the severe calculation complexity. Using a cylindrical permanent magnet as a selected solution, the model has been applied to a robotic endoscopic capsule as a pilot study in the design of magnetically-driven robots.

Robotic-surgical instrument wrist pose estimation.

Science.gov (United States)

Fabel, Stephan; Baek, Kyungim; Berkelman, Peter

2010-01-01

The Compact Lightweight Surgery Robot from the University of Hawaii includes two teleoperated instruments and one endoscope manipulator which act in accord to perform assisted interventional medicine. The relative positions and orientations of the robotic instruments and endoscope must be known to the teleoperation system so that the directions of the instrument motions can be controlled to correspond closely to the directions of the motions of the master manipulators, as seen by the the endoscope and displayed to the surgeon. If the manipulator bases are mounted in known locations and all manipulator joint variables are known, then the necessary coordinate transformations between the master and slave manipulators can be easily computed. The versatility and ease of use of the system can be increased, however, by allowing the endoscope or instrument manipulator bases to be moved to arbitrary positions and orientations without reinitializing each manipulator or remeasuring their relative positions. The aim of this work is to find the pose of the instrument end effectors using the video image from the endoscope camera. The P3P pose estimation algorithm is used with a Levenberg-Marquardt optimization to ensure convergence. The correct transformations between the master and slave coordinate frames can then be calculated and updated when the bases of the endoscope or instrument manipulators are moved to new, unknown, positions at any time before or during surgical procedures.

[Robot assisted Frykman-Goldberg procedure. Case report].

Science.gov (United States)

Zubieta-O'Farrill, Gregorio; Ramírez-Ramírez, Moisés; Villanueva-Sáenz, Eduardo

2017-12-01

Rectal prolapse is defined as the protrusion of the rectal wall through the anal canal; with a prevalence of less than 0.5%. The most frequent symptoms include pain, incomplete defecation sensation with blood and mucus, fecal incontinence and/or constipation. The surgical approach can be perineal or abdominal with the tendency for minimal invasion. Robot-assisted procedures are a novel option that offer technique advantages over open or laparoscopic approaches. 67 year-old female, who presented with rectal prolapse, posterior to an episode of constipation, that required manual reduction, associated with transanal hemorrhage during defecation and occasional fecal incontinence. A RMI defecography was performed that reported complete rectal and uterine prolapse, and cystocele. A robotic assisted Frykman-Goldberg procedure wass performed. There are more than 100 surgical procedures for rectal prolapse treatment. We report the first robot assisted procedure in Mexico. Robotic assisted surgery has the same safety rate as laparoscopic surgery, with the advantages of better instrument mobility, no human hand tremor, better vision, and access to complicated and narrow areas. Robotic surgery as the surgical treatment is a feasible, safe and effective option, there is no difference in recurrence and function compared with laparoscopy. It facilitates the technique, improves nerve preservation and bleeding. Further clinical, prospective and randomized studies to compare the different minimal invasive approaches, their functional and long term results for this pathology are needed. Copyright © 2016 Academia Mexicana de Cirugía A.C. Publicado por Masson Doyma México S.A. All rights reserved.

Robotic Assistance by Impedance Compensation for Hand Movements While Manual Welding.

Science.gov (United States)

Erden, Mustafa Suphi; Billard, Aude

2016-11-01

In this paper, we present a robotic assistance scheme which allows for impedance compensation with stiffness, damping, and mass parameters for hand manipulation tasks and we apply it to manual welding. The impedance compensation does not assume a preprogrammed hand trajectory. Rather, the intention of the human for the hand movement is estimated in real time using a smooth Kalman filter. The movement is restricted by compensatory virtual impedance in the directions perpendicular to the estimated direction of movement. With airbrush painting experiments, we test three sets of values for the impedance parameters as inspired from impedance measurements with manual welding. We apply the best of the tested sets for assistance in manual welding and perform welding experiments with professional and novice welders. We contrast three conditions: 1) welding with the robot's assistance; 2) with the robot when the robot is passive; and 3) welding without the robot. We demonstrate the effectiveness of the assistance through quantitative measures of both task performance and perceived user's satisfaction. The performance of both the novice and professional welders improves significantly with robotic assistance compared to welding with a passive robot. The assessment of user satisfaction shows that all novice and most professional welders appreciate the robotic assistance as it suppresses the tremors in the directions perpendicular to the movement for welding.

ROBOT-ASSISTED SURGERY AND ROBOTS EXOSKELETONS FOR REHABILITATION: WORLD TECHNOLOGICAL LEADERS AND PERSPECTIVES OF RUSSIA

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

O. V. Cherchenko

2015-01-01

Full Text Available There was analysed the publication and patent activity with regard to two actively developing areas in the field of medical robototronics: robots-exoskeletons for rehabilitation of people with muscoloskeletal disorders and robot-assisted surgery. There was identified discrepancy in the structure of global and national publication and patent flows. There were revealed disadvantages of foreign innovations on robot-assisted surgery, which create prerequisites for promoting import-substituting innovations of domestic engineers. 

Laser assisted robotic surgery in cornea transplantation

Science.gov (United States)

Rossi, Francesca; Micheletti, Filippo; Magni, Giada; Pini, Roberto; Menabuoni, Luca; Leoni, Fabio; Magnani, Bernardo

2017-03-01

Robotic surgery is a reality in several surgical fields, such as in gastrointestinal surgery. In ophthalmic surgery the required high spatial precision is limiting the application of robotic system, and even if several attempts have been designed in the last 10 years, only some application in retinal surgery were tested in animal models. The combination of photonics and robotics can really open new frontiers in minimally invasive surgery, improving the precision, reducing tremor, amplifying scale of motion, and automating the procedure. In this manuscript we present the preliminary results in developing a vision guided robotic platform for laser-assisted anterior eye surgery. The robotic console is composed by a robotic arm equipped with an "end effector" designed to deliver laser light to the anterior corneal surface. The main intended application is for laser welding of corneal tissue in laser assisted penetrating keratoplasty and endothelial keratoplasty. The console is equipped with an integrated vision system. The experiment originates from a clear medical demand in order to improve the efficacy of different surgical procedures: when the prototype will be optimized, other surgical areas will be included in its application, such as neurosurgery, urology and spinal surgery.

An Intelligent Agent-Controlled and Robot-Based Disassembly Assistant

Science.gov (United States)

Jungbluth, Jan; Gerke, Wolfgang; Plapper, Peter

2017-09-01

One key for successful and fluent human-robot-collaboration in disassembly processes is equipping the robot system with higher autonomy and intelligence. In this paper, we present an informed software agent that controls the robot behavior to form an intelligent robot assistant for disassembly purposes. While the disassembly process first depends on the product structure, we inform the agent using a generic approach through product models. The product model is then transformed to a directed graph and used to build, share and define a coarse disassembly plan. To refine the workflow, we formulate “the problem of loosening a connection and the distribution of the work” as a search problem. The created detailed plan consists of a sequence of actions that are used to call, parametrize and execute robot programs for the fulfillment of the assistance. The aim of this research is to equip robot systems with knowledge and skills to allow them to be autonomous in the performance of their assistance to finally improve the ergonomics of disassembly workstations.

Lending a helping hand: toward novel assistive robotic arms

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Groothuis, Stefan; Stramigioli, Stefano; Carloni, Raffaella

Assistive robotics is an increasingly popular research field, which has led to a large number of commercial and noncommercial systems aimed at assisting physically impaired or elderly users in the activities of daily living. In this article, we propose five criteria based on robotic arm usage

Does robotic assistance confer an economic benefit during laparoscopic radical nephrectomy?

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, David Y; Monn, M Francesca; Bahler, Clinton D; Sundaram, Chandru P

2014-09-01

While robotic assisted radical nephrectomy is safe with outcomes and complication rates comparable to those of the pure laparoscopic approach, there is little evidence of an economic or clinical benefit. From the 2009 to 2011 Nationwide Inpatient Sample database we identified patients 18 years old or older who underwent radical nephrectomy for primary renal malignancy. Robotic assisted and laparoscopic techniques were noted. Patients treated with the open technique and those with evidence of metastatic disease were excluded from analysis. Descriptive statistics were performed using the chi-square and Mann-Whitney tests, and the Student t-test. Multiple linear regression was done to examine factors associated with increased hospital costs and charges. We identified 24,312 radical nephrectomy cases for study inclusion, of which 7,787 (32%) were performed robotically. There was no demographic difference between robotic assisted and pure laparoscopic radical nephrectomy cases. Median total charges were $47,036 vs $38,068 for robotic assisted vs laparoscopic surgery (p robotic assisted surgery were $15,149 compared to $11,735 for laparoscopic surgery (p robotic assistance conferred an estimated $4,565 and $11,267 increase in hospital costs and charges, respectively, when adjusted for adapted Charlson comorbidity index score, perioperative complications and length of stay (p Robotic assisted radical nephrectomy results in increased medical expense without improving patient morbidity. Assuming surgeon proficiency with pure laparoscopy, robotic technology should be reserved primarily for complex surgeries requiring reconstruction. Traditional laparoscopic techniques should continue to be used for routine radical nephrectomy. Copyright © 2014 American Urological Association Education and Research, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Robot-assisted Heller's myotomy for achalasia in children.

Science.gov (United States)

Altokhais, Tariq; Mandora, Hala; Al-Qahtani, Ayed; Al-Bassam, Abdulrahman

2016-12-01

Achalasia is rare in children. Surgical options include open, laparoscopic and robotic approaches. However, Heller's myotomy remains the treatment of choice. This report describes our experience with robot-assisted Heller's myotomy in children and presents a review of the literature. Included in this study are children who underwent robot-assisted Heller's myotomy for esophageal achalasia via the Da Vinci surgical system between 2004 and 2015 at King Saud University Medical City, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The medical records of these patients were reviewed for demographic data, presenting symptoms, diagnostic modalities, operative procedures, complications, outcomes and follow-ups. Six patients were identified. The age of the patients at surgery ranged between 2 and 12 years (mean 7.1 years). The most common presenting symptoms were dysphagia, vomiting and nocturnal cough. Contrast swallow and upper gastrointestinal endoscopy established a diagnosis of esophageal achalasia in all of the patients. Four patients underwent esophageal dilatation 2-5 times before the definitive procedure. All patients underwent successful robot-assisted Heller's myotomy with concomitant partial posterior fundoplication. The postoperative course was uneventful. Five patients had a complete resolution of the symptoms and one patient improved. The follow-up assessments have been consistent and have ranged from 0.5 to 11 years (mean 4.4 years). Robotic-assisted Heller's myotomy for esophageal achalasia in children is safe and effective and is a suitable alternative to open and laparoscopic approaches.

Da Vinci robot-assisted system for thymectomy: experience of 55 patients in China.

Science.gov (United States)

Jun, Yi; Hao, Li; Demin, Li; Guohua, Dong; Hua, Jing; Yi, Shen

2014-09-01

Da Vinci robot-assisted thymectomy has been used in the past several years in China, however, practical experience in performing this approach in China remains limited. Thus, the study aimed to evaluate the experience of da Vinci robot-assisted thymectomy in China. From June 2010 to December 2012, 55 patients with diseases of the thymus underwent thymectomy using the da Vinci surgical HD robotic system. The clinical data of the da Vinci robot-assisted thymectomies were compared with the data of video-assisted thoracoscopic thymectomies in the same period. All da Vinci robot operations were successful. This is a retrospective analysis which demonstrated that compared with video-assisted thoracoscopic thymectomy in the same period, the clinical outcomes of da Vinci robot-assisted thymectomy were not significantly different. The da Vinci robot-assisted thymectomy is a safe, minimally invasive, and convenient operation, and shows promise for general thoracic surgery in China. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

General surgery residents' perception of robot-assisted procedures during surgical training.

Science.gov (United States)

Farivar, Behzad S; Flannagan, Molly; Leitman, I Michael

2015-01-01

With the continued expansion of robotically assisted procedures, general surgery residents continue to receive more exposure to this new technology as part of their training. There are currently no guidelines or standardized training requirements for robot-assisted procedures during general surgical residency. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of this new technology on general surgery training from the residents' perspective. An anonymous, national, web-based survey was conducted on residents enrolled in general surgery training in 2013. The survey was sent to 240 Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education-approved general surgery training programs. Overall, 64% of the responding residents were men and had an average age of 29 years. Half of the responses were from postgraduate year 1 (PGY1) and PGY2 residents, and the remainder was from the PGY3 level and above. Overall, 50% of the responses were from university training programs, 32% from university-affiliated programs, and 18% from community-based programs. More than 96% of residents noted the availability of the surgical robot system at their training institution. Overall, 63% of residents indicated that they had participated in robotic surgical cases. Most responded that they had assisted in 10 or fewer robotic cases with the most frequent activities being assisting with robotic trocar placement and docking and undocking the robot. Only 18% reported experience with operating the robotic console. More senior residents (PGY3 and above) were involved in robotic cases compared with junior residents (78% vs 48%, p robotic case. Approximately 64% of residents reported that formal training in robotic surgery was important in residency training and 46% of residents indicated that robotic-assisted cases interfered with resident learning. Only 11% felt that robotic-assisted cases would replace conventional laparoscopic surgery in the future. This study illustrates that although the most residents

Robot-assisted partial nephrectomy in contemporary practice

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Youssef S. Tanagho

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Laparoscopic renal surgery is associated with reduced blood loss, shorter hospital stay, enhanced cosmesis, and more rapid convalescence relative to open renal surgery. Laparoscopic partial nephrectomy is a minimally invasive, nephron-sparing alternative to laparoscopic radical nephrectomy for the management of small renal masses. While offering similar oncological outcomes to laparoscopic radical nephrectomy, the technical challenges and prolonged learning curve associated with laparoscopic partial nephrectomy limit its wider dissemination. Robot-assisted partial nephrectomy, although still an evolving procedure with no long-term data, has emerged as a viable alternative to laparoscopic partial nephrectomy, with favorable preliminary outcomes. This article provides an overview of the role of robot-assisted partial nephrectomy in the management of renal cell carcinoma. The clinical indications and principles of surgical technique for this procedure are discussed. The oncological, renal functional, and perioperative outcomes of robot-assisted partial nephrectomy are also evaluated, as are complication rates.

The learning curve of robot-assisted laparoscopic aortofemoral bypass grafting for aortoiliac occlusive disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Novotný, Tomáš; Dvorák, Martin; Staffa, Robert

2011-02-01

statistically significant. Our results show that the success rate of robot-assisted laparoscopic aortofemoral bypass grafting is high and the complication rate is low. Anastomosis creation, one of the main difficulties of laparoscopic bypass grafting, has been overcome using the robotic operating system and its learning curve is short. However, the endoscopic dissection of the aortoiliac segment remains the most difficult part of the operation and should be addressed in further development of the method to reduce the operative times. Long-term results and potential benefits of this minimally invasive method have to be verified by randomized controlled clinical trials. Copyright © 2011 Society for Vascular Surgery. Published by Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.

Designing a social and assistive robot for seniors.

Science.gov (United States)

Eftring, H; Frennert, S

2016-06-01

The development of social assistive robots is an approach with the intention of preventing and detecting falls among seniors. There is a need for a relatively low-cost mobile robot with an arm and a gripper which is small enough to navigate through private homes. User requirements of a social assistive robot were collected using workshops, a questionnaire and interviews. Two prototype versions of a robot were designed, developed and tested by senior citizens (n = 49) in laboratory trials for 2 h each and in the private homes of elderly persons (n = 18) for 3 weeks each. The user requirement analysis resulted in a specification of tasks the robot should be able to do to prevent and detect falls. It was a challenge but possible to design and develop a robot where both the senior and the robot arm could reach the necessary interaction points of the robot. The seniors experienced the robot as happy and friendly. They wanted the robot to be narrower so it could pass through narrow passages in the home and they also wanted it to be able to pass over thresholds without using ramps and to drive over carpets. User trials in seniors' homes are very important to acquire relevant knowledge for developing robots that can handle real life situations in the domestic environment. Very high reliability of a robot is needed to get feedback about how seniors experience the overall behavior of the robot and to find out if the robot could reduce falls and improve the feeling of security for seniors living alone.

Robot-assisted posterior retroperitoneoscopic adrenalectomy using single-port access: technical feasibility and preliminary results.

Science.gov (United States)

Park, Jae Hyun; Kim, Soo Young; Lee, Cho-Rok; Park, Seulkee; Jeong, Jun Soo; Kang, Sang-Wook; Jeong, Jong Ju; Nam, Kee-Hyun; Chung, Woong Youn; Park, Cheong Soo

2013-08-01

clinicopathologic data were analyzed retrospectively. The mean patient age was 56.6 ± 8.7 (range, 47-69) years. Right and left side approaches were used in two and three patients, respectively. All cases were adrenal cortical adenoma. The mean tumor size was 1.48 ± 0.28 (range, 1.0-1.7) cm. The mean surgery duration (skin to skin) was 159.4 ± 57.6 (range, 103-245) minutes, and the mean estimated blood loss was 46.0 ± 56.8 (range, 5-120) ml. The average time to oral intake and postoperative hospital stay were 0.65 ± 0.11 (range, 0.54-0.79) days and 4.0 ± 2.23 (range, 3-8) days, respectively. There were no conversions to open surgery or postoperative compli- cations. Some trials of minimally invasive single-access surgery of the adrenal gland have recently been performed.4 (,) 5 However, these new techniques have several limitations as a result of restrictions on instrumentation movement because of the small access ports used and relatively low-quality images produced. The recent introduction of the da Vinci S surgical robot system (Intuitive Surgical) to endoscopic surgery has improved instrumental dexterity and provided the surgeon with an ergonomically designed operating system. This system is also potentially safer and more meticulous in performing operations than endoscopic procedures as a result of a 3-D, magnified, stable operative view.6 (,) 7 The advantages of the da Vinci S surgical robot system and the numerous benefits of the posterior retroperitoneal approach motivated us to utilize single-port robot-assisted PRA. The primary selection criteria were small tumor size and a minimal amount of periadrenal fatty tissue because robot-assisted PRA using single-port access provides a small operative space, which causes manipulation problems when tumors are large. To ensure the safe application of these new techniques, we recommend that novice surgeons begin using single-port robot-assisted PRA for smaller tumors safe and feasible, further experience and

Advances in Robotic-Assisted Radical Prostatectomy over Time

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Emma F. P. Jacobs

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Since the introduction of robot-assisted radical prostatectomy (RALP, robotics has become increasingly more commonplace in the armamentarium of the urologic surgeon. Robotic utilization has exploded across surgical disciplines well beyond the fields of urology and prostate surgery. The literature detailing technical steps, comparison of large surgical series, and even robotically focused randomized control trials are available for review. RALP, the first robot-assisted surgical procedure to achieve widespread use, has recently become the primary approach for the surgical management of localized prostate cancer. As a result, surgeons are constantly trying to refine and improve upon current technical aspects of the operation. Recent areas of published modifications include bladder neck anastomosis and reconstruction, bladder drainage, nerve sparing approaches and techniques, and perioperative and postoperative management including penile rehabilitation. In this review, we summarize recent advances in perioperative management and surgical technique for RALP.

Transoral robotic assisted resection of the parapharyngeal space.

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Mendelsohn, Abie H

2015-02-01

Preliminary case series have reported clinical feasibility and safety of a transoral minimally invasive technique to approach parapharyngeal space masses. With the assistance of the surgical robotic system, tumors within the parapharyngeal space can now be excised safely without neck incisions. A detailed technical description is included. After developing compressive symptoms from a parapharyngeal space lipomatous tumor, the patient was referred by his primary otolaryngologist because of poor open surgical access to the nasopharyngeal component of the tumor. Transoral robotic assisted resection of a 54- × 46-mm parapharyngeal space mass was performed, utilizing 97 minutes of robotic surgical time. Pictorial demonstration of the robotic resection is provided. Parapharyngeal space tumors have traditionally been approached via transcervical skin incisions, typically including blunt dissection from tactile feedback. The transoral robotic approach offers magnified 3D visualization of the parapharyngeal space that allows for complete and safe resection. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Endoscopic Radiofrequency Ablation-Assisted Resection of Juvenile Nasopharyngeal Angiofibroma: Comparison with Traditional Endoscopic Technique.

Science.gov (United States)

McLaughlin, Eamon J; Cunningham, Michael J; Kazahaya, Ken; Hsing, Julianna; Kawai, Kosuke; Adil, Eelam A

2016-06-01

To evaluate the feasibility of radiofrequency surgical instrumentation for endoscopic resection of juvenile nasopharyngeal angiofibroma (JNA) and to test the hypothesis that endoscopic radiofrequency ablation-assisted (RFA) resection will have superior intraoperative and/or postoperative outcomes as compared with traditional endoscopic (TE) resection techniques. Case series with chart review. Two tertiary care pediatric hospitals. Twenty-nine pediatric patients who underwent endoscopic transnasal resection of JNA from January 2000 to December 2014. Twenty-nine patients underwent RFA (n = 13) or TE (n = 16) JNA resection over the 15-year study period. Mean patient age was not statistically different between the 2 groups (P = .41); neither was their University of Pittsburgh Medical Center classification stage (P = .79). All patients underwent preoperative embolization. Mean operative times were not statistically different (P = .29). Mean intraoperative blood loss and the need for a transfusion were also not statistically different (P = .27 and .47, respectively). Length of hospital stay was not statistically different (P = .46). Recurrence rates did not differ between groups (P = .99) over a mean follow-up period of 2.3 years. There were no significant differences between RFA and TE resection in intraoperative or postoperative outcome parameters. © American Academy of Otolaryngology—Head and Neck Surgery Foundation 2016.

Instrumental tactile diagnostics in robot-assisted surgery

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Solodova RF

2016-10-01

Full Text Available Rozalia F Solodova,1,2 Vladimir V Galatenko,1,2 Eldar R Nakashidze,3 Igor L Andreytsev,3 Alexey V Galatenko,1 Dmitriy K Senchik,2 Vladimir M Staroverov,1 Vladimir E Podolskii,1,2 Mikhail E Sokolov,1,2 Victor A Sadovnichy1,2 1Faculty of Mechanics and Mathematics, 2Institute of Mathematical Studies of Complex Systems, Lomonosov Moscow State University, 31st Surgery Department, Clinical Hospital 31, Moscow, Russia Background: Robotic surgery has gained wide acceptance due to minimizing trauma in patients. However, the lack of tactile feedback is an essential limiting factor for the further expansion. In robotic surgery, feedback related to touch is currently kinesthetic, and it is mainly aimed at the minimization of force applied to tissues and organs. Design and implementation of diagnostic tactile feedback is still an open problem. We hypothesized that a sufficient tactile feedback in robot-assisted surgery can be provided by utilization of Medical Tactile Endosurgical Complex (MTEC, which is a novel specialized tool that is already commercially available in the Russian Federation. MTEC allows registration of tactile images by a mechanoreceptor, real-time visualization of these images, and reproduction of images via a tactile display. Materials and methods: Nine elective surgeries were performed with da Vinci™ robotic system. An assistant performed tactile examination through an additional port under the guidance of a surgeon during revision of tissues. The operating surgeon sensed registered tactile data using a tactile display, and the assistant inspected the visualization of tactile data. First, surgeries where lesion boundaries were visually detectable were performed. The goal was to promote cooperation between the surgeon and the assistant and to train them in perception of the tactile feedback. Then, instrumental tactile diagnostics was utilized in case of visually undetectable boundaries. Results: In robot-assisted surgeries where lesion

Human-robot cooperative movement training: Learning a novel sensory motor transformation during walking with robotic assistance-as-needed

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Benitez Raul

2007-03-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background A prevailing paradigm of physical rehabilitation following neurologic injury is to "assist-as-needed" in completing desired movements. Several research groups are attempting to automate this principle with robotic movement training devices and patient cooperative algorithms that encourage voluntary participation. These attempts are currently not based on computational models of motor learning. Methods Here we assume that motor recovery from a neurologic injury can be modelled as a process of learning a novel sensory motor transformation, which allows us to study a simplified experimental protocol amenable to mathematical description. Specifically, we use a robotic force field paradigm to impose a virtual impairment on the left leg of unimpaired subjects walking on a treadmill. We then derive an "assist-as-needed" robotic training algorithm to help subjects overcome the virtual impairment and walk normally. The problem is posed as an optimization of performance error and robotic assistance. The optimal robotic movement trainer becomes an error-based controller with a forgetting factor that bounds kinematic errors while systematically reducing its assistance when those errors are small. As humans have a natural range of movement variability, we introduce an error weighting function that causes the robotic trainer to disregard this variability. Results We experimentally validated the controller with ten unimpaired subjects by demonstrating how it helped the subjects learn the novel sensory motor transformation necessary to counteract the virtual impairment, while also preventing them from experiencing large kinematic errors. The addition of the error weighting function allowed the robot assistance to fade to zero even though the subjects' movements were variable. We also show that in order to assist-as-needed, the robot must relax its assistance at a rate faster than that of the learning human. Conclusion The assist

Human-robot cooperative movement training: learning a novel sensory motor transformation during walking with robotic assistance-as-needed.

Science.gov (United States)

Emken, Jeremy L; Benitez, Raul; Reinkensmeyer, David J

2007-03-28

A prevailing paradigm of physical rehabilitation following neurologic injury is to "assist-as-needed" in completing desired movements. Several research groups are attempting to automate this principle with robotic movement training devices and patient cooperative algorithms that encourage voluntary participation. These attempts are currently not based on computational models of motor learning. Here we assume that motor recovery from a neurologic injury can be modelled as a process of learning a novel sensory motor transformation, which allows us to study a simplified experimental protocol amenable to mathematical description. Specifically, we use a robotic force field paradigm to impose a virtual impairment on the left leg of unimpaired subjects walking on a treadmill. We then derive an "assist-as-needed" robotic training algorithm to help subjects overcome the virtual impairment and walk normally. The problem is posed as an optimization of performance error and robotic assistance. The optimal robotic movement trainer becomes an error-based controller with a forgetting factor that bounds kinematic errors while systematically reducing its assistance when those errors are small. As humans have a natural range of movement variability, we introduce an error weighting function that causes the robotic trainer to disregard this variability. We experimentally validated the controller with ten unimpaired subjects by demonstrating how it helped the subjects learn the novel sensory motor transformation necessary to counteract the virtual impairment, while also preventing them from experiencing large kinematic errors. The addition of the error weighting function allowed the robot assistance to fade to zero even though the subjects' movements were variable. We also show that in order to assist-as-needed, the robot must relax its assistance at a rate faster than that of the learning human. The assist-as-needed algorithm proposed here can limit error during the learning of a

The experience of totally endoscopic coronary bypass grafting with the robotic system «Da Vinci» in Russia

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Efendiev, V. U.; Alsov, S. A.; Ruzmatov, T. M.; Mikheenko, I. L.; Chernyavsky, A. M.; Malakhov, E. S.

2015-11-01

A new technology - a thoracoscopic coronary bypass grafting with the use of Da Vinci robotic system in Russia is represented by the experience of NRICP. The technology was introduced in Russia in 2011. Overall, one hundred endoscopic coronary artery bypass procedures were performed. We have compared and analyzed results of coronary artery stenting vs minimally invasive coronary artery bypass grafting. According to the results, totally endoscopic coronary artery bypass grafting has several advantages over alternative treatment strategies.

Teleoperation and beyond for assistive humanoid robots

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Goodrich, M.A.; Crandall, J.W.; Barakova, E.I.

2013-01-01

In this review, we explore how teleoperation could potentially be applied to the management of humanoid robots, with an emphasis on humanoid robots that are used in assistive roles, including clinical therapies. Since there are very few examples of the remote operation of a full humanoid, the review

[RESEARCH PROGRESS OF PERIPHERAL NERVE SURGERY ASSISTED BY Da Vinci ROBOTIC SYSTEM].

Science.gov (United States)

Shen, Jie; Song, Diyu; Wang, Xiaoyu; Wang, Changjiang; Zhang, Shuming

2016-02-01

To summarize the research progress of peripheral nerve surgery assisted by Da Vinci robotic system. The recent domestic and international articles about peripheral nerve surgery assisted by Da Vinci robotic system were reviewed and summarized. Compared with conventional microsurgery, peripheral nerve surgery assisted by Da Vinci robotic system has distinctive advantages, such as elimination of physiological tremors and three-dimensional high-resolution vision. It is possible to perform robot assisted limb nerve surgery using either the traditional brachial plexus approach or the mini-invasive approach. The development of Da Vinci robotic system has revealed new perspectives in peripheral nerve surgery. But it has still been at the initial stage, more basic and clinical researches are still needed.

Robot-assisted radical prostatectomy in Brazil: preliminary results

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jose Roberto Colombo Junior

2009-12-01

Full Text Available Purpose: To report the initial experience on robot-assisted radical prostatectomy in Brazil. Methods: From March 2008 to March 2009, a hundred patients were treated with robot-assisted radical prostatectomy. Patient’s demographic data, as well as perioperative results of the procedures, are described in this study. Rresults: Patients’ mean age and mean PSA were 58 years and 7.58 ng/ml, respectively. All procedures were performed through transperitoneal approach, with a mean bleeding of 480 mL and surgical time of 298 minutes. A surgical margin affected by cancer was present in 16% of the cases. There were four complications: bleeding requiring transfusion (two cases, rectal perforation corrected on the spot and inadequate functioning of the robot. There was no conversion to another access or obit occurrences in this caseload. Cconclusions: Robot-assisted prostatectomy is a reality in Brazil and the results herein presented demonstrate that this procedure can be safely performed. Long-term follow-up is still necessary to assess the oncological and functional outcomes.

A Perspective on Robotic Assistance for Knee Arthroplasty

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nathan A. Netravali

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Knee arthroplasty is used to treat patients with degenerative joint disease of the knee to reduce pain and restore the function of the joint. Although patient outcomes are generally quite good, there are still a number of patients that are dissatisfied with their procedures. Aside from implant design which has largely become standard, surgical technique is one of the main factors that determine clinical results. Therefore, a lot of effort has gone into improving surgical technique including the use of computer-aided surgery. The latest generation of orthopedic surgical tools involves the use of robotics to enhance the surgeons’ abilities to install implants more precisely and consistently. This review presents an evolution of robot-assisted surgical systems for knee replacement with an emphasis on the clinical results available in the literature. Ever since various robotic-assistance systems were developed and used clinically worldwide, studies have demonstrated that these systems are as safe as and more accurate than conventional methods of manual implantation. Robotic surgical assistance will likely result in improved surgical technique and improved clinical results.

Robotic-assisted surgery in ophthalmology.

Science.gov (United States)

de Smet, Marc D; Naus, Gerrit J L; Faridpooya, Koorosh; Mura, Marco

2018-05-01

Provide an overview of the current landscape of robotics in ophthalmology, including the pros and cons of system designs, the clinical development path, and the likely future direction of the field. Robots designed for eye surgery should meet certain basic requirements. Three designs are currently being developed: smart surgical tools such as the steady hand, comanipulation devices and telemanipulators using either a fixed or virtual remote center of motion. Successful human intraocular surgery is being performed using the Preceyes surgical system. Another telemanipulation robot, the da Vinci Surgical System, has been used to perform a pterygium repair in humans and was successful in ex-vivo corneal surgery despite its nonophthalmic design. Apart from Preceyes' BV research platform, none of the currently eye-specific systems has reached a commercial stage. Systems are likely to evolve from robotic assistance during specific procedural steps to semiautonomous surgery, as smart sensors are introduced to enhance the basic functionalities of robotic systems. Robotics is still in its infancy in ophthalmology but is rapidly reaching a stage wherein it will be introduced into everyday ophthalmic practice. It will most likely be introduced first for demanding vitreo-retinal procedures, followed by anterior segment applications.

Robot-Assisted Antegrade In-Situ Fenestrated Stent Grafting

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Riga, Celia V.; Bicknell, Colin D.; Wallace, Daniel; Hamady, Mohamad; Cheshire, Nicholas

2009-01-01

To determine the technical feasibility of a novel approach of in-situ fenestration of aortic stent grafts by using a remotely controlled robotic steerable catheter system in the porcine model. A 65-kg pig underwent robot-assisted bilateral antegrade in-situ renal fenestration of an abdominal aortic stent graft with subsequent successful deployment of a bare metal stent into the right renal artery. A 16-mm iliac extension covered stent served as the porcine aortic endograft. Under fluoroscopic guidance, the graft was punctured with a 20-G customized diathermy needle that was introduced and kept in place by the robotic arm. The needle was exchanged for a 4 x 20 mm cutting balloon before successful deployment of the renal stent. Robot-assisted antegrade in-situ fenestration is technically feasible in a large mammalian model. The robotic system enables precise manipulation, stable positioning, and minimum instrumentation of the aorta and its branches while minimizing radiation exposure.

Analysis of reaching movements of upper arm in robot assisted exercises. Kinematic assessment of robot assisted upper arm reaching single-joint movements.

Science.gov (United States)

Iuppariello, Luigi; D'Addio, Giovanni; Romano, Maria; Bifulco, Paolo; Lanzillo, Bernardo; Pappone, Nicola; Cesarelli, Mario

2016-01-01

Robot-mediated therapy (RMT) has been a very dynamic area of research in recent years. Robotics devices are in fact capable to quantify the performances of a rehabilitation task in treatments of several disorders of the arm and the shoulder of various central and peripheral etiology. Different systems for robot-aided neuro-rehabilitation are available for upper limb rehabilitation but the biomechanical parameters proposed until today, to evaluate the quality of the movement, are related to the specific robot used and to the type of exercise performed. Besides, none study indicated a standardized quantitative evaluation of robot assisted upper arm reaching movements, so the RMT is still far to be considered a standardised tool. In this paper a quantitative kinematic assessment of robot assisted upper arm reaching movements, considering also the effect of gravity on the quality of the movements, is proposed. We studied a group of 10 healthy subjects and results indicate that our advised protocol can be useful for characterising normal pattern in reaching movements.

Endoscopic endonasal transsphenoidal surgery using the iArmS operation support robot: initial experience in 43 patients.

Science.gov (United States)

Ogiwara, Toshihiro; Goto, Tetsuya; Nagm, Alhusain; Hongo, Kazuhiro

2017-05-01

Objective The intelligent arm-support system, iArmS, which follows the surgeon's arm and automatically fixes it at an adequate position, was developed as an operation support robot. iArmS was designed to support the surgeon's forearm to prevent hand trembling and to alleviate fatigue during surgery with a microscope. In this study, the authors report on application of this robotic device to endoscopic endonasal transsphenoidal surgery (ETSS) and evaluate their initial experiences. Methods The study population consisted of 43 patients: 29 with pituitary adenoma, 3 with meningioma, 3 with Rathke's cleft cyst, 2 with craniopharyngioma, 2 with chordoma, and 4 with other conditions. All patients underwent surgery via the endonasal transsphenoidal approach using a rigid endoscope. During the nasal and sphenoid phases, iArmS was used to support the surgeon's nondominant arm, which held the endoscope. The details of the iArmS and clinical results were collected. Results iArmS followed the surgeon's arm movement automatically. It reduced the surgeon's fatigue and stabilized the surgeon's hand during ETSS. Shaking of the video image decreased due to the steadying of the surgeon's scope-holding hand with iArmS. There were no complications related to use of the device. Conclusions The intelligent armrest, iArmS, seems to be safe and effective during ETSS. iArmS is helpful for improving the precision and safety not only for microscopic neurosurgery, but also for ETSS. Ongoing advances in robotics ensure the continued evolution of neurosurgery.

Karolinska prostatectomy: a robot-assisted laparoscopic radical prostatectomy technique.

Science.gov (United States)

Nilsson, Andreas E; Carlsson, Stefan; Laven, Brett A; Wiklund, N Peter

2006-01-01

The last decade has witnessed an increasing trend towards minimally invasive management of prostate cancer, including laparoscopic and, more recently, robot-assisted laparoscopic prostatectomy. Several different laparoscopic approaches have been continuously developed during the last 5 years and it is still unclear which technique yields the best outcome. We present our current technique of robot-assisted laparoscopic radical prostatectomy. The technique described has evolved during the course of >400 robotic prostatectomies performed by the robotic team since the robot-assisted laparoscopic radical prostatectomy program was introduced at Karolinska University Hospital in January 2002. Our procedure comprises several modifications of previously reported ones, and we utilize fewer robotic instruments to reduce costs. An extended posterior dissection is performed to aid in the bladder neck-sparing dissection. In nerve-sparing procedures the vesicles are divided to avoid damage to the erectile nerves. In order to preserve the apical anatomy the dorsal venous complex is incised sharply and is first over-sewn after the apical dissection is completed. Our technique enables a more fluent dissection than previously described robotic techniques. Minimizing changes of instruments and the camera not only cuts costs but also reduces inefficient operating maneuvers, such as switching between 30 degrees and 0 degrees lenses during the procedure. We present a technique which in our hands has achieved excellent functional and oncological results.

Transcanal microscope-assisted endoscopic myringoplasty in children.

Science.gov (United States)

Migirov, Lela; Wolf, Michael

2015-04-01

Myringoplasty can be technically difficult in the pediatric patients due to the narrowness of the external auditory canal and the generally small size of the ear. Moreover, temporalis fascia grafts and myringoplasties for anterior perforations are more likely to fail in children. Surgical management of anterior perforations requires total exposure of the anterior angle however a microscope may fail to provide a view of the anterior edge in most of perforations. Recently, different endoscopes are used in the performance of ear surgery in general and myringoplasty in particular. Current study aimed to investigate the outcome of transcanal microscope-assisted endoscopic myringoplasty in homogenous group of children. The medical records of 22 children were retrospectively reviewed for age, perforation size and location, surgical and audiological findings, and outcome. All myringoplasties were performed by first author with a chondro-perichondrial graft that has been harvested from the tragus and placed medial to the tympanic membrane remnants, utilizing the underlay technique and 14-mm length, 3-mm diameter, 0° and 30° endoscopes. A microscope was occasionally used for removal of the sclerotic plaques and releasing adhesions surrounding the ossicles when bimanual manipulations were needed. Surgical success was defined as a tympanic membrane with no perforation, retraction, or graft lateralization for at least 18 months following surgery. Thirteen large-, 8 medium- and 1 small-sized perforations (defined as 75, 50 or 25%, respectively, of the tympanic membrane area), of which 14 were anterior, 2 central and 6 posterior marginal, were repaired. The edges of the defect could not be visualized under a microscope due to bone overhanging or a curved or narrow EAC in 8 anterior perforations. Intact tympanic membranes and dry ears were achieved in all operated children. The audiometric air conduction level (average of 0.5-3 kHz) for the entire cohort ranged between 10-51.3 d

Robot-assisted laparoscopic myomectomy: current status

OpenAIRE

Arian,Sara; Munoz,Jessian; Kim,Suejin; Falcone,Tommaso

2017-01-01

Sara E Arian, Jessian L Munoz, Suejin Kim, Tommaso Falcone Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Women’s Health Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, USA Abstract: Robotic-assisted surgery has seen a rapid development and integration in the field of gynecology. Since the approval of the use of robot for gynecological surgery and considering its several advantages over conventional laparoscopy, it has been widely incorporated especially in the field of reproductive surgery....

A Human-Robot Interaction Perspective on Assistive and Rehabilitation Robotics.

Science.gov (United States)

Beckerle, Philipp; Salvietti, Gionata; Unal, Ramazan; Prattichizzo, Domenico; Rossi, Simone; Castellini, Claudio; Hirche, Sandra; Endo, Satoshi; Amor, Heni Ben; Ciocarlie, Matei; Mastrogiovanni, Fulvio; Argall, Brenna D; Bianchi, Matteo

2017-01-01

Assistive and rehabilitation devices are a promising and challenging field of recent robotics research. Motivated by societal needs such as aging populations, such devices can support motor functionality and subject training. The design, control, sensing, and assessment of the devices become more sophisticated due to a human in the loop. This paper gives a human-robot interaction perspective on current issues and opportunities in the field. On the topic of control and machine learning, approaches that support but do not distract subjects are reviewed. Options to provide sensory user feedback that are currently missing from robotic devices are outlined. Parallels between device acceptance and affective computing are made. Furthermore, requirements for functional assessment protocols that relate to real-world tasks are discussed. In all topic areas, the design of human-oriented frameworks and methods is dominated by challenges related to the close interaction between the human and robotic device. This paper discusses the aforementioned aspects in order to open up new perspectives for future robotic solutions.

Rapid prototyping framework for robot-assisted training of autistic children

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kim, Mingyu; Barakova, E.I.; Lourens, T.

2014-01-01

Research in uptake and actual use of robots in socially assistive tasks is rapidly growing. However, practical applications lack behind due to the enormous effort to create meaningful behaviours. This paper describes a rapid prototyping framework for robot-assisted training of children with Autism

Laser-assisted endoscopic third ventriculostomy: long-term results in a series of 202 patients

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van Beijnum, Janneke; Hanlo, Patrick W.; Fischer, Kathelijn; Majidpour, Mohsen M.; Kortekaas, Marlous F.; Verdaasdonk, Rudolf M.; Vandertop, W. Peter

2008-01-01

OBJECTIVE: Endoscopic third ventriculostomy is a well-known surgical option in the treatment of noncommunicating hydrocephalus. We studied complications and long-term success in 202 patients to demonstrate the safety and efficacy of laser-assisted endoscopic third ventriculostomy (LA-ETV) using a

Possible benefits of robot-assisted rectal cancer surgery regarding urological and sexual dysfunction

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Broholm Andersen, Malene; Pommergaard, H-C; Gögenür, I

2015-01-01

AIM: Robot-assisted surgery for rectal cancer may result in lower rates of urogenital dysfunction compared with laparoscopic surgery. A systematic review was conducted of studies reporting urogenital dysfunction after robot-assisted rectal cancer surgery. METHOD: PubMed, Embase and the Cochrane...... Library were systematically searched in February 2014. All studies investigating urogenital function after robot-assisted rectal cancer surgery were identified. The inclusion criteria for meta-analysis studies required comparison of robot-assisted with laparoscopic surgery and the evaluation of urological...... to four including 152 patients in the robotic group and 161 in the laparoscopic group, without heterogeneity. The IPSS score at 3 and 12 months favoured robot-assisted surgery [mean difference (MD) -1.58; 95% CI (-3.1, -0.0), [P = 0.04; and MD -0.90 (-1.81, -0.02), P = 0.05]. IIEF scores at 3 months...

Flexible endoscope-assisted evacuation of chronic subdural hematomas.

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Májovský, Martin; Masopust, Václav; Netuka, David; Beneš, Vladimír

2016-10-01

Chronic subdural hematoma (CSDH) is a common neurosurgical condition with an increasing incidence. Standard treatment of CSDHs is surgical evacuation. The objective of this study is to present a modification of standard burr-hole hematoma evacuation using a flexible endoscope and to assess the advantages and risks. Prospectively, 34 consecutive patients diagnosed with CSDH were included in the study. Epidemiological, clinical and radiographical data were collected and reviewed. All patients underwent a burr-hole evacuation of CSDH. A flexible endoscope was inserted and subdural space inspected during surgery. The surgeon was looking specifically for the presence of septations, draining catheter position and acute bleeding. Thirty-four patients underwent 37 endoscope-assisted surgeries. Presenting symptoms were hemiparesis (79%), decreased level of consciousness (18%), gait disturbances (15%), headache (12%), aphasia (6%), cognitive disturbances (6%) and epileptic seizure (3%). Average operative time was 43 min, and the average increase in operative time due to the use of the endoscope was 6 min. Recurrence rate was 8.8%, and clinical outcome was favorable (defined as mRS ≤ 2) in 97% of the cases. To our knowledge, the present cohort of 34 patients is the largest group of patients with CSDH treated using an endoscope. This technique allows decent visualization of the hematoma cavity while retaining the advantages of a minimally invasive approach under a local anesthesia. The main advantages are correct positioning of the catheter under visual control, identification of septations and early detection of cortex or vessel injury during surgery.

Fiberoptic endoscopic-assisted diverticulotomy: a novel technique for the management of Zenker's diverticulum.

Science.gov (United States)

Altman, Jason I; Genden, Eric M; Moche, Jason

2005-05-01

Endoscopic diverticulotomy is rapidly becoming the procedure of choice for treatment of Zenker's diverticulum. The endoscopic approach has resulted in significant decreases in patient morbidity, time to resumption of oral intake, and overall cost as compared with open treatment. However, a small but significant patient population is unable to accommodate the rigid laryngoscope and therefore requires open treatment. We present a novel technique, flexible fiberoptic endoscopic-assisted diverticulotomy, for the management of patients who are unable to undergo rigid endoscopy.

BellBot - A Hotel Assistant System Using Mobile Robots

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Joaquín López

2013-01-01

Full Text Available There is a growing interest in applying intelligent technologies to assistant robots. These robots should have a number of characteristics such as autonomy, easy reconfiguration, robust perception systems and they should be oriented towards close interaction with humans. In this paper we present an automatic hotel assistant system based on a series of mobile platforms that interact with guests and service personnel to help them in different tasks. These tasks include bringing small items to customers, showing them different points of interest in the hotel, accompanying the guests to their rooms and providing them with general information. Each robot can also autonomously handle some daily scheduled tasks. Apart from user-initiated and scheduled tasks, the robots can also perform tasks based on events triggered by the building's automation system (BAS. The robots and the BAS are connected to a central server via a local area network. The system was developed with the Robotics Integrated Development Environment (RIDE and was tested intensively in different environments.

Evolution of Robot-assisted ultrasound-guided breast biopsy systems

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Mustafa Z. Mahmoud

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Robot-assisted ultrasound-guided breast biopsy combines ultrasound (US imaging with a robotic system for medical interventions. This study was designed to provide a literature review of a robotic US-guided breast biopsy system to delineate its efficacious impact on current medical practice. In addition, the strengths and limitations of this approach were also addressed. Articles published in the English language between 2000 and 2016 were appraised in this review. A wide range of systems that bind robotics with US imaging and guided breast biopsy were examined in this article. The fundamental safety and real-time imaging capabilities of US, together with the accuracy and maneuverability of robotic devices, is clearly an effective association with unmatched capabilities. Numerous experimental systems have obvious benefits over old-fashioned techniques, and the future of robot-assisted US-guided breast biopsy will be characterized by increasing levels of automation, and they hold tremendous possibility to impact doctor achievement, patient recovery, and clinical management.

Nonparametric Online Learning Control for Soft Continuum Robot: An Enabling Technique for Effective Endoscopic Navigation

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Lee, Kit-Hang; Fu, Denny K.C.; Leong, Martin C.W.; Chow, Marco; Fu, Hing-Choi; Althoefer, Kaspar; Sze, Kam Yim; Yeung, Chung-Kwong

2017-01-01

Abstract Bioinspired robotic structures comprising soft actuation units have attracted increasing research interest. Taking advantage of its inherent compliance, soft robots can assure safe interaction with external environments, provided that precise and effective manipulation could be achieved. Endoscopy is a typical application. However, previous model-based control approaches often require simplified geometric assumptions on the soft manipulator, but which could be very inaccurate in the presence of unmodeled external interaction forces. In this study, we propose a generic control framework based on nonparametric and online, as well as local, training to learn the inverse model directly, without prior knowledge of the robot's structural parameters. Detailed experimental evaluation was conducted on a soft robot prototype with control redundancy, performing trajectory tracking in dynamically constrained environments. Advanced element formulation of finite element analysis is employed to initialize the control policy, hence eliminating the need for random exploration in the robot's workspace. The proposed control framework enabled a soft fluid-driven continuum robot to follow a 3D trajectory precisely, even under dynamic external disturbance. Such enhanced control accuracy and adaptability would facilitate effective endoscopic navigation in complex and changing environments. PMID:29251567

Surgery with cooperative robots.

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Lehman, Amy C; Berg, Kyle A; Dumpert, Jason; Wood, Nathan A; Visty, Abigail Q; Rentschler, Mark E; Platt, Stephen R; Farritor, Shane M; Oleynikov, Dmitry

2008-03-01

Advances in endoscopic techniques for abdominal procedures continue to reduce the invasiveness of surgery. Gaining access to the peritoneal cavity through small incisions prompted the first significant shift in general surgery. The complete elimination of external incisions through natural orifice access is potentially the next step in reducing patient trauma. While minimally invasive techniques offer significant patient advantages, the procedures are surgically challenging. Robotic surgical systems are being developed that address the visualization and manipulation limitations, but many of these systems remain constrained by the entry incisions. Alternatively, miniature in vivo robots are being developed that are completely inserted into the peritoneal cavity for laparoscopic and natural orifice procedures. These robots can provide vision and task assistance without the constraints of the entry incision, and can reduce the number of incisions required for laparoscopic procedures. In this study, a series of minimally invasive animal-model surgeries were performed using multiple miniature in vivo robots in cooperation with existing laparoscopy and endoscopy tools as well as the da Vinci Surgical System. These procedures demonstrate that miniature in vivo robots can address the visualization constraints of minimally invasive surgery by providing video feedback and task assistance from arbitrary orientations within the peritoneal cavity.

Exploring the ethical landscape of robot-assisted Search and Rescue

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Harbers, M.; Greeff, J. de; Kruijff-Korbayová, I.; Neerincx, M.A.; Hindriks, K.V.

2017-01-01

As robots are increasingly used in Search and Rescue (SAR) missions, it becomes highly relevant to study how SAR robots can be developed and deployed in a responsible way. In contrast to some other robot application domains, e.g. military and healthcare, the ethics of robot-assisted SAR are

New Developments in Robotics and Single-site Gynecologic Surgery.

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Matthews, Catherine A

2017-06-01

Within the last 10 years there have been significant advances in minimal-access surgery. Although no emerging technology has demonstrated improved outcomes or fewer complications than standard laparoscopy, the introduction of the robotic surgical platform has significantly lowered abdominal hysterectomy rates. While operative time and cost were higher in robotic-assisted procedures when the technology was first introduced, newer studies demonstrate equivalent or improved robotic surgical efficiency with increased experience. Single-port hysterectomy has not improved postoperative pain or subjective cosmetic results. Emerging platforms with flexible, articulating instruments may increase the uptake of single-port procedures including natural orifice transluminal endoscopic cases.

Robotic-Assisted Unicompartmental Knee Arthroplasty: State-of-the Art and Review of the Literature.

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Christ, Alexander B; Pearle, Andrew D; Mayman, David J; Haas, Steven B

2018-03-16

Unicompartmental knee arthroplasty is a successful treatment for unicompartmental knee osteoarthritis that has lower complication rates, faster recovery, and a more natural feeling knee compared to total knee arthroplasty. However, long-term survival has been a persistent concern. As more surgeon-controlled variables have been linked to survival, interest in robotic-assisted surgery has continued to grow. A review and synthesis of the literature on the subject of robotic-assisted unicompartmental knee arthroplasty was performed. We present the driving factors behind the development of robotic-assisted techniques in unicompartmental knee arthroplasty and the current state-of-the art. The ability of surgeons to achieve intraoperative targets with robotic assistance and the outcomes of robotic-assisted surgery are also described. Robotic-assisted surgery has become increasingly popular in unicompartmental knee arthroplasty, as it allows surgeons to more accurately and reproducibly plan and achieve operative targets during surgery. Cost remains a concern, and it remains to be seen whether robotic-assisted surgery will improve long-term survivorship after unicompartmental knee arthroplasty. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Single-port unilateral transaxillary totally endoscopic thyroidectomy: A survival animal and cadaver feasibility study

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Henrique Neubarth Phillips

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Background: Single-port unilateral axillary thyroidectomy has great potential to become a valid alternative technique for thyroid surgery. We tested the technique in a study on live animals and cadavers to evaluate the feasibility and reproducibility of the procedure. Materials and Methods: Institutional review board (IRB approval was obtained in our university by the Council of Ethics for the study in surviving animals and cadavers. Subtotal thyroidectomy using unilateral axillary single port was performed in five dogs and five cadavers. Performing incision in the axillary fossa, a disposable single port was inserted. The dissection progressed for creating a subcutaneous tunnel to the subplatysmal region; after opening the platysma muscle and separation of the strap muscles, the thyroid gland was identified. After key anatomical landmarks were identified, the dissection was started at the upper pole towards the bottom, and to the isthmus. Specimens were extracted intact through the tunnel. Clinical and laboratorial observations of the experimental study in a 15-day follow-up and intraoperative data were documented. Results: All surgeries were performed in five animals which survived 15 days without postoperative complications. In the surgeries successfully performed in five cadavers, anatomical landmarks were recognised and intraoperative dissection of recurrent nerves and parathyroid glands was performed. Mean operative time was 64 min (46-85 min in animals and 123 min (110-140 min in cadavers, with a good cosmetic outcome since the incision was situated in the axillary fold. Conclusion: The technique of single-port axillary unilateral thyroidectomy was feasible and reproducible in the cadavers and animal survival study, suggesting the procedure as an alternative to minimally invasive surgery of the neck.

CLINICAL EFFICACY OF THE ROBOT-ASSISTED LAPAROSCOPIC MYOMECTOMY (A REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE

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V. A. Gudebskaya

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Rationale: One of the most complicated and unresolved problems in clinical medicine is the choice of an optimal method for organ-preservation treatment of uterine fibroids in women of childbearing age. Aim: To assess clinical efficacy of robot-assisted laparoscopic myomectomy. Materials and methods: The search was performed in PubMed, Embase, Trip, Cochrane, DocMe databases by keywords: “fibroids”, “robot”, “da Vinci”, “robotic myomectomy”, “robot-assisted myomectomy”. Results: We found 25 publications on robot-assisted laparoscopic myomectomy, including 6  papers on its reproductive outcomes (levels of evidence II–IV. Duration of robot-assisted surgery ranged from 132 to 261 minutes, intraoperative blood loss was in the range from 50 to 387 mL, postoperative hospital stay ranged from 1 to  3.9  days. There was a  lower percentage of intra- and postoperative complications after the robot-assisted interventions, compared to abdominal or classic laparoscopic access, as well as a lower percentage of conversion laparotomies compared to laparoscopy. Pregnancy rates after robotic myomectomy ranged from 16.7 to 69%. Only one case of uterine rupture after robot-assisted laparoscopic myomectomy has been described in the literature. Conclusion: Due to high cost of the method, the number of conducted studies is insufficient to evaluate the role of robotic technologies in the organ-preservation approach to uterine fibroids. Nevertheless, they suggest that robot-assisted laparoscopic myomectomy is justified in women of childbearing age who are planning pregnancy, with big centripetally growing intramural nodes and deformation of the uterine cavity. This technique on its own is an independent method for fertility restoration and could be the first step before the use of assisted reproductive technology.

Robot-assisted pyeloplasty: review of the current literature, technique and outcome.

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Singh, Iqbal; Hemal, Ashok K

2010-04-01

To review the global select data on the current technique, perioperative outcome and literature on the robot-assisted pyeloplasty (RAP). The published English literature (PubMed) was extensively searched using the key words; robot, robot-assisted pyeloplasty, laparoscopy, laparoscopic pyeloplasty and ureteropelvic junction obstruction. The selected studies were then reviewed, tracked and analyzed in order to determine the current role, outcome and status of robot-assisted laparoscopic pyeloplasty. The search yielded about 25 published series on RAP comprising about 740 cases with a mean operative time, estimated blood loss, crossing vessel prevalence, hospital stay,perioperative complication rate and follow up duration of 194 min, 50 mL, 47%, 2.3 days, 6% and 14.9 months respectively. The initial peri-operative results and intermediate follow up of cases of repair of the ureteropelvic junction obstruction with robot-assisted pyeloplasty appear to be favorable and comparable to that of open pyeloplasty, while long term outcome data is still awaited. The da Vinci surgical robotic system is a promising surgical armamentarium in the hands of the modern day urologist for the minimally invasive definitive surgical management of both primary and secondary ureteropelvic junction obstruction.

Robot-assisted radiofrequency ablation of primary and secondary liver tumours: early experience

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Abdullah, Basri Johan Jeet; Yeong, Chai Hong; Goh, Khean Lee; Yoong, Boon Koon; Ho, Gwo Fuang; Yim, Carolyn Chue Wai; Kulkarni, Anjali

2014-01-01

Computed tomography (CT)-compatible robots, both commercial and research-based, have been developed with the intention of increasing the accuracy of needle placement and potentially improving the outcomes of therapies in addition to reducing clinical staff and patient exposure to radiation during CT fluoroscopy. In the case of highly inaccessible lesions that require multiple plane angulations, robotically assisted needles may improve biopsy access and targeted drug delivery therapy by avoidance of the straight line path of normal linear needles. We report our preliminary experience of performing radiofrequency ablation of the liver using a robotic-assisted CT guidance system on 11 patients (17 lesions). Robotic-assisted planning and needle placement appears to have high accuracy, is technically easier than the non-robotic-assisted procedure, and involves a significantly lower radiation dose to both patient and support staff. (orig.)

Robot-assisted radiofrequency ablation of primary and secondary liver tumours: early experience

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Abdullah, Basri Johan Jeet [University of Malaya, Department of Biomedical Imaging, Faculty of Medicine, Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia); Yeong, Chai Hong [University of Malaya, University of Malaya Research Imaging Centre, Faculty of Medicine, Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia); Goh, Khean Lee [University of Malaya, Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia); Yoong, Boon Koon [University of Malaya, Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia); Ho, Gwo Fuang [University of Malaya, Department of Oncology, Faculty of Medicine, Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia); Yim, Carolyn Chue Wai [University of Malaya, Department of Anesthesia, Faculty of Medicine, Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia); Kulkarni, Anjali [Perfint Healthcare Corporation, Florence, OR (United States)

2014-01-15

Computed tomography (CT)-compatible robots, both commercial and research-based, have been developed with the intention of increasing the accuracy of needle placement and potentially improving the outcomes of therapies in addition to reducing clinical staff and patient exposure to radiation during CT fluoroscopy. In the case of highly inaccessible lesions that require multiple plane angulations, robotically assisted needles may improve biopsy access and targeted drug delivery therapy by avoidance of the straight line path of normal linear needles. We report our preliminary experience of performing radiofrequency ablation of the liver using a robotic-assisted CT guidance system on 11 patients (17 lesions). Robotic-assisted planning and needle placement appears to have high accuracy, is technically easier than the non-robotic-assisted procedure, and involves a significantly lower radiation dose to both patient and support staff. (orig.)

Current perspectives in robotic assisted surgery.

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Binet, Aurélien; Ballouhey, Quentin; Chaussy, Yann; de Lambert, Guénolée; Braïk, Karim; Villemagne, Thierry; Becmeur, François; Fourcade, Laurent; Lardy, Hubert

2018-02-23

From classical surgery to Robotic Assisted Surgery, there is a long way allowed by Minimal Invasive Surgery' improvements. The last three decades have witnessed a prodigious development of minimally invasive surgery (MIS) and especially in the field of laparoscopic pediatric surgery but there are several limitations in the use of conventional laparoscopic surgery and Robotic Assisted Surgery was developed to relieve these drawbacks. This new technology enables today the performance of a wide variety of procedures in children with a minimally invasive approach. As for all new technologies, an objective evaluation is essential with the need to respond to several questions: Is the technology feasible? Is the technology safe? Is the technology efficient? Does it bring about benefits compared with current technology? What are the procedures derived from most benefits of robotic assistance? How to assume the transition from open surgery to Minimal Invasive access for RAS? In the first part of this article, the authors give details about technical concerns and then describe the implementation process with its organization, pitfalls, successes, and issues from human resources and financial standpoints. The learning curve is then described and a special focus on small children weighing less than 15 Kg is developed. Finally, the concept of evaluation of this emerging technology is evocated and financial concerns are developed.

Human likeness: cognitive and affective factors affecting adoption of robot-assisted learning systems

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Yoo, Hosun; Kwon, Ohbyung; Lee, Namyeon

2016-07-01

With advances in robot technology, interest in robotic e-learning systems has increased. In some laboratories, experiments are being conducted with humanoid robots as artificial tutors because of their likeness to humans, the rich possibilities of using this type of media, and the multimodal interaction capabilities of these robots. The robot-assisted learning system, a special type of e-learning system, aims to increase the learner's concentration, pleasure, and learning performance dramatically. However, very few empirical studies have examined the effect on learning performance of incorporating humanoid robot technology into e-learning systems or people's willingness to accept or adopt robot-assisted learning systems. In particular, human likeness, the essential characteristic of humanoid robots as compared with conventional e-learning systems, has not been discussed in a theoretical context. Hence, the purpose of this study is to propose a theoretical model to explain the process of adoption of robot-assisted learning systems. In the proposed model, human likeness is conceptualized as a combination of media richness, multimodal interaction capabilities, and para-social relationships; these factors are considered as possible determinants of the degree to which human cognition and affection are related to the adoption of robot-assisted learning systems.

Robotic Teaching Assistance for the "Tower of Hanoi" Problem

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Thien, Nguyen Duc; Terracina, Annalisa; Iocchi, Luca; Mecella, Massimo

2016-01-01

In this work the authors investigate the effectiveness of robotics in education. Rather than creating excitement for children when playing with robots in games, they are examining the overall learning environment where a robot acts as a teaching assistant. They designed a suitable lesson plan when groups of teenagers participate in activities…

Initial Clinical Experience With Surgical Technique of Robot-assisted Transperitoneal Laparoscopic Partial Nephrectomy

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Cheng-Kuang Yang

2009-12-01

Conclusion: Robot-assisted LPN is feasible and may be a viable alternative to open or LPN in selected patients with small exophytic renal tumors. Compared with standard LPN, the robotic assisted LPN approach with precise renal reconstruction under a safe warm ischemia time is feasible and can be easily adopted by those with experience in robot-assisted surgery.

Robot-assisted bronchoplasty using continuous barbed sutures.

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Sarsam, Omar Matthieu; Dunning, Joel; Pochulu, Bruno; Baste, Jean-Marc

2018-01-01

We describe in this article our bronchoplastic robot-assisted techniques. This consists of using continuous barbed sutures. Our aim is to show the feasibility and the interest of using robotics and this kind of suture material for complex bronchial procedures. We report four cases in France and the UK, two wedge bronchoplasties and two sleeve bronchoplasties for central pulmonary tumors.

A Human–Robot Interaction Perspective on Assistive and Rehabilitation Robotics

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Philipp Beckerle

2017-05-01

Full Text Available Assistive and rehabilitation devices are a promising and challenging field of recent robotics research. Motivated by societal needs such as aging populations, such devices can support motor functionality and subject training. The design, control, sensing, and assessment of the devices become more sophisticated due to a human in the loop. This paper gives a human–robot interaction perspective on current issues and opportunities in the field. On the topic of control and machine learning, approaches that support but do not distract subjects are reviewed. Options to provide sensory user feedback that are currently missing from robotic devices are outlined. Parallels between device acceptance and affective computing are made. Furthermore, requirements for functional assessment protocols that relate to real-world tasks are discussed. In all topic areas, the design of human-oriented frameworks and methods is dominated by challenges related to the close interaction between the human and robotic device. This paper discusses the aforementioned aspects in order to open up new perspectives for future robotic solutions.

A Human–Robot Interaction Perspective on Assistive and Rehabilitation Robotics

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Beckerle, Philipp; Salvietti, Gionata; Unal, Ramazan; Prattichizzo, Domenico; Rossi, Simone; Castellini, Claudio; Hirche, Sandra; Endo, Satoshi; Amor, Heni Ben; Ciocarlie, Matei; Mastrogiovanni, Fulvio; Argall, Brenna D.; Bianchi, Matteo

2017-01-01

Assistive and rehabilitation devices are a promising and challenging field of recent robotics research. Motivated by societal needs such as aging populations, such devices can support motor functionality and subject training. The design, control, sensing, and assessment of the devices become more sophisticated due to a human in the loop. This paper gives a human–robot interaction perspective on current issues and opportunities in the field. On the topic of control and machine learning, approaches that support but do not distract subjects are reviewed. Options to provide sensory user feedback that are currently missing from robotic devices are outlined. Parallels between device acceptance and affective computing are made. Furthermore, requirements for functional assessment protocols that relate to real-world tasks are discussed. In all topic areas, the design of human-oriented frameworks and methods is dominated by challenges related to the close interaction between the human and robotic device. This paper discusses the aforementioned aspects in order to open up new perspectives for future robotic solutions. PMID:28588473

Cap-assisted endoscopic sclerotherapy for hemorrhoids: Methods, feasibility and efficacy

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Zhang, Ting; Xu, Li-Juan; Xiang, Jie; He, Zhi; Peng, Zhao-Yuan; Huang, Guang-Ming; Ji, Guo-Zhong; Zhang, Fa-Ming

2015-01-01

AIM: To evaluate the methodology, feasibility, safety and efficacy of a novel method called cap-assisted endoscopic sclerotherapy (CAES) for internal hemorrhoids. METHODS: A pilot study on CAES for grade I to III internal hemorrhoids was performed. Colon and terminal ileum examination by colonoscopy was performed for all patients before starting CAES. Polypectomy and excision of anal papilla fibroma were performed if polyps or anal papilla fibroma were found and assessed to be suitable for resection under endoscopy. CAES was performed based on the requirement of the cap, endoscope, disposable endoscopic long injection needle, enough insufflated air and sclerosing agent. RESULTS: A total of 30 patients with grade I to III internal hemorrhoids was included. The follow-up was more than four weeks. No bleeding was observed after CAES. One (3.33%) patient claimed mild tenesmus within four days after CAES in that an endoscopist performed this procedure for the first time. One hundred percent of patients were satisfied with this novel procedure, especially for those patients who underwent CAES in conjunction with polypectomy or excision of anal papilla fibroma. CONCLUSION: CAES as a novel endoscopic sclerotherapy should be a convenient, safe and effective flexible endoscopic therapy for internal hemorrhoids. PMID:26722615

Endoscopically assisted enucleation of a large mandibular periapical cyst.

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Nestal Zibo, Heleia; Miller, Ene

2011-01-01

Enucleation of large cysts in the jaws is an invasive method that might be associated with complications. Marsupialization is a less invasive alternative method but it involves a prolonged and uncomfortable healing period. This study addresses a contemporaneous and less invasive surgical technique for treating larger mandibular cysts. MATERIALS AND METHODS. A 48-year-old woman presented with a large mandibular apical cyst involving the left parasymphysis, body, ramus and condylar neck, with involvement of the alveolar inferior nerve. The cystic lesion was enucleated using a 30° 4.0 mm endoscopic scope and endoscopic instruments through two small accesses: the ostectomy site of previously performed marsupialization and the alveolus of the involved third molar extracted of the time of the enucleation of the cyst. RESULTS. The endoscopic scope provided good visualization of the whole cystic cavity allowing the removal of any residual pathologic tissue and preservation of the integrity of the involved inferior alveolar nerve. The morbidity of the surgical procedure was extremely reduced. At a 6-month follow-up the patient did not present any symptom of inflammation and a panoramic X-ray showed good bone repair and remodelation. CONCLUSIONS. Endoscopically assisted enucleation proved to be effective method of treating a large mandibular cyst, providing total enucleation with a minimal invasive technique.

Visual servoing in medical robotics: a survey. Part I: endoscopic and direct vision imaging - techniques and applications.

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Azizian, Mahdi; Khoshnam, Mahta; Najmaei, Nima; Patel, Rajni V

2014-09-01

Intra-operative imaging is widely used to provide visual feedback to a clinician when he/she performs a procedure. In visual servoing, surgical instruments and parts of tissue/body are tracked by processing the acquired images. This information is then used within a control loop to manoeuvre a robotic manipulator during a procedure. A comprehensive search of electronic databases was completed for the period 2000-2013 to provide a survey of the visual servoing applications in medical robotics. The focus is on medical applications where image-based tracking is used for closed-loop control of a robotic system. Detailed classification and comparative study of various contributions in visual servoing using endoscopic or direct visual images are presented and summarized in tables and diagrams. The main challenges in using visual servoing for medical robotic applications are identified and potential future directions are suggested. 'Supervised automation of medical robotics' is found to be a major trend in this field. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Hybrid procedure for total laryngectomy with a flexible robot-assisted surgical system.

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Schuler, Patrick J; Hoffmann, Thomas K; Veit, Johannes A; Rotter, Nicole; Friedrich, Daniel T; Greve, Jens; Scheithauer, Marc O

2017-06-01

Total laryngectomy is a standard procedure in head-and-neck surgery for the treatment of cancer patients. Recent clinical experiences have indicated a clinical benefit for patients undergoing transoral robot-assisted total laryngectomy (TORS-TL) with commercially available systems. Here, a new hybrid procedure for total laryngectomy is presented. TORS-TL was performed in human cadavers (n = 3) using a transoral-transcervical hybrid procedure. The transoral approach was performed with a robotic flexible robot-assisted surgical system (Flex®) and compatible flexible instruments. Transoral access and visualization of anatomical landmarks were studied in detail. Total laryngectomy is feasible with a combined transoral-transcervical approach using the flexible robot-assisted surgical system. Transoral visualization of all anatomical structures is sufficient. The flexible design of the robot is advantageous for transoral surgery of the laryngeal structures. Transoral robot assisted surgery has the potential to reduce morbidity, hospital time and fistula rates in a selected group of patients. Initial clinical studies and further development of supplemental tools are in progress. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Endoscopically Assisted Drilling, Exposure of the Fundus through a Presigmoid Retrolabyrinthine Approach: A Cadaveric Feasibility Study.

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Muelleman, Thomas; Shew, Matthew; Alvi, Sameer; Shah, Kushal; Staecker, Hinrich; Chamoun, Roukouz; Lin, James

2018-01-01

The presigmoid retrolabyrinthine approach to the cerebellopontine angle is traditionally described to not provide access to the internal auditory canal (IAC). We aimed to evaluate the extent of the IAC that could be exposed with endoscopically assisted drilling and to measure the percentage of the IAC that could be visualized with the microscope and various endoscopes after drilling had been completed. Presigmoid retrolabyrinthine approaches were performed bilaterally on 4 fresh cadaveric heads. We performed endoscopically assisted drilling to expose the fundus of the IAC, which resulted in exposure of the entire IAC in 8 of 8 temporal bone specimens. The microscope afforded a mean view of 83% (n = 8) of the IAC. The 0°, 30°, 45°, and 70° endoscope each afforded a view of 100% of the IAC in 8 of 8 temporal bone specimens. In conclusion, endoscopic drilling of the IAC of can provide an extradural means of exposing the entire length of the IAC while preserving the labyrinth.

Robot-assisted pancreatic surgery: a systematic review of the literature

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Strijker, Marin; van Santvoort, Hjalmar C; Besselink, Marc G; van Hillegersberg, Richard; Borel Rinkes, Inne HM; Vriens, Menno R; Molenaar, I Quintus

2013-01-01

Background To potentially improve outcomes in pancreatic resection, robot-assisted pancreatic surgery has been introduced. This technique has possible advantages over laparoscopic surgery, such as its affordance of three-dimensional vision and increased freedom of movement of instruments. A systematic review was performed to assess the safety and feasibility of robot-assisted pancreatic surgery. Methods The literature published up to 30 September 2011 was systematically reviewed, with no restrictions on publication date. Studies reporting on over five patients were included. Animal studies, studies not reporting morbidity and mortality, review articles and conference abstracts were excluded. Data were extracted and weighted means were calculated. Results A total of 499 studies were screened, after which eight cohort studies reporting on a total of 251 patients undergoing robot-assisted pancreatic surgery were retained for analysis. Weighted mean operation time was 404 ± 102 min (510 ± 107 min for pancreatoduodenectomy only). The rate of conversion was 11.0% (16.4% for pancreatoduodenectomy only). Overall morbidity was 30.7% (n = 77), most frequently involving pancreatic fistulae (n = 46). Mortality was 1.6%. Negative surgical margins were obtained in 92.9% of patients. The rate of spleen preservation in distal pancreatectomy was 87.1%. Conclusions Robot-assisted pancreatic surgery seems to be safe and feasible in selected patients and, in left-sided resections, may increase the rate of spleen preservation. Randomized studies should compare the respective outcomes of robot-assisted, laparoscopic and open pancreatic surgery. PMID:23216773

Technique of total thyroidectomy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rao, R.S.

1999-01-01

It is essential to define the various surgical procedures that are carried out for carcinoma of the thyroid gland. They are thyroid gland, subtotal lobectomy, total thyroidectomy and near total thyroidectomy

Toward the art of robotic-assisted vitreoretinal surgery

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Amir Molaei

2017-01-01

Full Text Available New technological progress in robotics has brought many beneficial clinical applications. Currently, computer integrated robotic surgery has gained clinical acceptance for several surgical procedures. Robotically assisted eye surgery is envisaged as a promising solution to overcome the shortcomings inherent to conventional surgical procedures as in vitreoretinal surgeries. Robotics by its high precision and fine mechanical control can improve dexterity, cancel tremor, and allow highly precise remote surgical capability, delicate vitreoretinal manipulation capabilities. Combined with magnified three-dimensional imaging of the surgical site, it can enhance surgical precision. Tele-manipulation can provide the ability for tele-surgery or haptic feedback of forces generated by the manipulation of intraocular tissues. It presents new solutions for some sight-threatening conditions such as retinal vein cannulation where, due to physiological limitations of the surgeon's hand, the procedure cannot be adequately performed. In this paper, we provide an overview of the research and advances in robotically assisted vitreoretinal eye surgery. Additionally the barriers to the integration of this method in the field of ocular surgery are summarized. Finally, we discuss the possible applications of the method in the area of vitreoretinal surgery.

The impact of marketing language on patient preference for robot-assisted surgery.

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Dixon, Peter R; Grant, Robert C; Urbach, David R

2015-02-01

Robot-assisted surgery is gaining momentum as a new trend in minimally invasive surgery. With limited evidence supporting its use in place of the far less expensive conventional laparoscopic surgery, it has been suggested that marketing pressure is partly responsible for its widespread adoption. The impact of phrases that promote the novelty of robot-assisted surgery on patient decision making has not been investigated. We conducted a discrete choice experiment to elicit preference of partial colectomy technique for a hypothetical diagnosis of colon cancer. A convenience sample of 38 participants in an ambulatory general surgery clinic consented to participate. Each participant made 2 treatment decisions between robot-assisted surgery and conventional laparoscopic surgery, with robot-assisted surgery described as "innovative" and "state-of-the-art" in one of the decisions (marketing frame), and by a disclosure of the uncertainty of available evidence in the other (evidence-based frame). The magnitude of the framing effect was large with 12 of 38 subjects (31.6%, P = .005) selecting robot-assisted surgery in the marketing frame and not the evidence-based frame. This is the first study to our knowledge to demonstrate that words that highlight novelty have an important influence on patient preference for robot-assisted surgery and that use of more neutral language can mitigate this effect. © The Author(s) 2014.

An Exoskeleton Robot for Human Forearm and Wrist Motion Assist

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Ranathunga Arachchilage Ruwan Chandra Gopura; Kiguchi, Kazuo

The exoskeleton robot is worn by the human operator as an orthotic device. Its joints and links correspond to those of the human body. The same system operated in different modes can be used for different fundamental applications; a human-amplifier, haptic interface, rehabilitation device and assistive device sharing a portion of the external load with the operator. We have been developing exoskeleton robots for assisting the motion of physically weak individuals such as elderly or slightly disabled in daily life. In this paper, we propose a three degree of freedom (3DOF) exoskeleton robot (W-EXOS) for the forearm pronation/ supination motion, wrist flexion/extension motion and ulnar/radial deviation. The paper describes the wrist anatomy toward the development of the exoskeleton robot, the hardware design of the exoskeleton robot and EMG-based control method. The skin surface electromyographic (EMG) signals of muscles in forearm of the exoskeletons' user and the hand force/forearm torque are used as input information for the controller. By applying the skin surface EMG signals as main input signals to the controller, automatic control of the robot can be realized without manipulating any other equipment. Fuzzy control method has been applied to realize the natural and flexible motion assist. Experiments have been performed to evaluate the proposed exoskeleton robot and its control method.

Measuring acceptance of an assistive social robot: a suggested toolkit

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Heerink, M.; Kröse, B.; Evers, V.; Wielinga, B.

2009-01-01

The human robot interaction community is multidisciplinary by nature and has members from social science to engineering backgrounds. In this paper we aim to provide human robot developers with a straightforward toolkit to evaluate users' acceptance of assistive social robots they are designing or

Endoscope-assisted laparoscopic repair of perforated peptic ulcers.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Kun-Hua; Chang, Hung-Chi; Lo, Chong-Jeh

2004-04-01

Laparoscopic repairs for perforated peptic ulcer (PPU) are likely to fail in patients with shock, gastric outlet obstruction, or large perforations. This prospective study was performed to evaluate a revised approach of laparoscopic repair with endoscopic assistance to treat these patients. Between April 2001 and February 2002, 30 consecutive patients with PPU were enrolled in this study. The mean age was 43.1 +/- 12.2 years. Male to female ratio was 27:2. One patient was excluded from laparoscopic repair due to a gastric outlet obstruction. The other 29 patients were managed according to a protocol of preoperative upper endoscopy and laparoscopic intracorporeal suture repair with an omental patch. The average operative time was 58.1 +/- 13.5 minutes (range, 36-96 min). The average diameter of perforation was 4.2 +/- 2.0 mm (range, 1-12 mm). The average time to resume oral fluids was 3.2 +/- 0.8 days (range, 2-8 days). The average hospital stay was 4.7 +/- 1.1 days (range, 3-10 days). There was no leakage or mortality. Most patients did not receive parenteral analgesics postoperatively. We conclude that endoscope-assisted laparoscopic repair for PPU is safe and effective. This revised technique allows surgeons to exclude patients who are likely to fail the laparoscopic repair.

Robot-Assisted Training Early After Cardiac Surgery.

Science.gov (United States)

Schoenrath, Felix; Markendorf, Susanne; Brauchlin, Andreas E; Seifert, Burkhardt; Wilhelm, Markus J; Czerny, Martin; Riener, Robert; Falk, Volkmar; Schmied, Christian M

2015-07-01

To assess feasibility and safety of a robot-assisted gait therapy with the Lokomat® system in patients early after open heart surgery. Within days after open heart surgery 10 patients were subjected to postoperative Lokomat® training (Intervention group, IG) whereas 20 patients served as controls undergoing standard postoperative physiotherapy (Control group, CG). All patients underwent six-minute walk test and evaluation of the muscular strength of the lower limbs by measuring quadriceps peak force. The primary safety end-point was freedom from any device-related wound healing disturbance. Patients underwent clinical follow-up after one month. Both training methods resulted in an improvement of walking distance (IG [median, interquartile range, p-value]: +119 m, 70-201 m, p = 0.005; CG: 105 m, 57-152.5m, p force (IG left: +5 N, 3.8 7 N, p = 0.005; IG right: +3.5 N, 1.5-8.8 N, p = 0.011; CG left: +5.5 N, 4-9 N, p training were comparable to early postoperative standard in hospital training (median changes in walking distance in percent, p = 0.81; median changes in quadriceps peak force in percent, left: p = 0.97, right p = 0.61). No deep sternal wound infection or any adverse event occurred in the robot-assisted training group. Robot-assisted gait therapy with the Lokomat® system is feasible and safe in patients early after median sternotomy. Results with robot-assisted training were comparable to standard in hospital training. An adapted and combined aerobic and resistance training intervention with augmented feedback may result in benefits in walking distance and lower limb muscle strength (ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT 02146196). © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Endoscopic-Assisted Surgery for Pyriform Sinus Fistula in Chinese Children: A 73-Consecutive-Case Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Sheng, Qingfeng; Lv, Zhibao; Xiao, Xianmin; Xu, Weijue; Liu, Jiangbin; Wu, Yibo

2016-01-01

Complete resection of the pyriform sinus fistula (PSF) tract is challenging due to repeated infection and inadequate procedures. We present our experiences with intraoperative endoscopic-assisted intubation or instillation of dye through the internal opening as a guide to identify the tract. We retrospectively reviewed the charts of 73 consecutive patients diagnosed with PSF during 1999 until 2014 from two tertiary referral centers. Demographics, clinical presentation, imaging, treatment, and outcome were analyzed. The intraoperative endoscopy was successfully conducted in all 73 cases. No gender predominance was observed. Of the anomalies, 94.5% were left-sided. Presenting symptoms consisted of neck abscess (n = 48), acute suppurative thyroiditis/thyroid abscess (n = 9), neck mass with or without dyspnea (n = 12), and thyroid nodule (n = 4). Barium esophagography and computed tomography scan with oral or intravenous contrast had a satisfactory positive predictive value. Partial thyroidectomy was performed on 25 cases (34.2%) if the ipsilateral thyroid was involved. Good outcome was achieved in all but 3 patients (70/73, 95.9%) during a median follow-up of 4 years (range, 8 months-14 years). Two patients developed postoperative complications: temporary vocal fold motion impairment and left-sided Horner's syndrome, respectively. PSF recurred in 1 case. A complete resection is essential for good outcomes. Intraoperative intubation or methylene blue injection by endoscopy can simplify the identification of the fistula tract during surgical exploration.

Endoscopes with latest technology and concept.

Science.gov (United States)

Gotoh

2003-09-01

Endoscopic imaging systems that perform as the "eye" of the operator during endoscopic surgical procedures have developed rapidly due to various technological developments. In addition, since the most recent turn of the century robotic surgery has increased its scope through the utilization of systems such as Intuitive Surgical's da Vinci System. To optimize the imaging required for precise robotic surgery, a unique endoscope has been developed, consisting of both a two dimensional (2D) image optical system for wider observation of the entire surgical field, and a three dimensional (3D) image optical system for observation of the more precise details at the operative site. Additionally, a "near infrared radiation" endoscopic system is under development to detect the sentinel lymph node more readily. Such progress in the area of endoscopic imaging is expected to enhance the surgical procedure from both the patient's and the surgeon's point of view.

The role of robotic surgical system in the management of vascular disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Lin, Judith C

2013-10-01

The evolution of minimally invasive treatment for aneurysms and occlusive disease has led to the development of endovascular, laparoscopic, and robot-assisted techniques. This article reviews the current literature on the clinical use of robotic surgical systems in the treatment of patients with aneurysms and occlusive disease. A MEDLINE search was performed using the keywords "robotic, vascular, AND surgery." All pertinent articles concerning the use of the robotic surgical system on aneurysms and occlusive disease were reviewed. The author's personal experience consisted of a retrospective review of a prospectively maintained confidential database on all procedures performed with the da Vinci(®) surgical system. Several robot-assisted laparoscopic series on the treatment of aortic disease were identified, including review articles of potential clinical applications in hybrid, laparoscopic vascular, and endovascular treatments for vascular patients using robotic technology. The use of computer-enhanced or robotic technology as a sole modality for bypass of occlusive disease and repair of abdominal aortic, splenic, and renal aneurysms was described in case series with satisfactory patient outcomes. Current robotic endovascular technology was also described. Minimally invasive techniques using endovascular, laparoscopic, or robot-assisted technology have revolutionized the treatment of aortoiliac, splanchnic, and renal aneurysms and occlusive disease. However, robot-assisted techniques for aortic disease may involve a learning curve and increased operating times. Although endovascular therapy is preferred because of faster recovery, this preference for improved short-term outcomes will be balanced with the superiority and durability of robot-assisted endoscopic methods as comparable to open surgery. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Robotically assisted MRgFUS system

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Jenne, Jürgen W.; Krafft, Axel J.; Maier, Florian; Rauschenberg, Jaane; Semmler, Wolfhard; Huber, Peter E.; Bock, Michael

2010-03-01

Magnetic resonance imaging guided focus ultrasound surgery (MRgFUS) is a highly precise method to ablate tissue non-invasively. The objective of this ongoing work is to establish an MRgFUS therapy unit consisting of a specially designed FUS applicator as an add-on to a commercial robotic assistance system originally designed for percutaneous needle interventions in whole-body MRI systems. The fully MR compatible robotic assistance system InnoMotion™ (Synthes Inc., West Chester, USA; formerly InnoMedic GmbH, Herxheim, Germany) offers six degrees of freedom. The developed add-on FUS treatment applicator features a fixed focus ultrasound transducer (f = 1.7 MHz; f' = 68 mm, NA = 0.44, elliptical shaped -6-dB-focus: 8.1 mm length; O/ = 1.1 mm) embedded in a water-filled flexible bellow. A Mylar® foil is used as acoustic window encompassed by a dedicated MRI loop coil. For FUS application, the therapy unit is directly connected to the head of the robotic system, and the treatment region is targeted from above. A newly in-house developed software tool allowed for complete remote control of the MRgFUS-robot system and online analysis of MRI thermometry data. The system's ability for therapeutic relevant focal spot scanning was tested in a closed-bore clinical 1.5 T MR scanner (Magnetom Symphony, Siemens AG, Erlangen, Germany) in animal experiments with pigs. The FUS therapy procedure was performed entirely under MRI guidance including initial therapy planning, online MR-thermometry, and final contrast enhanced imaging for lesion detection. In vivo trials proved the MRgFUS-robot system as highly MR compatible. MR-guided focal spot scanning experiments were performed and a well-defined pattern of thermal tissue lesions was created. A total in vivo positioning accuracy of the US focus better than 2 mm was estimated which is comparable to existing MRgFUS systems. The newly developed FUS-robotic system offers an accurate, highly flexible focus positioning. With its access

Comparison of Perioperative Outcomes of Total Laparoscopic and Robotically Assisted Hysterectomy for Benign Pathology during Introduction of a Robotic Program

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gokhan Sami Kilic

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Study Objective. Prospectively compare outcomes of robotically assisted and laparoscopic hysterectomy in the process of implementing a new robotic program. Design. Prospectively comparative observational nonrandomized study. Design Classification. II-1. Setting. Tertiary caregiver university hospital. Patients. Data collected consecutively 24 months, 34 patients underwent laparoscopic hysterectomy, 25 patients underwent robotic hysterectomy, and 11 patients underwent vaginal hysterectomy at our institution. Interventions. Outcomes of robotically assisted, laparoscopic, and vaginal complex hysterectomies performed by a single surgeon for noncancerous indications. Measurements and Main Results. Operative times were 208.3±59.01 minutes for laparoscopic, 286.2±82.87 minutes for robotic, and 163.5±61.89 minutes for vaginal (<.0001. Estimated blood loss for patients undergoing laparoscopic surgery was 242.7±211.37 cc, 137.4±107.50 cc for robotic surgery, and 243.2±127.52 cc for vaginal surgery (=0.05. The mean length of stay ranged from 1.8 to 2.3 days for the 3 methods. Association was significant for uterine weight (=0.0043 among surgery methods. Conclusion. Robotically assisted hysterectomy is feasible with low morbidity, a shorter hospital stay, and less blood loss. This suggests that robotic assistance facilitates a minimally invasive approach for patients with larger uterine size even during implementing a new robotic program.

Development of an Upper Limb Motorized Assistive-Rehabilitative Robot

Science.gov (United States)

Amiri, Masoud; Casolo, Federico

While the number of people requiring help for the activities of daily living are increasing, several studies have been shown the effectiveness of robot training for upper limb functionality recovery. The robotic system described in this paper is an active end-effector based robot which can be used for assisting and rehabilitating of human upper limb. The robot is able to take into account desire of the patient for the support that patient needs to complete the task.

Transversus abdominis plane (TAP) block after robot-assisted laparoscopic hysterectomy

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Torup, H; Bøgeskov, M; Hansen, E G

2015-01-01

BACKGROUND: Transversus abdominis plane (TAP) block is widely used as a part of pain management after various abdominal surgeries. We evaluated the effect of TAP block as an add-on to the routine analgesic regimen in patients undergoing robot-assisted laparoscopic hysterectomy. METHODS......: In a prospective blinded study, 70 patients scheduled for elective robot-assisted laparoscopic hysterectomy were randomised to receive either TAP block (ropivacaine 0.5%, 20 ml on each side) or sham block (isotonic saline 0.9%, 20 ml on each side). All patients had patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) with morphine...... and Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID) treatment, had no effect on morphine consumption, VAS pain scores, or frequency of nausea and vomiting after robot-assisted laparoscopic hysterectomy compared with paracetamol and NSAID alone....

Robust Control Design of Wheeled Inverted Pendulum Assistant Robot

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

Magdi S.Mahmoud; Mohammad T.Nasir

2017-01-01

This paper examines the design concept and mobile control strategy of the human assistant robot I-PENTAR（inverted pendulum type assistant robot）. The motion equation is derived considering the non-holonomic constraint of the twowheeled mobile robot. Different optimal control approaches are applied to a linearized model of I-PENTAR. These include linear quadratic regulator（LQR）, linear quadratic Gaussian control（LQG）, H2 control and H∞ control. Simulation is performed for all the approaches yielding good performance results.

Factors Associated With Neck Hematoma After Thyroidectomy

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Suzuki, Sayaka; Yasunaga, Hideo; Matsui, Hiroki; Fushimi, Kiyohide; Saito, Yuki; Yamasoba, Tatsuya

2016-01-01

Abstract To identify risk factors for post-thyroidectomy hematoma requiring airway intervention or surgery (“wound hematoma”) and determine post-thyroidectomy time to intervention. Post-thyroidectomy hematoma is rare but potentially lethal. Information on wound hematoma in a nationwide clinical setting is scarce. Using the Japanese Diagnosis Procedure Combination database, we extracted data from records of patients undergoing thyroidectomy from July 2010 to March 2014. Patients with clinical stage IV cancer or those with bilateral neck dissection were excluded because they could have undergone planned tracheotomy on the day of thyroidectomy. We assessed the association between background characteristics and wound hematoma ≤2 days post-thyroidectomy, using multivariable logistic regression analysis. Among 51,968 patients from 880 hospitals, wound hematoma occurred in 920 (1.8%) ≤2 days post-thyroidectomy and in 203 (0.4%) ≥3 days post-thyroidectomy (in-hospital mortality = 0.05%). Factors significantly associated with wound hematoma ≤2 days post-thyroidectomy were male sex (odds ratio [OR] 1.52, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.30–1.77); higher age (OR 1.01, 95% CI 1.00–1.02); overweight or obese (OR 1.22, 95% CI 1.04–1.44); type of surgery (partial thyroidectomy for benign tumor compared with: total thyroidectomy, benign tumor [OR 1.95, 95% CI 1.45–2.63]; partial thyroidectomy, malignant tumor [OR 1.21, 95% CI 1.00–1.46]; total thyroidectomy, malignant tumor [OR 2.49, 95% CI 1.82–3.49]; and thyroidectomy for Graves disease [OR 3.88, 95% CI 2.59–5.82]); neck dissection (OR, 1.53, 95% CI 1.05–2.23); antithrombotic agents (OR 1.58, 95% CI 1.15–2.17); and blood transfusion (OR 5.33, 95% CI 2.39–11.91). Closer monitoring of airway and neck is recommended for patients with risk factors, and further cautious monitoring beyond 3 days post-thyroidectomy. PMID:26886632

From Leonardo to da Vinci: the history of robot-assisted surgery in urology.

Science.gov (United States)

Yates, David R; Vaessen, Christophe; Roupret, Morgan

2011-12-01

What's known on the subject? and What does the study add? Numerous urological procedures can now be performed with robotic assistance. Though not definitely proven to be superior to conventional laparoscopy or traditional open surgery in the setting of a randomised trial, in experienced centres robot-assisted surgery allows for excellent surgical outcomes and is a valuable tool to augment modern surgical practice. Our review highlights the depth of history that underpins the robotic surgical platform we utilise today, whilst also detailing the current place of robot-assisted surgery in urology in 2011. The evolution of robots in general and as platforms to augment surgical practice is an intriguing story that spans cultures, continents and centuries. A timeline from Yan Shi (1023-957 bc), Archytas of Tarentum (400 bc), Aristotle (322 bc), Heron of Alexandria (10-70 ad), Leonardo da Vinci (1495), the Industrial Revolution (1790), 'telepresence' (1950) and to the da Vinci(®) Surgical System (1999), shows the incredible depth of history and development that underpins the modern surgical robot we use to treat our patients. Robot-assisted surgery is now well-established in Urology and although not currently regarded as a 'gold standard' approach for any urological procedure, it is being increasingly used for index operations of the prostate, kidney and bladder. We perceive that robotic evolution will continue infinitely, securing the place of robots in the history of Urological surgery. Herein, we detail the history of robots in general, in surgery and in Urology, highlighting the current place of robot-assisted surgery in radical prostatectomy, partial nephrectomy, pyeloplasty and radical cystectomy. © 2011 THE AUTHORS. BJU INTERNATIONAL © 2011 BJU INTERNATIONAL.

Robot-Assisted Training for People With Spinal Cord Injury: A Meta-Analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Cheung, Eddy Y Y; Ng, Thomas K W; Yu, Kevin K K; Kwan, Rachel L C; Cheing, Gladys L Y

2017-11-01

To investigate the effects of robot-assisted training on the recovery of people with spinal cord injury (SCI). Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) or quasi-RCTs involving people with SCI that compared robot-assisted upper limbs or lower limbs training with a control of other treatment approach or no treatment. We included studies involving people with complete or incomplete SCIs. We searched MEDLINE, CINAHL, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (Cochrane Library), and Embase to August 2016. Bibliographies of relevant articles on the effect of body-weight-supported treadmill training on subjects with SCI were screened to avoid missing relevant articles from the search of databases. All kinds of objective assessments concerning physical ability, mobility, and/or functional ability were included. Assessments could be clinical tests (ie, 6-minute walk test, FIM) or laboratory tests (ie, gait analysis). Subjective outcome measures were excluded from this review. Eleven RCT studies involving 443 subjects were included in the study. Meta-analysis was performed on the included studies. Walking independence (3.73; 95% confidence interval [CI], -4.92 to -2.53; P<.00001; I 2 =38%) and endurance (53.32m; 95% CI, -73.15 to -33.48; P<.00001; I 2 =0%) were found to have better improvement in robot-assisted training groups. Lower limb robot-assisted training was also found to be as effective as other types of body-weight-supported training. There is a lack of upper limb robot-assisted training studies; therefore, performing a meta-analysis was not possible. Robot-assisted training is an adjunct therapy for physical and functional recovery for patients with SCI. Future high-quality studies are warranted to investigate the effects of robot-assisted training on functional and cardiopulmonary recovery of patients with SCI. Copyright © 2017 American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

HiMoP: A three-component architecture to create more human-acceptable social-assistive robots : Motivational architecture for assistive robots.

Science.gov (United States)

Rodríguez-Lera, Francisco J; Matellán-Olivera, Vicente; Conde-González, Miguel Á; Martín-Rico, Francisco

2018-05-01

Generation of autonomous behavior for robots is a general unsolved problem. Users perceive robots as repetitive tools that do not respond to dynamic situations. This research deals with the generation of natural behaviors in assistive service robots for dynamic domestic environments, particularly, a motivational-oriented cognitive architecture to generate more natural behaviors in autonomous robots. The proposed architecture, called HiMoP, is based on three elements: a Hierarchy of needs to define robot drives; a set of Motivational variables connected to robot needs; and a Pool of finite-state machines to run robot behaviors. The first element is inspired in Alderfer's hierarchy of needs, which specifies the variables defined in the motivational component. The pool of finite-state machine implements the available robot actions, and those actions are dynamically selected taking into account the motivational variables and the external stimuli. Thus, the robot is able to exhibit different behaviors even under similar conditions. A customized version of the "Speech Recognition and Audio Detection Test," proposed by the RoboCup Federation, has been used to illustrate how the architecture works and how it dynamically adapts and activates robots behaviors taking into account internal variables and external stimuli.

Robot-Assisted Free Flap in Head and Neck Reconstruction

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Han Gyeol Song

2013-07-01

Full Text Available BackgroundRobots have allowed head and neck surgeons to extirpate oropharyngeal tumors safely without the need for lip-split incision or mandibulotomy. Using robots in oropharyngeal reconstruction is new but essential for oropharyngeal defects that result from robotic tumor excision. We report our experience with robotic free-flap reconstruction of head and neck defects to exemplify the necessity for robotic reconstruction.MethodsWe investigated head and neck cancer patients who underwent ablation surgery and free-flap reconstruction by robot. Between July 1, 2011 and March 31, 2012, 5 cases were performed and patient demographics, location of tumor, pathologic stage, reconstruction methods, flap size, recipient vessel, necessary pedicle length, and operation time were investigated.ResultsAmong five free-flap reconstructions, four were radial forearm free flaps and one was an anterolateral thigh free-flap. Four flaps used the superior thyroid artery and one flap used a facial artery as the recipient vessel. The average pedicle length was 8.8 cm. Flap insetting and microanastomosis were achieved using a specially manufactured robotic instrument. The total operation time was 1,041.0 minutes (range, 814 to 1,132 minutes, and complications including flap necrosis, hematoma, and wound dehiscence did not occur.ConclusionsThis study demonstrates the clinically applicable use of robots in oropharyngeal reconstruction, especially using a free flap. A robot can assist the operator in insetting the flap at a deep portion of the oropharynx without the need to perform a traditional mandibulotomy. Robot-assisted reconstruction may substitute for existing surgical methods and is accepted as the most up-to-date method.

Wrist Rehabilitation Assisted by an Electromyography-Driven Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation Robot After Stroke.

Science.gov (United States)

Hu, Xiao-Ling; Tong, Raymond Kai-yu; Ho, Newmen S K; Xue, Jing-jing; Rong, Wei; Li, Leonard S W

2015-09-01

Augmented physical training with assistance from robot and neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) may introduce intensive motor improvement in chronic stroke. To compare the rehabilitation effectiveness achieved by NMES robot-assisted wrist training and that by robot-assisted training. This study was a single-blinded randomized controlled trial with a 3-month follow-up. Twenty-six hemiplegic subjects with chronic stroke were randomly assigned to receive 20-session wrist training with an electromyography (EMG)-driven NMES robot (NMES robot group, n = 11) and with an EMG-driven robot (robot group, n = 15), completed within 7 consecutive weeks. Clinical scores, Fugl-Meyer Assessment (FMA), Modified Ashworth Score (MAS), and Action Research Arm Test (ARAT) were used to evaluate the training effects before and after the training, as well as 3 months later. An EMG parameter, muscle co-contraction index, was also applied to investigate the session-by-session variation in muscular coordination patterns during the training. The improvement in FMA (shoulder/elbow, wrist/hand) obtained in the NMES robot group was more significant than the robot group (P rehabilitation progress. © The Author(s) 2014.

Robotic-assisted laparoscopic management of a caliceal diverticular calculus

Science.gov (United States)

Torricelli, Fabio Cesar Miranda; Batista, Lucas T; Colombo, Jose Roberto; Coelho, Rafael Ferreira

2014-01-01

Purpose To report the first case of robotic-assisted laparoscopic management of a symptomatic caliceal diverticular calculus and review the literature on laparoscopic treatment for this condition. Case report A 33-year-old obese woman with a 2×1 cm calculus within an anterior caliceal diverticulum located in the middle pole of the left kidney was referred to our service. She had already undergone two flexible ureterorenoscopies without success. We considered that a percutaneous approach would be very challenging due to stone location, thus we elected to perform a robotic-assisted laparoscopic procedure for stone removal and diverticulum fulguration. The procedure was uneventfully performed with no intraoperative or postoperative complications. The patient was discharged from the hospital on the second postoperative day and after 1.5 years of follow-up she is asymptomatic with no recurrence. Conclusions The robotic-assisted laparoscopic approach to caliceal diverticular calculi is feasible and safe, providing one more option for treatment of stones in challenging locations. PMID:25188925

Feeding assistive robotics, imaginaries and care

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nickelsen, Niels Christian Mossfeldt

2018-01-01

The media and political/managerial levels focus on the opportunities to re-perform Denmark through digitization. Feeding assistive robotics is a welfare technology, relevant to citizens with low or no function in their arms. Despite national dissemination strategies, it proves difficult to recruit...

Endoscopically assisted resection of a scapular osteochondroma causing snapping scapula syndrome

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Futani Hiroyuki

2007-03-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Osteochondroma is the most common benign bone tumor in the scapula. This condition might lead to snapping scapula syndrome, which is characterized by painful, audible, and/or palpable abnormal scapulothoracic motion. In the present case, this syndrome was successfully treated by use of endoscopically assisted resection of the osteochondroma. Case presentation A 41-year-old man had a tolerable pain in his scapular region over a 10 years' period. The pain developed gradually with shoulder motion, in particular with golf swing since he was aiming a professional golf player career. On physical examination, "clunking" was noted once from 90 degrees of abduction to 180 degrees of shoulder motion. A trans-scapular roentgenogram and computed tomography images revealed an osteochondroma located at the anterior and inferior aspect of the scapula. Removal of the tumor was performed by the use of endoscopically assisted resection. One portal was made at the lateral border of the scapula to introduce a 2.7-mm-diameter, 30 degrees Hopkins telescope. The tumor was resected in a piece-by-piece manner by the use of graspers through the same portal. Immediately after the operation pain relief was obtained, and the "clunking" disappeared. CT images showed complete tumor resection. The patient could start playing golf one week after the surgery. Conclusion Endoscopically assisted resection of osteochondroma of the scapula provides a feasible technique to treat snapping scapula syndrome and obtain early functional recovery with a short hospital stay and cosmetic advantage.

High level functions for the intuitive use of an assistive robot.

Science.gov (United States)

Lebec, Olivier; Ben Ghezala, Mohamed Walid; Leynart, Violaine; Laffont, Isabelle; Fattal, Charles; Devilliers, Laurence; Chastagnol, Clement; Martin, Jean-Claude; Mezouar, Youcef; Korrapatti, Hermanth; Dupourqué, Vincent; Leroux, Christophe

2013-06-01

This document presents the research project ARMEN (Assistive Robotics to Maintain Elderly People in a Natural environment), aimed at the development of a user friendly robot with advanced functions for assistance to elderly or disabled persons at home. Focus is given to the robot SAM (Smart Autonomous Majordomo) and its new features of navigation, manipulation, object recognition, and knowledge representation developed for the intuitive supervision of the robot. The results of the technical evaluations show the value and potential of these functions for practical applications. The paper also documents the details of the clinical evaluations carried out with elderly and disabled persons in a therapeutic setting to validate the project.

Acceptance and Attitudes Toward a Human-like Socially Assistive Robot by Older Adults.

Science.gov (United States)

Louie, Wing-Yue Geoffrey; McColl, Derek; Nejat, Goldie

2014-01-01

Recent studies have shown that cognitive and social interventions are crucial to the overall health of older adults including their psychological, cognitive, and physical well-being. However, due to the rapidly growing elderly population of the world, the resources and people to provide these interventions is lacking. Our work focuses on the use of social robotic technologies to provide person-centered cognitive interventions. In this article, we investigate the acceptance and attitudes of older adults toward the human-like expressive socially assistive robot Brian 2.1 in order to determine if the robot's human-like assistive and social characteristics would promote the use of the robot as a cognitive and social interaction tool to aid with activities of daily living. The results of a robot acceptance questionnaire administered during a robot demonstration session with a group of 46 elderly adults showed that the majority of the individuals had positive attitudes toward the socially assistive robot and its intended applications.

Robotic-assisted vesicovaginal fistula repair using an extravesical approach without interposition grafting.

Science.gov (United States)

Kelly, Erin; Wu, Maria Y; MacMillan, J Barry

2018-03-01

Post-hysterectomy vesicovaginal fistula (VVF) is rare. In addition to conventional abdominal and vaginal approaches, robotic-assisted VVF repairs have recently been described. We present a case of an extravesical, robotic-assisted VVF repair, without placement of an interposition graft performed in a Canadian teaching center. A 51-year-old woman presented with urinary incontinence 5 days after laparoscopic hysterectomy. Computed tomography cystogram, cystoscopy, and methylene blue dye test, confirmed a VVF above the bladder trigone. The patient underwent a robotic-assisted VVF repair 3 months after presentation, without complication. An abdominal, extravesical approach was used. Operative time was 116 min and repeat CT cystogram showed no evidence of persistent. We have demonstrated that a VVF repair, using a robotic-assisted, extravesical approach without interposition graft placement, can be safe, less invasive and have a successful outcome at 1 year of follow-up.

Mina: A Sensorimotor Robotic Orthosis for Mobility Assistance

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anil K. Raj

2011-01-01

Full Text Available While most mobility options for persons with paraplegia or paraparesis employ wheeled solutions, significant adverse health, psychological, and social consequences result from wheelchair confinement. Modern robotic exoskeleton devices for gait assistance and rehabilitation, however, can support legged locomotion systems for those with lower extremity weakness or paralysis. The Florida Institute for Human and Machine Cognition (IHMC has developed the Mina, a prototype sensorimotor robotic orthosis for mobility assistance that provides mobility capability for paraplegic and paraparetic users. This paper describes the initial concept, design goals, and methods of this wearable overground robotic mobility device, which uses compliant actuation to power the hip and knee joints. Paralyzed users can balance and walk using the device over level terrain with the assistance of forearm crutches employing a quadrupedal gait. We have initiated sensory substitution feedback mechanisms to augment user sensory perception of his or her lower extremities. Using this sensory feedback, we hypothesize that users will ambulate with a more natural, upright gait and will be able to directly control the gait parameters and respond to perturbations. This may allow bipedal (with minimal support gait in future prototypes.

Is there a role for robotic totally endoscopic coronary artery bypass in patients with a colostomy?

Science.gov (United States)

Gibber, Marc; Lehr, Eric J; Kon, Zachary N; Wehman, P Brody; Griffith, Bartley P; Bonatti, Johannes

2014-01-01

Preoperative colostomy presents a significant risk of sternal wound complications, mediastinitis, and ostomy injury in patients requiring coronary artery bypass grafting. Less invasive procedures in coronary surgery have a potential to reduce the risk of sternal wound healing problems. Robotic totally endoscopic coronary artery bypass grafting in patients with a colostomy has not been reported. We describe a case of completely endoscopic coronary surgery using the da Vinci Si system in a patient with a transverse colostomy. Single left internal mammary artery grafting to the left anterior coronary artery was performed successfully on the beating heart. We regard this technique as the least invasive method of surgical coronary revascularization with a potential to reduce the risk of surgical site infection and mediastinitis in patients with a colostomy.

Development of synthetic simulators for endoscope-assisted repair of metopic and sagittal craniosynostosis.

Science.gov (United States)

Eastwood, Kyle W; Bodani, Vivek P; Haji, Faizal A; Looi, Thomas; Naguib, Hani E; Drake, James M

2018-06-01

OBJECTIVE Endoscope-assisted repair of craniosynostosis is a safe and efficacious alternative to open techniques. However, this procedure is challenging to learn, and there is significant variation in both its execution and outcomes. Surgical simulators may allow trainees to learn and practice this procedure prior to operating on an actual patient. The purpose of this study was to develop a realistic, relatively inexpensive simulator for endoscope-assisted repair of metopic and sagittal craniosynostosis and to evaluate the models' fidelity and teaching content. METHODS Two separate, 3D-printed, plastic powder-based replica skulls exhibiting metopic (age 1 month) and sagittal (age 2 months) craniosynostosis were developed. These models were made into consumable skull "cartridges" that insert into a reusable base resembling an infant's head. Each cartridge consists of a multilayer scalp (skin, subcutaneous fat, galea, and periosteum); cranial bones with accurate landmarks; and the dura mater. Data related to model construction, use, and cost were collected. Eleven novice surgeons (residents), 9 experienced surgeons (fellows), and 5 expert surgeons (attendings) performed a simulated metopic and sagittal craniosynostosis repair using a neuroendoscope, high-speed drill, rongeurs, lighted retractors, and suction/irrigation. All participants completed a 13-item questionnaire (using 5-point Likert scales) to rate the realism and utility of the models for teaching endoscope-assisted strip suturectomy. RESULTS The simulators are compact, robust, and relatively inexpensive. They can be rapidly reset for repeated use and contain a minimal amount of consumable material while providing a realistic simulation experience. More than 80% of participants agreed or strongly agreed that the models' anatomical features, including surface anatomy, subgaleal and subperiosteal tissue planes, anterior fontanelle, and epidural spaces, were realistic and contained appropriate detail. More

Endoscopic-assisted resection of peripheral osteoma using piezosurgery.

Science.gov (United States)

Ochiai, Shigeki; Kuroyanagi, Norio; Sakuma, Hidenori; Sakuma, Hidenobu; Miyachi, Hitoshi; Shimozato, Kazuo

2013-01-01

Endoscopic-assisted surgery has gained widespread popularity as a minimally invasive procedure, particularly in the field of maxillofacial surgery. Because the surgical field around the mandibular angle is extremely narrow, the surrounding tissues may get caught in sharp rotary cutting instruments. In piezosurgery, bone tissues are selectively cut. This technique has various applications because minimal damage is caused by the rotary cutting instruments when they briefly come in contact with soft tissues. We report the case of a 33-year-old man who underwent resection of an osteoma in the region of the mandibular angle region via an intraoral approach. During surgery, the complete surgical field was within the view of the endoscope, thereby enabling the surgeon to easily resection the osteoma with the piezosurgery device. Considering that piezosurgery limits the extent of surgical invasion, this is an excellent low-risk technique that can be used in the field of maxillofacial surgery. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Placement of 125I implants with the da Vinci robotic system after video-assisted thoracoscopic wedge resection: A feasibility study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pisch, Julianna; Belsley, Scott J.; Ashton, Robert; Wang Lin; Woode, Rudolph; Connery, Cliff

2004-01-01

Purpose: To evaluate the feasibility of using the da Vinci robotic system for radioactive seed placement in the wedge resection margin of pigs' lungs. Methods and materials: Video-assisted thoracoscopic wedge resection was performed in the upper and lower lobes in pigs. Dummy 125 I seeds embedded in absorbable sutures were sewn into the resection margin with the aid of the da Vinci robotic system without complications. In the 'loop technique,' the seeds were placed in a cylindrical pattern; in the 'longitudinal,' they were above and lateral to the resection margin. Orthogonal radiographs were taken in the operating room. For dose calculation, Variseed 66.7 (Build 11312) software was used. Results: With looping seed placement, in the coronal view, the dose at 1 cm from the source was 97.0 Gy; in the lateral view it was 107.3 Gy. For longitudinal seed placement, the numbers were 89.5 Gy and 70.0 Gy, respectively. Conclusion: Robotic technology allows direct placement of radioactive seeds into the resection margin by endoscopic surgery. It overcomes the technical difficulties of manipulating in the narrow chest cavity. With the advent of robotic technology, new options in the treatment of lung cancer, as well as other malignant tumors, will become available

A Dynamic Non Energy Storing Guidance Constraint with Motion Redirection for Robot Assisted Surgery

Science.gov (United States)

2016-12-01

move during the operation. Robot -assisted beating heart surgery is an example of procedures that can benefit from dynamic constraints. Their...A Dynamic Non-Energy-Storing Guidance Constraint with Motion Redirection for Robot -Assisted Surgery Nima Enayati, Eva C. Alves Costa, Giancarlo...Momi, and G. Ferrigno, “Haptics in Robot -Assisted Surgery : Challenges and Benefits,” IEEE Rev. Biomed. Eng., 2016. [2] L. B. Rosenberg, “Virtual

Incorporating robotic-assisted surgery for endometrial cancer staging: Analysis of morbidity and costs.

Science.gov (United States)

Bogani, Giorgio; Multinu, Francesco; Dowdy, Sean C; Cliby, William A; Wilson, Timothy O; Gostout, Bobbie S; Weaver, Amy L; Borah, Bijan J; Killian, Jill M; Bijlani, Akash; Angioni, Stefano; Mariani, Andrea

2016-05-01

To evaluate how the introduction of robotic-assisted surgery affects treatment-related morbidity and cost of endometrial cancer (EC) staging. We retrospectively reviewed the records of consecutive patients with stage I-III EC undergoing surgical staging between 2007 and 2012 at our institution. Costs (from surgery to 30days after surgery) were set based on the Medicare cost-to-charge ratio for each year and inflated to 2014 values. Inverse probability weighting (IPW) was used to decrease the allocation bias when comparing outcomes between surgical groups. We focused our analysis on the 251 EC patients who had robotic-assisted surgery and the 384 who had open staging. During the study period, the use of robotic-assisted surgery increased and open staging decreased (P<0.001). Correcting group imbalances by using IPW methodology, we observed that patients undergoing robotic-assisted staging had a significantly lower postoperative complication rate, lower blood transfusion rate, longer median operating time, shorter median length of stay, and lower readmission rate than patients undergoing open staging (all P<0.001). Overall 30-day costs were similar between the 2 groups, with robotic-assisted surgery having significantly higher median operating room costs ($2820 difference; P<0.001) but lower median room and board costs ($2929 difference; P<0.001) than open surgery. Increasing experience with robotic-assisted staging was significantly associated with a decrease in median operating time (P=0.002) and length of stay (P=0.003). The implementation of robotic-assisted surgery for EC staging improves patient outcomes. It provides women the benefits of minimally invasive surgery without increasing costs and potentially improves patient turnover. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Laparoscopic hand-assisted versus robotic-assisted laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy: experience of 103 consecutive cases.

Science.gov (United States)

Kannan, Umashankkar; Ecker, Brett L; Choudhury, Rashikh; Dempsey, Daniel T; Williams, Noel N; Dumon, Kristoffel R

2016-01-01

Laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy has become a stand-alone procedure in the treatment of morbid obesity. There are very few reports on the use of robotic approach in sleeve gastrectomy. The purpose of this retrospective study is to report our early experience of robotic-assisted laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (RALSG) using a proctored training model with comparison to an institutional cohort of patients who underwent laparoscopic hand-assisted sleeve gastrectomy (LASG). University hospital. The study included 108 patients who underwent sleeve gastrectomy either via the laparoscopic-assisted or robot-assisted approach during the study period. Of these 108 patients, 62 underwent LASG and 46 underwent RALSG. The console surgeon in the RALSG is a clinical year 4 (CY4) surgery resident. All CY4 surgery residents received targeted simulation training before their rotation. The console surgeon is proctored by the primary surgeon with assistance as needed by the second surgeon. The patients in the robotic and laparoscopic cohorts did not have a statistical difference in their demographic characteristics, preoperative co-morbidities, or complications. The mean operating time did not differ significantly between the 2 cohorts (121 min versus 110 min, P = .07). Patient follow-up in the LSG and RALSG were 91% and 90% at 3 months, 62% and 64% at 6 months, and 60% and 55% at 1 year, respectively. The mean percentage estimated weight loss (EWL%) at 3 months, 6 months, and 1 year was greater in the robotic group but not statistically significant (27 versus 22 at 3 mo [P = .05] and 39 versus 34 at 6 mo [P = .025], 57 versus 48 at 1 yr [P = .09]). There was no mortality in either group. Early results of our experience with RALSG indicate low perioperative complication rates and comparable weight loss with LASG. The concept of a stepwise education model needs further validation with larger studies. Copyright © 2016 American Society for Bariatric Surgery. Published by Elsevier Inc

Clinical and radiological outcomes of transoral endoscope-assisted treatment of mandibular condylar fractures.

Science.gov (United States)

You, H-J; Moon, K-C; Yoon, E-S; Lee, B-I; Park, S-H

2016-03-01

Fractures of the mandibular condyle are one of the most common craniofacial fractures. However, the diagnosis and treatment of these fractures is controversial because of the multiple surgical approaches available. The purposes of this study were to identify surgery-related technical tips for better outcomes and to evaluate the results as well as complications encountered during 7 years of endoscope use to supplement the limited intraoral approach in the treatment of mandibular condylar fractures. Between 2005 and 2012, 50 patients with condylar fractures underwent endoscope-assisted reduction surgery. Postoperative facial bone computed tomography and panoramic radiography demonstrated adequate reduction of the condylar fractures in all patients. No condylar resorption was detected, and most patients displayed a satisfactory functional and structural recovery. There was no facial nerve damage or transitory hypoesthesia, and there were no visible scars after the surgery. Transoral endoscope-assisted treatment is a challenging but reliable method with lower morbidity and a rapid recovery. Copyright © 2015 International Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Anesthetic management of robot-assisted thoracoscopic thymectomy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anil Karlekar

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Myasthenia gravis (MG is a rare disorder involving neuromuscular junction. In conjunction with medical therapy, thymectomy is a known modality of treatment of MG and has shown to increase the probability of remission and overall symptomatic improvement. For minimally invasive thymectomy, video-.assisted thoracoscopic surgery has been the preferred surgical approach till recently. The robotic surgical procedure must necessarily bring new challenges to the anesthesiologists to effectively meet the specific requirements of the technique. At present, there is a paucity of literature regarding the anesthetic concerns of robotic assisted thymectomy, patient in question specifically posed a challenge since different maneuvers and techniques had to be tried to obtain optimum surgical conditions with stable ventilatory and hemodynamic parameters. Concerns of patient positioning and hemodynamic monitoring have also been discussed.

Exploring requirements and alternative pet robots for robot assisted therapy with older adults with dementia

NARCIS (Netherlands)

P Martinez-Martim; J. Albo-Canals; S. Anisuzzaman; Marcel Heerink; M. Valenti-Soler; J. Zondag; C. Smits

2013-01-01

Robot assisted therapy has been applied in care for older adults who suffer from dementia for over ten years. Strong effects like improved interac-tion and signs of a higher sense of wellbeing have been reported. Still it is un-clear which features are needed and which robotic pets would are

[Initial experience in robot-assisted colorectal surgery in Mexico].

Science.gov (United States)

Villanueva-Sáenz, Eduardo; Ramírez-Ramírez, Moisés Marino; Zubieta-O'Farrill, Gregorio; García-Hernández, Luis

Colorectal surgery has advanced notably since the introduction of the mechanical suture and the minimally invasive approach. Robotic surgery began in order to satisfy the needs of the patient-doctor relationship, and migrated to the area of colorectal surgery. An initial report is presented on the experience of managing colorectal disease using robot-assisted surgery, as well as an analysis of the current role of this platform. A retrospective study was conducted in order to review five patients with colorectal disease operated using a robot-assisted technique over one year in the initial phase of the learning curve. Gender, age, diagnosis and surgical indication, surgery performed, surgical time, conversion, bleeding, post-operative complications, and hospital stay, were analysed and described. A literature review was performed on the role of robotic assisted surgery in colorectal disease and cancer. The study included 5 patients, 3 men and 2 women, with a mean age of 62.2 years. Two of them were low anterior resections with colorectal primary anastomoses, one of them extended with a loop protection ileostomy, a Frykman-Goldberg procedure, and two left hemicolectomies with primary anastomoses. The mean operating time was 6hours and robot-assisted 4hours 20minutes. There were no conversions and the mean hospital stay was 5 days. This technology is currently being used worldwide in different surgical centres because of its advantages that have been clinically demonstrated by various studies. We report the first colorectal surgical cases in Mexico, with promising results. There is enough evidence to support and recommend the use of this technology as a viable and safe option. Copyright © 2016 Academia Mexicana de Cirugía A.C. Publicado por Masson Doyma México S.A. All rights reserved.

Robotic assisted radical prostatectomy: a different treatment for prostate cancer?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alexandre Den Julio

2010-09-01

Full Text Available Considering the Health Care System in Brazil, a developing country,and public healthcare policies, robotic surgery is a reality to veryfew citizens. Therefore, robotic assisted radical prostatectomy isfar removed from the daily practice of the vast majority of Brazilianurologists. Scientific evidence of the superiority of robotic assistedradical prostatectomy does not presently justify public investmentsfor widespread development of robotic centers. Maybe over timeand with reductions in costs, robotic technology will become amore established practice, as observed in other countries, and morefeasible for the Brazilian urological community.

Vision-Based Interfaces Applied to Assistive Robots

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Elisa Perez

2013-02-01

Full Text Available This paper presents two vision-based interfaces for disabled people to command a mobile robot for personal assistance. The developed interfaces can be subdivided according to the algorithm of image processing implemented for the detection and tracking of two different body regions. The first interface detects and tracks movements of the user's head, and these movements are transformed into linear and angular velocities in order to command a mobile robot. The second interface detects and tracks movements of the user's hand, and these movements are similarly transformed. In addition, this paper also presents the control laws for the robot. The experimental results demonstrate good performance and balance between complexity and feasibility for real-time applications.

Mina: A Sensorimotor Robotic Orthosis for Mobility Assistance

OpenAIRE

Raj, Anil K.; Neuhaus, Peter D.; Moucheboeuf, Adrien M.; Noorden, Jerryll H.; Lecoutre, David V.

2011-01-01

While most mobility options for persons with paraplegia or paraparesis employ wheeled solutions, significant adverse health, psychological, and social consequences result from wheelchair confinement. Modern robotic exoskeleton devices for gait assistance and rehabilitation, however, can support legged locomotion systems for those with lower extremity weakness or paralysis. The Florida Institute for Human and Machine Cognition (IHMC) has developed the Mina, a prototype sensorimotor robotic ort...

Development of a VR training system of robotic peroral operation procedure for endoscopic surgery of digestive tracts

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Suzuki, Naoki; Hattori, Asaki; Tanoue, Kazuo; Ieiri, Satoshi; Konishi, Kozo; Tomikawa, Morimasa; Kenmotsu, Hajime; Hashizume, Makoto

2010-01-01

This report presents the development of a VR (virtual real) training system of robotic peroral operation procedure for endoscopic resection of gastric mucosa as the training is essential because the procedure differs from usual one hitherto. For VR operation space, used is reporters' sphere-filled organ model (SFM), which is deformed by and repels to, the outside force as a soft tissue rapidly in the real time. The deformation and repellence are computable. The SFM space is reconstructed to 3D of the inner environment of stomach using MRI data. The endoscope has, at the right and left side of its top, 2 arms of inner needle knife-equipped robotic forceps and is inserted perorally for operation. In VR, the forceps can grab the gastric mucosa, cut it with the knife to complete resection and carry the specimen out of the body. For the procedure training, the time required for hemostasis, bleeding volume, trace of the arms, intensity and direction of the outer force given are recorded, with which trainee's safety and degree of skill are evaluable in VR. Hydration step and clipping to close the wound are to be further added in the procedure. (T.T.)

A comparison of microdebrider assisted endoscopic sinus surgery and conventional endoscopic sinus surgery for nasal polypi.

Science.gov (United States)

Singh, Rohit; Hazarika, Produl; Nayak, Dipak Ranjan; Balakrishnan, R; Gangwar, Navneeta; Hazarika, Manali

2013-07-01

Nasal polyposis is often encountered in rhinology practice. Those who fail conservative management, a definitive surgery is essential to achieve sufficient ventilation and drainage of the affected sinuses by using either microdebrider or conventional instruments for functional endoscopic sinus surgery (FESS). A prospective study was conducted on 40 cases of nasal polypi in a tertiary care hospital. 20 cases were operated by conventional endoscopic instruments and 20 using the microdebrider. The study aimed at comparing the intra operative (blood loss, duration of surgery) and post operative results (crusting, scarring, discharge, symptoms, recurrence) between the two groups using Lund-Mackay scoring system and the data was statistically analysed. There was no statistically significant difference in surgical outcome for patients when either conventional endoscopic instruments or microdebrider was used. However, there was a significant symptomatic improvement in cases undergoing microdebrider FESS. Microdebrider assisted polypectomy is precise, relatively bloodless surgery though the precision depends on the surgeon's anatomical knowledge and operative skills. Study substantiates that these instruments are helpful but not a prerequisite for successful outcomes in FESS. The study re-emphasises the utility of the microdebrider to young learning FESS surgeons.

Videocirurgia colorretal com assistência robótica: o próximo passo? Robotic assisted colorrectal surgery

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sergio Eduardo Alonso Araujo

2008-09-01

Full Text Available O desenvolvimento de técnicas minimamente invasivas é um dos mais importantes avanços da cirurgia colorretal. A assistência robótica integra o arsenal de técnicas em cirurgia minimamente invasiva, e vem sendo aplicado em cirurgia colorretal por um restrito grupo de cirurgiões em alguns centros ao redor do mundo com resultados iniciais que merecem atenção. O objetivo do presente estudo é analisar os resultados do emprego da assistência robótica em videocirurgia colorretal. Dentre as vantagens associadas ao emprego de robôs em videocirurgia colorretal, figuram o incremento na precisão dos movimentos e a visão tridimensional. A experiência clínica é ainda pequena, e advém de uma série de casos e estudos comparativos com a videocirurgia colorretal sem assistência robótica com ainda pequeno número de casos. A dissecção pélvica com incremento da preservação autonômica parece ser a maior vantagem associada à assistência robótica em videocirurgia colorretal. Somente através do treinamento de um número mais representativo de cirurgiões colorretais, bem como com a expansão da experiência clínica será possível prever com maior precisão o papel da assistência robótica em videocirurgia colorretal.The development of minimally invasive surgical techniques represents an important aspect of modern surgical research. Robot-assisted minimally invasive colorectal surgery represents a way of assisting laparoscopic colorectal procedures. Robotic technology overcomes some of these limitations by successfully providing intuitive motion and enhanced precision and accuracy, in an environment that is much more ergonomic. A restrict number of surgeons in specialized centers around the world have been applying robotics. In this review, current evidence about different technologies and its place in colorectal surgery is evaluated. The feasibility of performing robot-assisted colorectal operations has been demonstrated though case

Effect of Regional Hospital Competition and Hospital Financial Status on the Use of Robotic-Assisted Surgery.

Science.gov (United States)

Wright, Jason D; Tergas, Ana I; Hou, June Y; Burke, William M; Chen, Ling; Hu, Jim C; Neugut, Alfred I; Ananth, Cande V; Hershman, Dawn L

2016-07-01

Despite the lack of efficacy data, robotic-assisted surgery has diffused rapidly into practice. Marketing to physicians, hospitals, and patients has been widespread, but how this marketing has contributed to the diffusion of the technology remains unknown. To examine the effect of regional hospital competition and hospital financial status on the use of robotic-assisted surgery for 5 commonly performed procedures. A cohort study of 221 637 patients who underwent radical prostatectomy, total nephrectomy, partial nephrectomy, hysterectomy, or oophorectomy at 1370 hospitals in the United States from January 1, 2010, to December 31, 2011, was conducted. The association between hospital competition, hospital financial status, and performance of robotic-assisted surgery was examined. The association between hospital competition was measured with the Herfindahl-Hirschman Index (HHI), hospital financial status was estimated as operating margin, and performance of robotic-assisted surgery was examined using multivariate mixed-effects regression models. We identified 221 637 patients who underwent one of the procedures of interest. The cohort included 30 345 patients who underwent radical prostatectomy; 20 802, total nephrectomy; 8060, partial nephrectomy; 134 985, hysterectomy; and 27 445, oophorectomy. Robotic-assisted operations were performed for 20 500 (67.6%) radical prostatectomies, 1405 (6.8%) total nephrectomies, 2759 (34.2%) partial nephrectomies, 14 047 (10.4%) hysterectomies, and 1782 (6.5%) oophorectomies. Use of robotic-assisted surgery increased for each procedure from January 2010 through December 2011. For all 5 operations, increased market competition (as measured by the HHI) was associated with increased use of robotic-assisted surgery. For prostatectomy, the risk ratios (95% CIs) for undergoing a robotic-assisted procedure were 2.20 (1.50-3.24) at hospitals in moderately competitive markets and 2.64 (1.84-3.78) for highly competitive markets

ROBOT-ASSISTED LAPAROSCOPIC PROSTATECTOMY: OUR EXPERIENCE

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S. N. Nesterov

2014-08-01

Full Text Available Background. Retropubic radical prostatectomy (RPE is now the gold standard of treatment for locally advanced prostate cancer (PC. However, robot-assisted RPE procedures using the da Vinci system are finding increasing acceptance.Materials and methods. The authors conducted a prospective study of 60 robot-assisted prostatectomies made at the Clinic of Urology, N.I. Pirogov National Medical Surgical Center, in the period January 2009 to December 2010.Results. The duration of an operation averaged 230 min; the average amount of blood loss was 200 ml. The mean duration of postoperative analgesia was 2,7 days. That of urinary catheterization was 8.5 days. A normal postoperative course was noted in most cases (88,4 %. Seven patients were found to have 8 (13,3 % mild and moderate complications. A pathohistological study revealed a positive surgical margin of resection in 21,7 % of the patients, extracapsular tumor growth in 21,7 %, and seminal vesicle invasion in 23,3 %. Tumor-affected regional lymph nodes were detected in 1 (1,7 % patient. In our observed series, 82 and 93 % of the subjects completely retained urine after 6 and 12 moths, respectively. Throughout the follow-up, erectile function recovered in 7 of the 15 patients undergoing a nerve-sparing surgical procedure.Conclusion. Postoperative results in our series of interventions are comparable to those obtained in the studies by Russian and foreign colleagues at the early stage of mastering this procedure. By considering a few observations, it is today difficult to say that our study is valid in the context of evidence-based medicine. Estimation of the benefits of robot-assisted laparoscopic prostatectomy calls for long-term multicenter randomized trials.

Robotic Assistance for Training Finger Movement Using a Hebbian Model: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Science.gov (United States)

Rowe, Justin B; Chan, Vicky; Ingemanson, Morgan L; Cramer, Steven C; Wolbrecht, Eric T; Reinkensmeyer, David J

2017-08-01

Robots that physically assist movement are increasingly used in rehabilitation therapy after stroke, yet some studies suggest robotic assistance discourages effort and reduces motor learning. To determine the therapeutic effects of high and low levels of robotic assistance during finger training. We designed a protocol that varied the amount of robotic assistance while controlling the number, amplitude, and exerted effort of training movements. Participants (n = 30) with a chronic stroke and moderate hemiparesis (average Box and Blocks Test 32 ± 18 and upper extremity Fugl-Meyer score 46 ± 12) actively moved their index and middle fingers to targets to play a musical game similar to GuitarHero 3 h/wk for 3 weeks. The participants were randomized to receive high assistance (causing 82% success at hitting targets) or low assistance (55% success). Participants performed ~8000 movements during 9 training sessions. Both groups improved significantly at the 1-month follow-up on functional and impairment-based motor outcomes, on depression scores, and on self-efficacy of hand function, with no difference between groups in the primary endpoint (change in Box and Blocks). High assistance boosted motivation, as well as secondary motor outcomes (Fugl-Meyer and Lateral Pinch Strength)-particularly for individuals with more severe finger motor deficits. Individuals with impaired finger proprioception at baseline benefited less from the training. Robot-assisted training can promote key psychological outcomes known to modulate motor learning and retention. Furthermore, the therapeutic effectiveness of robotic assistance appears to derive at least in part from proprioceptive stimulation, consistent with a Hebbian plasticity model.

Evaluation of short- and long-term complications after endoscopically assisted gastropexy in dogs.

Science.gov (United States)

Dujowich, Mauricio; Keller, Mattew E; Reimer, S Brent

2010-01-15

To determine short- and long-term complications in clinically normal dogs after endoscopically assisted gastropexy. Prospective case series. 24 dogs. Endoscopically assisted gastropexy was performed on each dog. Dogs were evaluated laparoscopically at 1 or 6 months after surgery to assess integrity of the gastropexy. Long-term outcome was determined via telephone conversations conducted with owners > or = 1 year after surgery. Mean +/- SD gastropexy length was 4.5 +/- 0.9 cm, and mean duration of surgery was 22 +/- 5 minutes. One dog had a partially rotated stomach at the time of insufflation, which was corrected by untwisting the stomach with Babcock forceps. Two dogs vomited within 4 weeks after surgery, but the vomiting resolved in both dogs. Four dogs had diarrhea within 4 weeks after surgery, which resolved without medical intervention. In all dogs, the gastropexy site was firmly adhered to the abdominal wall at the level of the pyloric antrum. Long-term follow-up information was available for 23 dogs, none of which had any episodes of gastric dilatation-volvulus a mean of 1.4 years after gastropexy. Endoscopically assisted gastropexy can be a simple, fast, safe, and reliable method for performing prophylactic gastropexy in dogs. At 1 and 6 months after gastropexy, adequate placement and adhesion of the gastropexy site to the body wall was confirmed. Such a procedure could maximize the benefits of minimally invasive surgery, such as decreases in morbidity rate and anesthetic time. This technique appeared to be suitable as an alternative to laparoscopic-assisted gastropexy.

Robot-Assisted Free Flap in Head and Neck Reconstruction

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Han Gyeol Song

2013-07-01

Full Text Available Background  Robots have allowed head and neck surgeons to extirpate oropharyngealtumors safely without the need for lip-split incision or mandibulotomy. Using robots inoropharyngealreconstruction is newbut essentialfor oropharyngeal defectsthatresultfromrobotic tumor excision. We report our experience with robotic free-flap reconstruction ofhead and neck defectsto exemplify the necessity forrobotic reconstruction.Methods  We investigated head and neck cancer patients who underwent ablation surgeryand free-flap reconstruction by robot. Between July 1, 2011 andMarch 31, 2012, 5 caseswereperformed and patient demographics, location of tumor, pathologic stage, reconstructionmethods, flap size, recipient vessel, necessary pedicle length, and operation time wereinvestigated.Results  Among five free-flap reconstructions, four were radial forearm free flaps and onewas an anterolateral thigh free-flap. Four flaps used the superior thyroid artery and oneflap used a facial artery as the recipient vessel. The average pedicle length was 8.8 cm. Flapinsetting and microanastomosis were achieved using a specially manufactured roboticinstrument. The total operation timewas 1,041.0 minutes(range, 814 to 1,132 minutes, andcomplicationsincluding flap necrosis, hematoma, andwound dehiscence did not occur.Conclusions  Thisstudy demonstratesthe clinically applicable use ofrobotsin oropharyngealreconstruction, especially using a free flap. A robot can assist the operator in insettingthe flap at a deep portion of the oropharynx without the need to perform a traditionalmandibulotomy. Robot-assisted reconstruction may substitute for existing surgical methodsand is accepted asthemost up-to-datemethod.

Computational surgery and dual training computing, robotics and imaging

CERN Document Server

Bass, Barbara; Berceli, Scott; Collet, Christophe; Cerveri, Pietro

2014-01-01

This critical volume focuses on the use of medical imaging, medical robotics, simulation, and information technology in surgery. It offers a road map for computational surgery success,  discusses the computer-assisted management of disease and surgery, and provides a rational for image processing and diagnostic. This book also presents some advances on image-driven intervention and robotics, as well as evaluates models and simulations for a broad spectrum of cancers as well as cardiovascular, neurological, and bone diseases. Training and performance analysis in surgery assisted by robotic systems is also covered. This book also: ·         Provides a comprehensive overview of the use of computational surgery and disease management ·         Discusses the design and use of medical robotic tools for orthopedic surgery, endoscopic surgery, and prostate surgery ·         Provides practical examples and case studies in the areas of image processing, virtual surgery, and simulation traini...

Robots to assist daily activities: views of older adults with Alzheimer's disease and their caregivers.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Rosalie H; Sudhama, Aishwarya; Begum, Momotaz; Huq, Rajibul; Mihailidis, Alex

2017-01-01

Robots have the potential to both enable older adults with dementia to perform daily activities with greater independence, and provide support to caregivers. This study explored perspectives of older adults with Alzheimer's disease (AD) and their caregivers on robots that provide stepwise prompting to complete activities in the home. Ten dyads participated: Older adults with mild-to-moderate AD and difficulty completing activity steps, and their family caregivers. Older adults were prompted by a tele-operated robot to wash their hands in the bathroom and make a cup of tea in the kitchen. Caregivers observed interactions. Semi-structured interviews were conducted individually. Transcribed interviews were thematically analyzed. Three themes summarized responses to robot interactions: contemplating a future with assistive robots, considering opportunities with assistive robots, and reflecting on implications for social relationships. Older adults expressed opportunities for robots to help in daily activities, were open to the idea of robotic assistance, but did not want a robot. Caregivers identified numerous opportunities and were more open to robots. Several wanted a robot, if available. Positive consequences of robots in caregiving scenarios could include decreased frustration, stress, and relationship strain, and increased social interaction via the robot. A negative consequence could be decreased interaction with caregivers. Few studies have investigated in-depth perspectives of older adults with dementia and their caregivers following direct interaction with an assistive prompting robot. To fulfill the potential of robots, continued dialogue between users and developers, and consideration of robot design and caregiving relationship factors are necessary.

Robot-Assisted Laparoscopic Management of Caliceal Diverticular Calculi

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anneleen Verbrugghe

2017-07-01

Full Text Available Standard treatment modalities of caliceal diverticular calculi range from extracorporal shockwave lithotripsy (SWL over retrograde intrarenal surgery (RIRS, percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PNL and laparoscopic stone removal. A 55-year-old woman presented with a history of pyelonephritis based on a caliceal diverticular calculus. Due to the narrow infundibulum and anterior location, a robot-assisted laparoscopic calicotomy with extraction of the calculi and fulguration of the diverticulum was performed, with no specific perioperative problems and good stone-free results. This article shows technical feasibility with minimal morbidity of robot-assisted laparoscopic stone removal and obliteration of a caliceal diverticulum.

Robotic Y-V Plasty for Recalcitrant Bladder Neck Contracture.

Science.gov (United States)

Granieri, Michael A; Weinberg, Aaron C; Sun, Jeffrey Y; Stifleman, Michael; Zhao, Lee

2018-07-01

To demonstrate the technique and the outcomes of robot assisted Y-V plasty bladder neck reconstruction (RYVBNR). We present our technique for treatment of recalcitrant bladder neck contracture (BNC) in 7 patients who underwent RYVBNR at our institution between March 2016 and September 2017. Indication for the procedure was incomplete emptying, recurrent urinary tract infections, and dysuria. On follow-up, patients were assessed for clinical success by absence of infections, symptoms, and cystoscopic evaluation. Robotic assisted dissection is performed to open the space of Retzius and mobilize the bladder. The cystoscope is passed to the level of the BNC, and Firefly technology is used to localize the BNC. The BNC is incised anteriorly, and a V-shaped bladder flap is advanced into the BNC in a Y-V plasty fashion. We place a perioperative closed suction drain, which is removed before discharge, and a 22 Fr catheter, which that will be removed in the office at approximately 2 weeks. Six men developed recalcitrant BNCs and 1 developed a recalcitrant vesicourethral anastomotic stenosis. All patients had previously undergone an endoscopic procedure. Median time for last attempt at endoscopic management to robot-assisted bladder neck repair was 4.7 months. The average number of prior attempts at endoscopic management was 2. All patients underwent RYVBNR without conversion to open surgery. The median operative time was 240 minutes, estimated blood loss was 67 mL, and length of stay was 1 day. There were no intraoperative complications. Catheters were removed in the office at a median time of 15 days. At a median follow-up of 8 months, all cases were successful with no evidence of recurrence. Only 2 patients had persistent urinary incontinence at 1 pad per day. RYVBNR with a Y-V plasty is a feasible and effective technique for managing a difficult reconstructive problem. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Predicting Functional Recovery in Chronic Stroke Rehabilitation Using Event-Related Desynchronization-Synchronization during Robot-Assisted Movement

Science.gov (United States)

Gramigna, Cristina; Franceschetti, Silvana

2016-01-01

Although rehabilitation robotics seems to be a promising therapy in the rehabilitation of the upper limb in stroke patients, consensus is still lacking on its additive effects. Therefore, there is a need for determining the possible success of robotic interventions on selected patients, which in turn determine the necessity for new investigating instruments supporting the treatment decision-making process and customization. The objective of the work presented in this preliminary study was to verify that fully robot assistance would not affect the physiological oscillatory cortical activity related to a functional movement in healthy subjects. Further, the clinical results following the robotic treatment of a chronic stroke patient, who positively reacted to the robotic intervention, were analyzed and discussed. First results show that there is no difference in EEG activation pattern between assisted and no-assisted movement in healthy subjects. Even more importantly, the patient's pretreatment EEG activation pattern in no-assisted movement was completely altered, while it recovered to a quasi-physiological one in robot-assisted movement. The functional improvement following treatment was large. Using pretreatment EEG recording during robot-assisted movement might be a valid approach to assess the potential ability of the patient for recovering. PMID:27057546

Application of da Vinci surgical robotic system in hepatobiliary surgery

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chen Jiahai

2018-01-01

Full Text Available The development of minimally invasive surgery has brought a revolutionary change to surgery techniques, and endoscopic surgical robots, especially Da Vinci robotic surgical system, has further broaden the scope of minimally invasive surgery, which has been applied in a variety of surgical fields including hepatobiliary surgery. Today, the application of Da Vinci surgical robot can cover most of the operations in hepatobiliary surgery which has proved to be safe and practical. What’s more, many clinical studies in recent years have showed that Da Vinci surgical system is superior to traditional laparoscopy. This paper summarize the advantage and disadvantage of Da Vinci surgical system, and outlines the current status of and future perspectives on the robot-assisted hepatobiliary surgery based on the cases reports in recent years of the application of Da Vinci surgical robot.

Hand-assisted hybrid laparoscopic-robotic total proctocolectomy with ileal pouch--anal anastomosis.

Science.gov (United States)

Morelli, Luca; Guadagni, Simone; Mariniello, Maria Donatella; Furbetta, Niccolò; Pisano, Roberta; D'Isidoro, Cristiano; Caprili, Giovanni; Marciano, Emanuele; Di Candio, Giulio; Boggi, Ugo; Mosca, Franco

2015-08-01

Few studies have reported minimally invasive total proctocolectomy with ileal pouch-anal anastomosis (IPAA) for ulcerative colitis (UC) and familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP). We herein report a novel hand-assisted hybrid laparoscopic-robotic technique for patients with FAP and UC. Between February 2010 and March 2014, six patients underwent hand-assisted hybrid laparoscopic-robotic total proctocolectomy with IPAA. The abdominal colectomy was performed laparoscopically with hand assistance through a transverse suprapubic incision, also used to fashion the ileal pouch. The proctectomy was carried out with the da Vinci Surgical System. The IPAA was hand-sewn through a trans-anal approach. The procedure was complemented by a temporary diverting loop ileostomy. The mean hand-assisted laparoscopic surgery (HALS) time was 154.6 (±12.8) min whereas the mean robotic time was 93.6 (±8.1) min. In all cases, a nerve-sparing proctectomy was performed, and no conversion to traditional laparotomy was required. The mean postoperative hospital stay was 13.2 (±7.4) days. No anastomotic leakage was observed. To date, no autonomic neurological disorders have been observed with a mean of 5.8 (±1.3) bowel movements per day. The hand-assisted hybrid laparoscopic-robotic approach to total proctocolectomy with IPAA has not been previously described. Our report shows the feasibility of this hybrid approach, which surpasses most of the limitations of pure laparoscopic and robotic techniques. Further experience is necessary to refine the technique and fully assess its potential advantages.

Robot-assisted laparoscopic pyeloplasty: minimum 1-year follow-up

Science.gov (United States)

Patel, Vipul; Thaly, Rahul; Shah, Ketul

2007-02-01

Objectives: To evaluate the feasibility and efficacy of robotic-assisted laparoscopic pyeloplasty. Laparoscopic pyeloplasty has been shown to have a success rate comparable to that of the open surgical approach. However, the steep learning curve has hindered its acceptance into mainstream urologic practice. The introduction of robotic assistance provides advantages that have the potential to facilitate precise dissection and intracorporeal suturing. Methods: A total of 50 patients underwent robotic-assisted laparoscopic dismembered pyeloplasty. A four-trocar technique was used. Most patients were discharged home on day 1, with stent removal at 3 weeks. Patency of the ureteropelvic junction was assessed in all patients with mercaptotriglycylglycine Lasix renograms at 1, 3, 6, 9, and 12 months, then every 6 months for 1 year, and then yearly. Results: Each patient underwent a successful procedure without open conversion or transfusion. The average estimated blood loss was 40 ml. The operative time averaged 122 minutes (range 60 to 330) overall. Crossing vessels were present in 30% of the patients and were preserved in all cases. The time for the anastomosis averaged 20 minutes (range 10 to 100). Intraoperatively, no complications occurred. Postoperatively, the average hospital stay was 1.1 days. The stents were removed at an average of 20 days (range 14 to 28) postoperatively. The average follow-up was 11.7 months; at the last follow-up visit, each patient was doing well. Of the 50 patients, 48 underwent one or more renograms, demonstrating stable renal function, improved drainage, and no evidence of recurrent obstruction. Conclusions: Robotic-assisted laparoscopic pyeloplasty is a feasible technique for ureteropelvic junction reconstruction. The procedure provides a minimally invasive alternative with good short-term results.

Optimized Assistive Human-Robot Interaction Using Reinforcement Learning.

Science.gov (United States)

Modares, Hamidreza; Ranatunga, Isura; Lewis, Frank L; Popa, Dan O

2016-03-01

An intelligent human-robot interaction (HRI) system with adjustable robot behavior is presented. The proposed HRI system assists the human operator to perform a given task with minimum workload demands and optimizes the overall human-robot system performance. Motivated by human factor studies, the presented control structure consists of two control loops. First, a robot-specific neuro-adaptive controller is designed in the inner loop to make the unknown nonlinear robot behave like a prescribed robot impedance model as perceived by a human operator. In contrast to existing neural network and adaptive impedance-based control methods, no information of the task performance or the prescribed robot impedance model parameters is required in the inner loop. Then, a task-specific outer-loop controller is designed to find the optimal parameters of the prescribed robot impedance model to adjust the robot's dynamics to the operator skills and minimize the tracking error. The outer loop includes the human operator, the robot, and the task performance details. The problem of finding the optimal parameters of the prescribed robot impedance model is transformed into a linear quadratic regulator (LQR) problem which minimizes the human effort and optimizes the closed-loop behavior of the HRI system for a given task. To obviate the requirement of the knowledge of the human model, integral reinforcement learning is used to solve the given LQR problem. Simulation results on an x - y table and a robot arm, and experimental implementation results on a PR2 robot confirm the suitability of the proposed method.

Endoscope-assisted conservative condylectomy combined with orthognathic surgery in the treatment of mandibular condylar osteochondroma.

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Yu, Hongbo; Jiao, Feifei; Li, Biao; Zhang, Lei; Shen, Steve Guofang; Wang, Xudong

2014-07-01

Mandibular condylar osteochondroma (OC) results in asymmetric prognathism with facial morphologic and functional disturbance. The aim of this study was to explore the feasibility of endoscope-assisted conservative condylectomy combined with simultaneous orthognathic surgery in the treatment of condylar OC. Thirteen patients with OC of the mandibular condyle were enrolled in this study. With the aid of endoscope, condylar OC resection and conservative condylectomy were carried out via intraoral approach. A direct vision of the magnified and illuminated operative field was realized. Simultaneous orthognathic surgery was used to correct facial asymmetry and malocclusion. All patients healed uneventfully. No facial nerve injury and salivary fistula occurred. Facial symmetry and morphology were greatly improved, and stable occlusion was obtained in all cases. The patients showed no signs of recurrence and temporomandibular joint ankylosis in the 16 to 54 months of follow-up. Endoscope-assisted tumor resection and condylectomy combined with simultaneous orthognathic surgery provide us a valuable option in the treatment of mandibular condylar OC.

An Informationally Structured Room for Robotic Assistance

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Tokuo Tsuji

2015-04-01

Full Text Available The application of assistive technologies for elderly people is one of the most promising and interesting scenarios for intelligent technologies in the present and near future. Moreover, the improvement of the quality of life for the elderly is one of the first priorities in modern countries and societies. In this work, we present an informationally structured room that is aimed at supporting the daily life activities of elderly people. This room integrates different sensor modalities in a natural and non-invasive way inside the environment. The information gathered by the sensors is processed and sent to a centralized management system, which makes it available to a service robot assisting the people. One important restriction of our intelligent room is reducing as much as possible any interference with daily activities. Finally, this paper presents several experiments and situations using our intelligent environment in cooperation with our service robot.

Percutaneous Sacroiliac Screw Placement: A Prospective Randomized Comparison of Robot-assisted Navigation Procedures with a Conventional Technique

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Jun-Qiang Wang

2017-01-01

Conclusions: Accuracy of the robot-assisted technique was superior to that of the freehand technique. Robot-assisted navigation is safe for unstable posterior pelvic ring stabilization, especially in S1, but also in S2. SI screw insertion with robot-assisted navigation is clinically feasible.

Minimally invasive endoscope-assisted trans-oral excision of huge parapharyngeal space tumors.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Shang-Yi; Hsu, Ching-Hui; Chen, Mu-Kuan

2015-04-01

Parapharyngeal space tumors are rare head and neck neoplasms, and most are benign lesions. Complete excision of these tumors is difficult because of the complexity of the surrounding anatomic structures. The algorithm for excision of these tumors is typically based on the tumor's characteristics; excision is performed via approaches such as the trans-oral route, the trans-cervical route, and even a combination of the trans-parotid route and mandibulotomy. However, each of these approaches is associated with some complications. Endoscope-assisted minimally invasive surgery is being increasingly employed for surgeries in the head and neck regions. It has the advantage of leaving no facial scars, and ensures better patient comfort after the operation. Here, we report the use of endoscope-assisted trans-oral surgery for excision of parapharyngeal space tumors. The technique yields an excellent outcome and should be a feasible, safe, and economic method for these patients. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Laparoscopic robot-assisted pancreas transplantation: first world experience.

Science.gov (United States)

Boggi, Ugo; Signori, Stefano; Vistoli, Fabio; D'Imporzano, Simone; Amorese, Gabriella; Consani, Giovanni; Guarracino, Fabio; Marchetti, Piero; Focosi, Daniele; Mosca, Franco

2012-01-27

Surgical complications are a major disincentive to pancreas transplantation, despite the undisputed benefits of restored insulin independence. The da Vinci surgical system, a computer-assisted electromechanical device, provides the unique opportunity to test whether laparoscopy can reduce the morbidity of pancreas transplantation. Pancreas transplantation was performed by robot-assisted laparoscopy in three patients. The first patient received a pancreas after kidney transplant, the second a simultaneous pancreas kidney transplantation, and the third a pancreas transplant alone. Operations were carried out through an 11-mm optic port, two 8-mm operative ports, and a 7-cm midline incision. The latter was used to introduce the grafts, enable vascular cross-clamping, and create exocrine drainage into the jejunum. The two solitary pancreas transplants required an operating time of 3 and 5 hr, respectively; the simultaneous pancreas kidney transplantation took 8 hr. Mean warm ischemia time of the pancreas graft was 34 min. All pancreatic transplants functioned immediately, and all recipients became insulin independent. The kidney graft, revascularized after 35 min of warm ischemia, also functioned immediately. No patient had complications during or after surgery. At the longer follow-up of 10, 8, and 6 months, respectively, all recipients are alive with normal graft function. We have shown the feasibility of laparoscopic robot-assisted solitary pancreas and simultaneous pancreas and kidney transplantation. If the safety and feasibility of this procedure can be confirmed by larger series, laparoscopic robot-assisted pancreas transplantation could become a new option for diabetic patients needing beta-cell replacement.

Robot-assisted gastroesophageal surgery: usefulness and limitations.

Science.gov (United States)

Diez Del Val, Ismael; Martinez Blazquez, Cándido; Loureiro Gonzalez, Carlos; Vitores Lopez, Jose Maria; Sierra Esteban, Valentin; Barrenetxea Asua, Julen; Del Hoyo Aretxabala, Izaskun; Perez de Villarreal, Patricia; Bilbao Axpe, Jose Esteban; Mendez Martin, Jaime Jesus

2014-06-01

Robot-assisted surgery overcomes some of the limitations of traditional laparoscopic surgery. We present our experience and lessons learned in two surgical units dedicated to gastro-esophageal surgery. From June 2009 to January 2013, we performed 130 robot-assisted gastroesophageal procedures, including Nissen fundoplication (29), paraesophageal hernia repair (18), redo for failed antireflux surgery (11), esophagectomy (19), subtotal (5) or wedge (4) gastrectomy, Heller myotomy for achalasia (22), gastric bypass for morbid obesity (12), thoracoscopic leiomyomectomy (4), Morgagni hernia repair (3), lower-third esophageal diverticulectomy (1) and two diagnostic procedures. There were 80 men and 50 women with a median age of 54 years (interquartile range: 46-65). Ten patients (7.7 %) had severe postoperative complications: eight after esophagectomy (three leaks-two cervical and one thoracic-managed conservatively), one stapler failure, one chylothorax, one case of gastric migration to the thorax, one case of biliary peritonitis, and one patient with a transient ventricular dyskinesia. One redo procedure needed reoperation because of port-site bleeding, and one patient died of pulmonary complications after a giant paraesophageal hernia repair; 30-day mortality was, therefore, 0.8 %. There were six elective and one forced conversions (hemorrhage), so total conversion was 5.4 %. Median length of stay was 4 days (IQ range 3-7). Robot-assisted gastroesophageal surgery is feasible and safe, and may be applied to most common procedures. It seems of particular value for Heller myotomy, large paraesophageal hernias, redo antireflux surgery, transhiatal dissection, and hand-sewn intrathoracic anastomosis.

Caregiver and social assistant robot for rehabilitation and coaching for the elderly.

Science.gov (United States)

Pérez, P J; Garcia-Zapirain, B; Mendez-Zorrilla, A

2015-01-01

Socially assistive robotics (SAR) has been a major field of investigation during the last decade and, as it develops, the groups the technology can be applied to and all ways in which these can be assisted are rapidly increasing. The main objective is to design and develop a complete robotic agent, so that it performs physical and mental activities for elderly people to maintain their healthy life habits and, as a final result, improve their quality of life. LEGO Mindstorms NXT® robot's unique capacity for adaptability and engaging its users to develop coaching activities and assistive rehabilitation for the elderly. Such activities will aim to enhance healthy habits and provide training in physical and mental rehabilitation. The robot is attached to an iPod Touch that acts as its interface. The robot has been tested by a voluntary group of residents, also from that retirement home. Results in the variables of the questionnaire show scores above 4 points out of 5 for all the categories. Based on the tests, an easy to use Robot is prepared to deliver basic coaching for physical activities as proposed by the client, the staff of La Misericordia, who confirmed their satisfaction regarding this aspect.

Two years of experience with robot-assisted anti-reflux surgery

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sanberg Jensen, Jonas; Kold Antonsen, Henning; Durup, Jesper

2017-01-01

Background and aims Robot-assisted anti-reflux surgery (RAAS) is an alternative to conventional laparoscopic anti-reflux surgery (CLAS). The purpose of this study was to evaluate initial Danish experiences with robot-assisted anti-reflux surgery compared to conventional laparoscopic anti-reflux...... significantly dependent on type of fundic wrap with reoperation of Nissen fundoplication being dysphagia and reoperation of Toupet being recurrent reflux (p = 0.008). There was no clearly determined learning curve. Conclusions RAAS was safe, feasible and with equal efficacy to CLAS. There were however...

Evaluation of robotically controlled advanced endoscopic instruments

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Reilink, Rob; Kappers, Astrid M.L.; Stramigioli, Stefano; Misra, Sarthak

Background Advanced flexible endoscopes and instruments with multiple degrees of freedom enable physicians to perform challenging procedures such as the removal of large sections of mucosal tissue. However, these advanced endoscopes are difficult to control and require several physicians to

Development of the robot system to assist CT-guided brain surgery

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Koyama, H.; Funakubo, H.; Komeda, T.; Uchida, T.; Takakura, K.

1999-01-01

The robot technology was introduced into the stereotactic neurosurgery for application to biopsy, blind surgery, and functional neurosurgery. The authors have developed a newly designed the robot system to assist CT-guided brain surgery, designed to allow a biopsy needle to reach the targget such as a cerebral tumor within a brain automatically on the basis of the X,Y, and Z coordinates obtained by CT scanner. In this paper we describe construction of the robot, the control of the robot by CT image, robot simulation, and investigated a phantom experiment using CT image. (author)

Predicting Functional Recovery in Chronic Stroke Rehabilitation Using Event-Related Desynchronization-Synchronization during Robot-Assisted Movement

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marco Caimmi

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Although rehabilitation robotics seems to be a promising therapy in the rehabilitation of the upper limb in stroke patients, consensus is still lacking on its additive effects. Therefore, there is a need for determining the possible success of robotic interventions on selected patients, which in turn determine the necessity for new investigating instruments supporting the treatment decision-making process and customization. The objective of the work presented in this preliminary study was to verify that fully robot assistance would not affect the physiological oscillatory cortical activity related to a functional movement in healthy subjects. Further, the clinical results following the robotic treatment of a chronic stroke patient, who positively reacted to the robotic intervention, were analyzed and discussed. First results show that there is no difference in EEG activation pattern between assisted and no-assisted movement in healthy subjects. Even more importantly, the patient’s pretreatment EEG activation pattern in no-assisted movement was completely altered, while it recovered to a quasi-physiological one in robot-assisted movement. The functional improvement following treatment was large. Using pretreatment EEG recording during robot-assisted movement might be a valid approach to assess the potential ability of the patient for recovering.

Investigating the Effects of Robot-Assisted Therapy among Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder using Bio-markers

Science.gov (United States)

Bharatharaj, Jaishankar; Huang, Loulin; Al-Jumaily, Ahmed; Elara, Mohan Rajesh; Krägeloh, Chris

2017-09-01

Therapeutic pet robots designed to help humans with various medical conditions could play a vital role in physiological, psychological and social-interaction interventions for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). In this paper, we report our findings from a robot-assisted therapeutic study conducted over seven weeks to investigate the changes in stress levels of children with ASD. For this study, we used the parrot-inspired therapeutic robot, KiliRo, we developed and investigated urinary and salivary samples of participating children to report changes in stress levels before and after interacting with the robot. This is a pioneering human-robot interaction study to investigate the effects of robot-assisted therapy using salivary samples. The results show that the bio-inspired robot-assisted therapy can significantly help reduce the stress levels of children with ASD.

Robotic-assisted laparoscopic surgery: recent advances in urology.

Science.gov (United States)

Autorino, Riccardo; Zargar, Homayoun; Kaouk, Jihad H

2014-10-01

The aim of the present review is to summarize recent developments in the field of urologic robotic surgery. A nonsystematic literature review was performed to retrieve publications related to robotic surgery in urology and evidence-based critical analysis was conducted by focusing on the literature of the past 5 years. The use of the da Vinci Surgical System, a robotic surgical system, has been implemented for the entire spectrum of extirpative and reconstructive laparoscopic kidney procedures. The robotic approach can be applied for a range of adrenal indications as well as for ureteral diseases, including benign and malignant conditions affecting the proximal, mid, and distal ureter. Current evidence suggests that robotic prostatectomy is associated with less blood loss compared with the open surgery. Besides prostate cancer, robotics has been used for simple prostatectomy in patients with symptomatic benign prostatic hyperplasia. Recent studies suggest that minimally invasive radical cystectomy provides encouraging oncologic outcomes mirroring those reported for open surgery. In recent years, the evolution of robotic surgery has enabled urologic surgeons to perform urinary diversions intracorporeally. Robotic vasectomy reversal and several other robotic andrological applications are being explored. In summary, robotic-assisted surgery is an emerging and safe technology for most urologic operations. The acceptance of robotic prostatectomy during the past decade has paved the way for urologists to explore the entire spectrum of extirpative and reconstructive urologic procedures. Cost remains a significant issue that could be solved by wider dissemination of the technology. Copyright © 2014 American Society for Reproductive Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Interacting with and via mobile devices and mobile robots in an assisted living setting

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Maria Dagioglou

2015-05-01

Full Text Available Using robotic home assistants as a platform for remote health monitoring offers several advantages, but also presents considerable challenges related to both the technical immaturity of home robotics and to user acceptance issues. In this paper we explore tablets and similar mobile devices as the medium of communication between robots and their users, presenting relevant current and planned research in humanrobot interaction that can help the telehealth community circumvent technical shortcomings, improve user acceptance, and maximize the quality of the data collected by robotic home assistants.

Acceptance of an assistive robot in older adults: a mixed-method study of human–robot interaction over a 1-month period in the Living Lab setting

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wu YH

2014-05-01

Full Text Available Ya-Huei Wu,1,2 Jérémy Wrobel,1,2 Mélanie Cornuet,1,2 Hélène Kerhervé,1,2 Souad Damnée,1,2 Anne-Sophie Rigaud1,21Hôpital Broca, Assistance Publique – Hôpitaux de Paris, 2Research Team 4468, Faculté de Médecine, Université Paris Descartes, Paris, FranceBackground: There is growing interest in investigating acceptance of robots, which are increasingly being proposed as one form of assistive technology to support older adults, maintain their independence, and enhance their well-being. In the present study, we aimed to observe robot-acceptance in older adults, particularly subsequent to a 1-month direct experience with a robot.Subjects and methods: Six older adults with mild cognitive impairment (MCI and five cognitively intact healthy (CIH older adults were recruited. Participants interacted with an assistive robot in the Living Lab once a week for 4 weeks. After being shown how to use the robot, participants performed tasks to simulate robot use in everyday life. Mixed methods, comprising a robot-acceptance questionnaire, semistructured interviews, usability-performance measures, and a focus group, were used.Results: Both CIH and MCI subjects were able to learn how to use the robot. However, MCI subjects needed more time to perform tasks after a 1-week period of not using the robot. Both groups rated similarly on the robot-acceptance questionnaire. They showed low intention to use the robot, as well as negative attitudes toward and negative images of this device. They did not perceive it as useful in their daily life. However, they found it easy to use, amusing, and not threatening. In addition, social influence was perceived as powerful on robot adoption. Direct experience with the robot did not change the way the participants rated robots in their acceptance questionnaire. We identified several barriers to robot-acceptance, including older adults’ uneasiness with technology, feeling of stigmatization, and ethical

Endoscopic vacuum-assisted closure of anastomotic leakage following anterior resection of the rectum: a new method.

Science.gov (United States)

Weidenhagen, Rolf; Gruetzner, Klaus Uwe; Wiecken, Timm; Spelsberg, Fritz; Jauch, Karl-Walter

2008-08-01

Conservative treatment of anastomotic leakage after anterior resection of the rectum seems to be possible in patients who have no occurrence of generalized peritonitis. This report describes a new method of endoscopic management of large anastomotic leakage in these patients. The main feature of this new method is the endoscopically assisted placement of an open-cell sponge connected to a vacuum device into the abscess cavity via an introducer device. The sponge system is changed every 48-72 h. Twenty-nine patients with an anastomotic leakage after anterior resection were treated with the endoscopic vacuum therapy. The total duration of endovac therapy was 34.4 +/- 19.4 days. The total number of endoscopic sessions per patient was 11.4 +/- 6.3. In 21 of the 29 patients, a protecting stoma was created at the primary operation. Four patients were treated successfully without the need of a secondary stoma. Definitive healing was achieved in 28 of the 29 patients. Endoscopic vacuum-assisted closure is a new efficacious modality for treating anastomotic leakage following anterior resection due to an effective control of the septic focus. Further studies will show if it is possible to reduce the high mortality rate of patients with anastomotic leakage through the avoidance of surgical reinterventions while at the same time preserving the sphincter function.

Ultrasound-Guided Transoral Videolaryngoscopic Surgery for Retropharyngeal Lymph Node Metastasis of Papillary Thyroid Cancer

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Kazunori Fujiwara

2017-07-01

Full Text Available Background: Endoscopic-assisted transoral surgery, including transoral robotic surgery for metastatic retropharyngeal lymph node (RPN from well-differentiated thyroid cancer, has been reported to reduce the complications resulting from transcervical and transmandibular approaches. However, the narrow working space and difficulty identifying RPN are problematic. To solve these issues, several studies have used intraoperative ultrasound in endoscopic-assisted transoral surgery. However, the type of ultrasonography suitable for this purpose remains unclear. Case Presentation: A 60-year-old female with thyroid papillary carcinoma (T4aN1bM0 initially underwent total thyroidectomy and paratracheal and selective neck dissections (D2a, with resectional management of recurrent laryngeal nerve, trachea, and esophagus. Three years later, she was diagnosed with left retropharyngeal and upper mediastinal lymph node metastases of papillary thyroid cancer. Transoral videolaryngoscopic surgery was performed with a combination of ultrasonography with a flexible laparoscopic transducer manipulated with forceps for identifying RPN intraoperatively. Due to the transducer’s small size and thin, flexible cable, the transducer interrupted the procedure in spite of the narrowness of oral cavity. RPN was resected completely without adverse events. Conclusion: We performed intraoperative ultrasound-guided endoscopic transoral surgery for metastatic RPN from papillary thyroid cancer and achieved complete resection as well as preservation of swallowing function.

Electroencephalography (EEG) Based Control in Assistive Mobile Robots: A Review

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Krishnan, N Murali; Mariappan, Muralindran; Muthukaruppan, Karthigayan; Hijazi, Mohd Hanafi Ahmad; Kitt, Wong Wei

2016-01-01

Recently, EEG based control in assistive robot usage has been gradually increasing in the area of biomedical field for giving quality and stress free life for disabled and elderly people. This study reviews the deployment of EGG based control in assistive robots, especially for those who in need and neurologically disabled. The main objective of this paper is to describe the methods used for (i) EEG data acquisition and signal preprocessing, (ii) feature extraction and (iii) signal classification methods. Besides that, this study presents the specific research challenges in the designing of these control systems and future research directions. (paper)

Robotic-assisted partial Nephrectomy: initial experience in South America

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Gustavo C. Lemos

2011-08-01

Full Text Available OBJECTIVE:To report the initial outcomes of robotic-assisted partial nephrectomy in a tertiary center in South America. MATERIAL AND METHODS: From 11/2008 to 12/2009, a total of 16 transperitoneal robotic-assisted partial nephrectomies were performed in 15 patients to treat 18 kidney tumors. One patient with bilateral tumor had two procedures, while two patients with two synchronous unilateral tumors had a single operation to remove them. Eleven (73% patients were male and the right kidney was affected in 7 (46% patients. The median patient age and tumor size were 57 years old and 30 mm, respectively. Five (28% tumors were hilar and/or centrally located. RESULTS: The median operative time, warm ischemia time and estimated blood loss was 140 min, 27 min and 120 mL, respectively. Blood transfusion was required in one patient with bilateral tumor, and one additional pyelolithotomy was performed due to a 15mm stone located in the renal pelvis. The histopathology analysis showed 15 (83% malignant tumors, which 10 (67% were clear cell carcinoma. The median hospital stay was 72 hrs and no major complication was observed. CONCLUSION: Robotic-assisted partial nephrectomy is safe and represents a valuable option to perform minimally invasive nephron-sparing surgery.

Gait performance and foot pressure distribution during wearable robot-assisted gait in elderly adults.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Su-Hyun; Lee, Hwang-Jae; Chang, Won Hyuk; Choi, Byung-Ok; Lee, Jusuk; Kim, Jeonghun; Ryu, Gyu-Ha; Kim, Yun-Hee

2017-11-28

A robotic exoskeleton device is an intelligent system designed to improve gait performance and quality of life for the wearer. Robotic technology has developed rapidly in recent years, and several robot-assisted gait devices were developed to enhance gait function and activities of daily living in elderly adults and patients with gait disorders. In this study, we investigated the effects of the Gait-enhancing Mechatronic System (GEMS), a new wearable robotic hip-assist device developed by Samsung Electronics Co, Ltd., Korea, on gait performance and foot pressure distribution in elderly adults. Thirty elderly adults who had no neurological or musculoskeletal abnormalities affecting gait participated in this study. A three-dimensional (3D) motion capture system, surface electromyography and the F-Scan system were used to collect data on spatiotemporal gait parameters, muscle activity and foot pressure distribution under three conditions: free gait without robot assistance (FG), robot-assisted gait with zero torque (RAG-Z) and robot-assisted gait (RAG). We found increased gait speed, cadence, stride length and single support time in the RAG condition. Reduced rectus femoris and medial gastrocnemius muscle activity throughout the terminal stance phase and reduced effort of the medial gastrocnemius muscle throughout the pre-swing phase were also observed in the RAG condition. In addition, walking with the assistance of GEMS resulted in a significant increase in foot pressure distribution, specifically in maximum force and peak pressure of the total foot, medial masks, anterior masks and posterior masks. The results of the present study reveal that GEMS may present an alternative way of restoring age-related changes in gait such as gait instability with muscle weakness, reduced step force and lower foot pressure in elderly adults. In addition, GEMS improved gait performance by improving push-off power and walking speed and reducing muscle activity in the lower

Locomotor Sub-functions for Control of Assistive Wearable Robots

OpenAIRE

Sharbafi, Maziar A.; Seyfarth, Andre; Zhao, Guoping

2017-01-01

A primary goal of comparative biomechanics is to understand the fundamental physics of locomotion within an evolutionary context. Such an understanding of legged locomotion results in a transition from copying nature to borrowing strategies for interacting with the physical world regarding design and control of bio-inspired legged robots or robotic assistive devices. Inspired from nature, legged locomotion can be composed of three locomotor sub-functions, which are intrinsically interrelated:...

Intuitive adaptive orientation control of assistive robots for people living with upper limb disabilities.

Science.gov (United States)

Vu, Dinh-Son; Allard, Ulysse Cote; Gosselin, Clement; Routhier, Francois; Gosselin, Benoit; Campeau-Lecours, Alexandre

2017-07-01

Robotic assistive devices enhance the autonomy of individuals living with physical disabilities in their day-to-day life. Although the first priority for such devices is safety, they must also be intuitive and efficient from an engineering point of view in order to be adopted by a broad range of users. This is especially true for assistive robotic arms, as they are used for the complex control tasks of daily living. One challenge in the control of such assistive robots is the management of the end-effector orientation which is not always intuitive for the human operator, especially for neophytes. This paper presents a novel orientation control algorithm designed for robotic arms in the context of human-robot interaction. This work aims at making the control of the robot's orientation easier and more intuitive for the user, in particular, individuals living with upper limb disabilities. The performance and intuitiveness of the proposed orientation control algorithm is assessed through two experiments with 25 able-bodied subjects and shown to significantly improve on both aspects.

End-point impedance measurements across dominant and nondominant hands and robotic assistance with directional damping.

Science.gov (United States)

Erden, Mustafa Suphi; Billard, Aude

2015-06-01

The goal of this paper is to perform end-point impedance measurements across dominant and nondominant hands while doing airbrush painting and to use the results for developing a robotic assistance scheme. We study airbrush painting because it resembles in many ways manual welding, a standard industrial task. The experiments are performed with the 7 degrees of freedom KUKA lightweight robot arm. The robot is controlled in admittance using a force sensor attached at the end-point, so as to act as a free-mass and be passively guided by the human. For impedance measurements, a set of nine subjects perform 12 repetitions of airbrush painting, drawing a straight-line on a cartoon horizontally placed on a table, while passively moving the airbrush mounted on the robot's end-point. We measure hand impedance during the painting task by generating sudden and brief external forces with the robot. The results show that on average the dominant hand displays larger impedance than the nondominant in the directions perpendicular to the painting line. We find the most significant difference in the damping values in these directions. Based on this observation, we develop a "directional damping" scheme for robotic assistance and conduct a pilot study with 12 subjects to contrast airbrush painting with and without robotic assistance. Results show significant improvement in precision with both dominant and nondominant hands when using robotic assistance.

Robotic Assisted Transanal Polypectomies: Is There Any Indication?

Science.gov (United States)

Gómez Ruiz, Marcos; Cagigas Fernández, Carmen; Alonso Martín, Joaquín; Cristobal Poch, Lidia; Manuel Palazuelos, Carlos; Barredo Cañibano, Francisco Javier; Gómez Fleitas, Manuel; Castillo Diego, Julio

2017-12-01

Robotic assisted transanal polipectomy may have advantages compared with the conventional transanal minimally invasive surgery technique. We evaluate the safety, feasibility and advantages of this technique. Between February 2014 and October 2015, 9patients underwent robotic transanal polypectomy. We performed a retrospective study in which we analyse prospectively collected data regarding patient and tumor characteristics, perioperative outcomes, pathological report, morbidity and mortality. A total of 5 male and 4 female patients underwent robotic TAMIS. Lesions were 6,22cm from the anal verge. Mean size was 15,8cm 2 . All procedures were performed in the lithotomy position. Closure of the defect was performed in all cases. Mean blood loss was 39,8ml. Mean operative time was 71,9min. No severe postoperative complications or readmissions occured. Median hospital stay was 2,5 days. Robotic TAMIS is useful to treat complex rectal lesions. Our transanal platform allowed a wider range of movements of the robotic arms and to perform all procedures in the lithotomy position. Copyright © 2017 AEC. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

Robotic assistants in personal care: A scoping review.

Science.gov (United States)

Bilyea, A; Seth, N; Nesathurai, S; Abdullah, H A

2017-11-01

The aim of this study is to present an overview of the technological advances in the field of robotics developed for assistance with activities of daily living (ADL), and to present areas where further research is required. Four databases were searched for articles presenting either a novel design of one of these personal care robotic system or trial results relating to these systems. Articles presenting nine different robotic personal care systems were examined, six of which had been developed after 2005. These six also all have publications relating to their trials. In the majority of trials, patient independence was improved with operation of the robotic device for a specific subset of ADL. A map of the current state of the field of personal care robotics is presented in this study. Areas requiring further research include improving feedback and awareness, as well as refining control methods and pre-programmed behaviors. Developing an affordable, easy to use system would help fill the current gap in the commercial market. Copyright © 2017 IPEM. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Evaluation of an endoscopically assisted gastropexy technique in dogs.

Science.gov (United States)

Dujowich, Mauricio; Reimer, S Brent

2008-04-01

To evaluate the use of endoscopy in conjunction with a gastropexy technique in dogs as a potential means to aid prevention of gastric dilatation-volvulus. 12 healthy adult medium- and large-breed dogs. 12 adult research dogs that had no abnormal physical examination findings each underwent an endoscopically assisted gastropexy procedure. On completion of the procedure, the dogs were euthanized and exploratory laparotomies were performed to evaluate the surgical site. Data recorded included anatomic location of the gastropexy, gastropexy length, and duration of procedure as well as any complications. Mean+/-SD gastropexy length was 3.3+/-0.25 cm, and mean duration of surgery was 18+/-7 minutes. In each dog, the stomach was located in its normal anatomic position and all gastropexies were sutured to the abdominal wall at the level of the pyloric antrum. The only complications during the procedure were needle bending and breakage at the time of stay suture placement. On the basis of these findings, it appears that endoscopically assisted gastropexy is a simple, fast, safe, and reliable method of performing a prophylactic gastropexy in dogs when undertaken by a person who is skilled in endoscopy. Such a procedure maximizes the benefits of decreased morbidity and shorter duration of anesthesia associated with minimally invasive surgery. Further clinical studies are warranted to evaluate the long-term efficacy of this procedure in dogs at risk for development of gastric dilatation-volvulus.

Design and Implementation of an Assistive Controller for Rehabilitation Robotic Systems

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Duygun Erol

2007-09-01

Full Text Available The goal of our research is to develop an assistive controller for robotic rehabilitation of the upper extremity after stroke. The controller is used to provide robotic assistance to participants to help them to track a desired motion trajectory required for the rehabilitation task in an accurate and concentrated manner. This rehabilitation task is designed to ensure concentrated repetitive motion that requires cognitive processing. Experimental results on unimpaired participants are presented to demonstrate the effectiveness and feasibility of the proposed controller.

Development and validation of a composite scoring system for robot-assisted surgical training--the Robotic Skills Assessment Score.

Science.gov (United States)

Chowriappa, Ashirwad J; Shi, Yi; Raza, Syed Johar; Ahmed, Kamran; Stegemann, Andrew; Wilding, Gregory; Kaouk, Jihad; Peabody, James O; Menon, Mani; Hassett, James M; Kesavadas, Thenkurussi; Guru, Khurshid A

2013-12-01

A standardized scoring system does not exist in virtual reality-based assessment metrics to describe safe and crucial surgical skills in robot-assisted surgery. This study aims to develop an assessment score along with its construct validation. All subjects performed key tasks on previously validated Fundamental Skills of Robotic Surgery curriculum, which were recorded, and metrics were stored. After an expert consensus for the purpose of content validation (Delphi), critical safety determining procedural steps were identified from the Fundamental Skills of Robotic Surgery curriculum and a hierarchical task decomposition of multiple parameters using a variety of metrics was used to develop Robotic Skills Assessment Score (RSA-Score). Robotic Skills Assessment mainly focuses on safety in operative field, critical error, economy, bimanual dexterity, and time. Following, the RSA-Score was further evaluated for construct validation and feasibility. Spearman correlation tests performed between tasks using the RSA-Scores indicate no cross correlation. Wilcoxon rank sum tests were performed between the two groups. The proposed RSA-Score was evaluated on non-robotic surgeons (n = 15) and on expert-robotic surgeons (n = 12). The expert group demonstrated significantly better performance on all four tasks in comparison to the novice group. Validation of the RSA-Score in this study was carried out on the Robotic Surgical Simulator. The RSA-Score is a valid scoring system that could be incorporated in any virtual reality-based surgical simulator to achieve standardized assessment of fundamental surgical tents during robot-assisted surgery. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Acceptance of an assistive robot in older adults: a mixed-method study of human-robot interaction over a 1-month period in the Living Lab setting.

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Ya-Huei; Wrobel, Jérémy; Cornuet, Mélanie; Kerhervé, Hélène; Damnée, Souad; Rigaud, Anne-Sophie

2014-01-01

There is growing interest in investigating acceptance of robots, which are increasingly being proposed as one form of assistive technology to support older adults, maintain their independence, and enhance their well-being. In the present study, we aimed to observe robot-acceptance in older adults, particularly subsequent to a 1-month direct experience with a robot. Six older adults with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and five cognitively intact healthy (CIH) older adults were recruited. Participants interacted with an assistive robot in the Living Lab once a week for 4 weeks. After being shown how to use the robot, participants performed tasks to simulate robot use in everyday life. Mixed methods, comprising a robot-acceptance questionnaire, semistructured interviews, usability-performance measures, and a focus group, were used. Both CIH and MCI subjects were able to learn how to use the robot. However, MCI subjects needed more time to perform tasks after a 1-week period of not using the robot. Both groups rated similarly on the robot-acceptance questionnaire. They showed low intention to use the robot, as well as negative attitudes toward and negative images of this device. They did not perceive it as useful in their daily life. However, they found it easy to use, amusing, and not threatening. In addition, social influence was perceived as powerful on robot adoption. Direct experience with the robot did not change the way the participants rated robots in their acceptance questionnaire. We identified several barriers to robot-acceptance, including older adults' uneasiness with technology, feeling of stigmatization, and ethical/societal issues associated with robot use. It is important to destigmatize images of assistive robots to facilitate their acceptance. Universal design aiming to increase the market for and production of products that are usable by everyone (to the greatest extent possible) might help to destigmatize assistive devices.

Impact of metabolic syndrome on early recovery of continence after robot-assisted radical prostatectomy.

Science.gov (United States)

Nishikawa, Masatomo; Watanabe, Hiromitsu; Kurahashi, Toshifumi

2017-09-01

To evaluate the impact of metabolic syndrome on the early recovery of urinary continence after robot-assisted radical prostatectomy. The present study included a total of 302 consecutive Japanese patients with clinically localized prostate cancer who underwent robot-assisted radical prostatectomy. In this study, postoperative urinary continence was defined as no leak or the use of a security pad. The continence status was assessed by interviews before and 1 and 3 months after robot-assisted radical prostatectomy. Metabolic syndrome was defined as follows: body mass index ≥25 kg/m 2 and two or more of the following: hypertension, diabetes mellitus and dyslipidemia. The effect of the presence of metabolic syndrome on the continence status of these patients was retrospectively examined. A total of 116 (38.4%) and 203 (67.2%) of the 302 patients were continent at 1 and 3 months after robot-assisted radical prostatectomy, respectively. A total of 31 (10.3%) patients were judged to have metabolic syndrome. Despite the operative time being longer in patients with metabolic syndrome, no significant differences were observed in the remaining preoperative, intraoperative or postoperative variables between patients with or without metabolic syndrome. On multivariate logistic regression analysis, metabolic syndrome and the duration of hospitalization were significantly correlated with the 1-month continence status. Similarly, metabolic syndrome and estimated blood loss during surgery were independent predictors of continence rates at 3 months after robot-assisted radical prostatectomy. These findings suggest that the presence of metabolic syndrome could have a significant impact on the early recovery of urinary continence after robot-assisted radical prostatectomy. © 2017 The Japanese Urological Association.

Comparison of endoscopic-assisted and temporary keratoprosthesis-assisted vitrectomy in combat ocular trauma: experience at a tertiary eye center in Turkey.

Science.gov (United States)

Ayyildiz, Onder; Hakan Durukan, Ali

2018-01-01

Objective This study was performed to compare the functional and anatomical results of endoscopic-assisted and temporary keratoprosthesis (TKP)-assisted vitrectomy in patients with combat ocular trauma (COT). Methods The medical records of 14 severely injured eyes of 12 patients who underwent endoscopy or TKP implantation in combination with vitreoretinal surgery from 2007 to 2015 were retrospectively evaluated. The patients' ocular history and functional and anatomic anterior and posterior segment results were analyzed. Results Eight eyes (57%) underwent TKP-assisted vitrectomy and six eyes (43%) underwent endoscopic vitrectomy. The most common cause of COT was detonation of improvised explosive devices (72%), and the most common type of injury was an intraocular foreign body (50%). The median time from trauma to surgery and the median surgical time were significantly shorter in the endoscopy than TKP group. The postoperative functional and anatomical results were not significantly different between the two groups. Conclusions TKP-assisted vitrectomy should be performed in eyes requiring extensive bimanual surgery. In such cases, a corneal graft must be preserved for the TKP at the end of the surgery. Endoscopy shortens the surgical time and can reduce the complication rate.

Robot assisted navigated drilling for percutaneous pedicle screw placement: A preliminary animal study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hongwei Wang

2015-01-01

Conclusions: The preliminary study supports the view that computer assisted pedicle screw fixation using spinal robot is feasible and the robot can decrease the intraoperative fluoroscopy time during the minimally invasive pedicle screw fixation surgery. As spine robotic surgery is still in its infancy, further research in this field is worthwhile especially the accuracy of spine robot system should be improved.

Outcomes of infants undergoing robot-assisted laparoscopic pyeloplasty compared to open repair.

Science.gov (United States)

Dangle, Pankaj P; Kearns, James; Anderson, Blake; Gundeti, Mohan S

2013-12-01

Robotic surgery has evolved from simple extirpative surgery to complex reconstructions even in infants. Data are lacking comparing surgical and direct costs to open approaches. We describe the feasibility, salient tips and outcomes of robot-assisted laparoscopic pyeloplasty compared to an open approach. We evaluated patients undergoing open pyeloplasty or robot-assisted laparoscopic pyeloplasty. Ten patients in each group met inclusion criteria. Mean patient age was 3.31 months in the open group and 7.3 months in the robotic group (p=0.02). Postoperative outcomes including length of stay (2.2 vs 2.1 days), estimated blood loss (6.5 vs 7.6 ml), days to regular diet (1 vs 1.1) and days to Foley catheter removal (1.3 vs 1.3) were similar between the open and robotic groups. Total operating time (199 vs 242 minutes) was significantly longer in the robotic group. Postoperative improvement in hydronephrosis was identical in both groups. Direct costs, excluding amortization, robotic cost, maintenance and depreciation, were $4,410 in the open group and $4,979 in the robotic group (p=0.10). In our preliminary experience robotic pyeloplasty in infants is feasible and safe. The immediate outcomes are similar to those of an open approach. The robotic technique in infants currently has the benefits of improved esthetic appearance, improved pain control and similar direct costs compared to the traditional open approach. Copyright © 2013 American Urological Association Education and Research, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Comparison of precision and speed in laparoscopic and robot-assisted surgical task performance.

Science.gov (United States)

Zihni, Ahmed; Gerull, William D; Cavallo, Jaime A; Ge, Tianjia; Ray, Shuddhadeb; Chiu, Jason; Brunt, L Michael; Awad, Michael M

2018-03-01

Robotic platforms have the potential advantage of providing additional dexterity and precision to surgeons while performing complex laparoscopic tasks, especially for those in training. Few quantitative evaluations of surgical task performance comparing laparoscopic and robotic platforms among surgeons of varying experience levels have been done. We compared measures of quality and efficiency of Fundamentals of Laparoscopic Surgery task performance on these platforms in novices and experienced laparoscopic and robotic surgeons. Fourteen novices, 12 expert laparoscopic surgeons (>100 laparoscopic procedures performed, no robotics experience), and five expert robotic surgeons (>25 robotic procedures performed) performed three Fundamentals of Laparoscopic Surgery tasks on both laparoscopic and robotic platforms: peg transfer (PT), pattern cutting (PC), and intracorporeal suturing. All tasks were repeated three times by each subject on each platform in a randomized order. Mean completion times and mean errors per trial (EPT) were calculated for each task on both platforms. Results were compared using Student's t-test (P task performance was slower on the robotic platform compared with laparoscopy. In comparisons of expert laparoscopists performing tasks on the laparoscopic platform and expert robotic surgeons performing tasks on the robotic platform, expert robotic surgeons demonstrated fewer errors during the PC task (P = 0.009). Robotic assistance provided a reduction in errors at all experience levels for some laparoscopic tasks, but no benefit in the speed of task performance. Robotic assistance may provide some benefit in precision of surgical task performance. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Robotic assistants for universal access

OpenAIRE

Keates, Simeon; Kyberd, Peter J.

2017-01-01

Much research is now focusing on how technology is moving away from the traditional computer to a range of smart devices in smart environments, the so-called Internet of Things. With this increase in computing power and decrease in form factor, we are approaching the possibility of a new generation of robotic assistants able to perform a range of tasks and activities to support all kinds of users. However, history shows that unless care is taken early in the design process, the users who may ...

Feeding assistive robotics, socio-technological imaginaries and care

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nickelsen, Niels Christian Mossfeldt

The media and political/managerial levels focus on the opportunities to re-perform Denmark through digitization. Feeding assistive robotics is a welfare technology, relevant to citizens with low or no function in their arms. Despite national dissemination strategies, it proves difficult to recruit...

Robotics: The next step?

Science.gov (United States)

Broeders, Ivo A M J

2014-02-01

Robotic systems were introduced 15 years ago to support complex endoscopic procedures. The technology is increasingly used in gastro-intestinal surgery. In this article, literature on experimental- and clinical research is reviewed and ergonomic issues are discussed. literature review was based on Medline search using a large variety of search terms, including e.g. robot(ic), randomized, rectal, oesophageal, ergonomics. Review articles on relevant topics are discussed with preference. There is abundant evidence of supremacy in performing complex endoscopic surgery tasks when using the robot in an experimental setting. There is little high-level evidence so far on translation of these merits to clinical practice. Robotic systems may appear helpful in complex gastro-intestinal surgery. Moreover, dedicated computer based technology integrated in telepresence systems opens the way to integration of planning, diagnostics and therapy. The first high tech add-ons such as near infrared technology are under clinical evaluation. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Admittance Control for Robot Assisted Retinal Vein Micro-Cannulation under Human-Robot Collaborative Mode.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, He; Gonenc, Berk; Iordachita, Iulian

2017-10-01

Retinal vein occlusion is one of the most common retinovascular diseases. Retinal vein cannulation is a potentially effective treatment method for this condition that currently lies, however, at the limits of human capabilities. In this work, the aim is to use robotic systems and advanced instrumentation to alleviate these challenges, and assist the procedure via a human-robot collaborative mode based on our earlier work on the Steady-Hand Eye Robot and force-sensing instruments. An admittance control method is employed to stabilize the cannula relative to the vein and maintain it inside the lumen during the injection process. A pre-stress strategy is used to prevent the tip of microneedle from getting out of vein in in prolonged infusions, and the performance is verified through simulations.

Robot-assisted gait training for stroke patients: current state of the art and perspectives of robotics

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Morone G

2017-05-01

Full Text Available Giovanni Morone,1,2 Stefano Paolucci,1,2 Andrea Cherubini,3 Domenico De Angelis,1 Vincenzo Venturiero,1 Paola Coiro,1 Marco Iosa1,2 1Private Inpatient Unit, 2Clinical Laboratory of Experimental Neurorehabilitation, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy; 3Department of Robotics, LIRMM UM-CNRS, Montpellier, France Abstract: In this review, we give a brief outline of robot-mediated gait training for stroke patients, as an important emerging field in rehabilitation. Technological innovations are allowing rehabilitation to move toward more integrated processes, with improved efficiency and less long-term impairments. In particular, robot-mediated neurorehabilitation is a rapidly advancing field, which uses robotic systems to define new methods for treating neurological injuries, especially stroke. The use of robots in gait training can enhance rehabilitation, but it needs to be used according to well-defined neuroscientific principles. The field of robot-mediated neurorehabilitation brings challenges to both bioengineering and clinical practice. This article reviews the state of the art (including commercially available systems and perspectives of robotics in poststroke rehabilitation for walking recovery. A critical revision, including the problems at stake regarding robotic clinical use, is also presented. Keywords: exoskeleton, neurorehabilitation, robot-assisted walking training, wearable robot, activities of daily living, motor learning, plasticity

Biomechanical effects of robot assisted walking on knee joint kinematics and muscle activation pattern.

Science.gov (United States)

Thangavel, Pavithra; Vidhya, S; Li, Junhua; Chew, Effie; Bezerianos, Anastasios; Yu, Haoyong

2017-07-01

Since manual rehabilitation therapy can be taxing for both the patient and the physiotherapist, a gait rehabilitation robot has been built to reduce the physical strain and increase the efficacy of the rehabilitation therapy. The prototype of the gait rehabilitation robot is designed to provide assistance while walking for patients with abnormal gait pattern and it can also be used for rehabilitation therapy to restore an individual's normal gait pattern by aiding motor recovery. The Gait Rehabilitation Robot uses gait event based synchronization, which enables the exoskeleton to provide synchronous assistance during walking that aims to reduce the lower-limb muscle activation. This study emphasizes on the biomechanical effects of assisted walking on the lower limb by analyzing the EMG signal, knee joint kinematics data that was collected from the right leg during the various experimental conditions. The analysis of the measured data shows an improved knee joint trajectory and reduction in muscle activity with assistance. The result of this study does not only assess the functionality of the exoskeleton but also provides a profound understanding of the human-robot interaction by studying the effects of assistance on the lower limb.

Patients' quality of life post thyroidectomy.

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

Cashman, E C

2011-01-01

This study was designed to evaluate health related quality of life post thyroidectomy for hyperthyroidism with respect to clinical benefit and patient satisfaction. This is one of the first such studies in the literature evaluating quality of life post thyroidectomy for hyperthyroidism.

Robotic-Assisted Versus Manual Prostatic Arterial Embolization for Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia: A Comparative Analysis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bagla, Sandeep, E-mail: sandeep.bagla@gmail.com [Vascular Institute of Virginia, LLC (United States); Smirniotopoulos, John [New York Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center (United States); Orlando, Julie C.; Piechowiak, Rachel [Vascular Institute of Virginia, LLC (United States)

2017-03-15

PurposeProstatic artery embolization (PAE) is a safe and efficacious procedure for benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), though is technically challenging. We present our experience of technical and clinical outcomes of robotic and manual PAE in patients with BPH.Materials and MethodsIRB-approved retrospective study of 40 consecutive patients 49–81 years old with moderate or severe grade BPH from May 2014 to July 2015: 20 robotic-assisted PAE (group 1), 20 manual PAE (group 2). Robotic-assisted PAE was performed using the Magellan Robotic System. American Urological Association (AUA-SI) score, cost, technical and clinical success, radiation dose, fluoroscopy, and procedure time were reviewed. Statistical analysis was performed within and between each group using paired t test and one-way analysis of variance respectively, at 1 and 3 months.ResultsNo significant baseline differences in age and AUA-SI between groups. Technical success was 100% (group 1) and 95% (group 2). One unsuccessful subject from group 2 returned for a successful embolization using robotic assistance. Fluoroscopy and procedural times were similar between groups, with a non-significant lower patient radiation dose in group 1 (30,632.8 mGy/cm{sup 2} vs 35,890.9, p = 0.269). Disposable cost was significantly different between groups with the robotic-assisted PAE incurring a higher cost (group 1 $4530.2; group 2 $1588.5, p < 0.0001). Clinical improvement was significant in both arms at 3 months: group 1 mean change in AUA-SI of 8.3 (p = 0.006), group 2: 9.6 (p < 0.0001). No minor or major complications occurred.ConclusionsRobotic-assisted PAE offers technical success comparable to manual PAE, with similar clinical improvement with an increased cost.

Robotic-Assisted Versus Manual Prostatic Arterial Embolization for Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia: A Comparative Analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bagla, Sandeep; Smirniotopoulos, John; Orlando, Julie C.; Piechowiak, Rachel

2017-01-01

PurposeProstatic artery embolization (PAE) is a safe and efficacious procedure for benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), though is technically challenging. We present our experience of technical and clinical outcomes of robotic and manual PAE in patients with BPH.Materials and MethodsIRB-approved retrospective study of 40 consecutive patients 49–81 years old with moderate or severe grade BPH from May 2014 to July 2015: 20 robotic-assisted PAE (group 1), 20 manual PAE (group 2). Robotic-assisted PAE was performed using the Magellan Robotic System. American Urological Association (AUA-SI) score, cost, technical and clinical success, radiation dose, fluoroscopy, and procedure time were reviewed. Statistical analysis was performed within and between each group using paired t test and one-way analysis of variance respectively, at 1 and 3 months.ResultsNo significant baseline differences in age and AUA-SI between groups. Technical success was 100% (group 1) and 95% (group 2). One unsuccessful subject from group 2 returned for a successful embolization using robotic assistance. Fluoroscopy and procedural times were similar between groups, with a non-significant lower patient radiation dose in group 1 (30,632.8 mGy/cm"2 vs 35,890.9, p = 0.269). Disposable cost was significantly different between groups with the robotic-assisted PAE incurring a higher cost (group 1 $4530.2; group 2 $1588.5, p < 0.0001). Clinical improvement was significant in both arms at 3 months: group 1 mean change in AUA-SI of 8.3 (p = 0.006), group 2: 9.6 (p < 0.0001). No minor or major complications occurred.ConclusionsRobotic-assisted PAE offers technical success comparable to manual PAE, with similar clinical improvement with an increased cost.

Evaluating the effect of three-dimensional visualization on force application and performance time during robotics-assisted mitral valve repair.

Science.gov (United States)

Currie, Maria E; Trejos, Ana Luisa; Rayman, Reiza; Chu, Michael W A; Patel, Rajni; Peters, Terry; Kiaii, Bob B

2013-01-01

The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of three-dimensional (3D) binocular, stereoscopic, and two-dimensional (2D) monocular visualization on robotics-assisted mitral valve annuloplasty versus conventional techniques in an ex vivo animal model. In addition, we sought to determine whether these effects were consistent between novices and experts in robotics-assisted cardiac surgery. A cardiac surgery test-bed was constructed to measure forces applied during mitral valve annuloplasty. Sutures were passed through the porcine mitral valve annulus by the participants with different levels of experience in robotics-assisted surgery and tied in place using both robotics-assisted and conventional surgery techniques. The mean time for both the experts and the novices using 3D visualization was significantly less than that required using 2D vision (P robotic system with either 2D or 3D vision (P robotics-assisted mitral valve annuloplasty than during conventional open mitral valve annuloplasty. This finding suggests that 3D visualization does not fully compensate for the absence of haptic feedback in robotics-assisted cardiac surgery.

Costs of Robotic-Assisted Versus Traditional Laparoscopy in Endometrial Cancer.

Science.gov (United States)

Vuorinen, Riikka-Liisa K; Mäenpää, Minna M; Nieminen, Kari; Tomás, Eija I; Luukkaala, Tiina H; Auvinen, Anssi; Mäenpää, Johanna U

2017-10-01

The purpose of this study was to compare the costs of traditional laparoscopy and robotic-assisted laparoscopy in the treatment of endometrial cancer. A total of 101 patients with endometrial cancer were randomized to the study and operated on starting from 2010 until 2013, at the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology of Tampere University Hospital, Tampere, Finland. Costs were calculated based on internal accounting, hospital database, and purchase prices and were compared using intention-to-treat analysis. Main outcome measures were item costs and total costs related to the operation, including a 6-month postoperative follow-up. The total costs including late complications were 2160 &OV0556; higher in the robotic group (median for traditional 5823 &OV0556;, vs robot median 7983 &OV0556;, P costs for instruments and equipment as well as to more expensive operating room and postanesthesia care unit time. Traditional laparoscopy involved higher costs for operation personnel, general costs, medication used in the operation, and surgeon, although these costs were not substantial. There was no significant difference in in-patient stay, laboratory, radiology, blood products, or costs related to complications. According to this study, robotic-assisted laparoscopy is 37% more expensive than traditional laparoscopy in the treatment of endometrial cancer. The cost difference is mainly explained by amortization of the robot and its instrumentation.

Endoscopically assisted tunnel approach for minimally invasive corticotomies: a preliminary report.

Science.gov (United States)

Hernández-Alfaro, Federico; Guijarro-Martínez, Raquel

2012-05-01

The dental community has expressed low acceptance of traditional corticotomy techniques for corticotomy-facilitated orthodontics. These procedures are time consuming, entail substantial postoperative morbidity and periodontal risks, and are often perceived as highly invasive. A total of 114 interdental sites were treated in nine consecutive patients. Under local anesthesia, a tunnel approach requiring one to three vertical incisions per arch (depending on the targeted teeth) was used. Piezosurgical corticotomies and elective bone augmentation procedures were performed under endoscopic assistance. Postoperative cone-beam computerized tomography evaluation was used to confirm adequate corticotomy depth. Procedures were completed in a mean time of 26 minutes. Follow-up evaluations revealed no loss of tooth vitality, no changes in periodontal probing depth, good preservation of the papillae, and no gingival recession. No evidence of crestal bone height reduction or apical root resorption was detected. The tunnel approach minimizes soft-tissue debridement and permits effective cortical cuts. The combination of piezosurgery technique with endoscopic assistance provides a quick, reliable means to design and perform these corticotomies while maximizing root integrity preservation. Moreover, the sites needing bone augmentation are selected under direct vision. Compared to traditional corticotomies, this procedure has manifest advantages in surgical time, technical complexity, patient morbidity, and periodontium preservation.

Intraoperative registered transrectal ultrasound guidance for robot-assisted laparoscopic radical prostatectomy.

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Mohareri, Omid; Ischia, Joseph; Black, Peter C; Schneider, Caitlin; Lobo, Julio; Goldenberg, Larry; Salcudean, Septimiu E

2015-01-01

To provide unencumbered real-time ultrasound image guidance during robot-assisted laparoscopic radical prostatectomy, we developed a robotic transrectal ultrasound system that tracks the da Vinci® Surgical System instruments. We describe our initial clinical experience with this system. After an evaluation in a canine model, 20 patients were enrolled in the study. During each procedure the transrectal ultrasound transducer was manually positioned using a brachytherapy stabilizer to provide good imaging of the prostate. Then the transrectal ultrasound was registered to the da Vinci robot by a previously validated procedure. Finally, automatic rotation of the transrectal ultrasound was enabled such that the transrectal ultrasound imaging plane safely tracked the tip of the da Vinci instrument controlled by the surgeon, while real-time transrectal ultrasound images were relayed to the surgeon at the da Vinci console. Tracking was activated during all critical stages of the surgery. The transrectal ultrasound robot was easy to set up and use, adding 7 minutes (range 5 to 14) to the procedure. It did not require an assistant or additional control devices. Qualitative feedback was acquired from the surgeons, who found transrectal ultrasound useful in identifying the urethra while passing the dorsal venous complex suture, defining the prostate-bladder interface during bladder neck dissection, identifying the seminal vesicles and their location with respect to the rectal wall, and identifying the distal prostate boundary at the apex. Real-time, registered robotic transrectal ultrasound guidance with automatic instrument tracking during robot-assisted laparoscopic radical prostatectomy is feasible and potentially useful. The results justify further studies to establish whether the approach can improve procedure outcomes. Copyright © 2015 American Urological Association Education and Research, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Acceptance of an assistive robot in older adults: a mixed-method study of human–robot interaction over a 1-month period in the Living Lab setting

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Wu, Ya-Huei; Wrobel, Jérémy; Cornuet, Mélanie; Kerhervé, Hélène; Damnée, Souad; Rigaud, Anne-Sophie

2014-01-01

Background There is growing interest in investigating acceptance of robots, which are increasingly being proposed as one form of assistive technology to support older adults, maintain their independence, and enhance their well-being. In the present study, we aimed to observe robot-acceptance in older adults, particularly subsequent to a 1-month direct experience with a robot. Subjects and methods Six older adults with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and five cognitively intact healthy (CIH) older adults were recruited. Participants interacted with an assistive robot in the Living Lab once a week for 4 weeks. After being shown how to use the robot, participants performed tasks to simulate robot use in everyday life. Mixed methods, comprising a robot-acceptance questionnaire, semistructured interviews, usability-performance measures, and a focus group, were used. Results Both CIH and MCI subjects were able to learn how to use the robot. However, MCI subjects needed more time to perform tasks after a 1-week period of not using the robot. Both groups rated similarly on the robot-acceptance questionnaire. They showed low intention to use the robot, as well as negative attitudes toward and negative images of this device. They did not perceive it as useful in their daily life. However, they found it easy to use, amusing, and not threatening. In addition, social influence was perceived as powerful on robot adoption. Direct experience with the robot did not change the way the participants rated robots in their acceptance questionnaire. We identified several barriers to robot-acceptance, including older adults’ uneasiness with technology, feeling of stigmatization, and ethical/societal issues associated with robot use. Conclusion It is important to destigmatize images of assistive robots to facilitate their acceptance. Universal design aiming to increase the market for and production of products that are usable by everyone (to the greatest extent possible) might help to

Unilateral robotic hybrid mini-maze: a novel experimental approach.

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Moslemi, Mohammad; Rawashdeh, Badi; Meyer, Mark; Nguyen, Duy; Poston, Robert; Gharagozloo, Farid

2016-03-01

A complete Cox maze IV procedure is difficult to accomplish using current endoscopic and minimally invasive techniques. These techniques are hampered by inability to adequately dissect the posterior structures of the heart and place all necessary lesions. We present a novel approach, using robotic technology, that achieves placement of all the lesions of the complete maze procedure. In three cadaveric human models, the technical feasibility of using robotic instruments through the right chest to dissect the posterior structures of the heart and place all Cox maze lesions was performed. The entire posterior aspect of the heart was dissected in the cadaveric model facilitating successful placement of all Cox maze IV lesions with robotic assistance through minimally invasive incisions. The robotic Cox maze IV procedure through the novel right thoracic approach is feasible. This obviates the need for sternotomy and avoids the associated morbidity of the conventional Cox-maze procedure. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Experience of 1166 Thyroidectomy without Use of Prophylactic Antibiotic

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Qiang Lu

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Background. Although the procedure requires a small surgical incision and a short duration, incision infection rate is very low in thyroidectomy; however, doctors still have misgivings about infection events. Aim. We retrospectively analyzed the prevention of incision infection without perioperative use of antibacterial medications following thyroidectomy. Materials and Methods. 1166 patients of thyroidectomy were not administered perioperative antibiotics. Unilateral total lobectomy or partial thyroidectomy was performed in 68.0% patients with single-side nodular goiter or thyroid adenoma. Bilateral partial thyroidectomy was performed in 25.5% patients with nodular goiter or Graves’ disease. The mean time of operation was 80.6 ± 4.87 (range: 25–390 min. Results. Resuturing was performed in two patients of secondary hemorrhage from residual thyroid following bilateral partial thyroidectomy. Temporally recurrent nerve paralysis was reported following right-side total lobectomy and left-side subtotal lobectomy in a nodular goiter patient. One case had suppurative infection in neck incision 5 days after bilateral partial thyroidectomy. Conclusions. Thyroidectomy, which is a clean incision, involves a small incision, short duration, and minor hemorrhage. If the operation is performed under strict conditions of sterility and hemostasis, antibacterial medications may not be required to prevent incision infection, which reduces cost and discourages the excessive use of antibiotics.

Cost-effectiveness of open versus laparoscopic versus robotic-assisted laparoscopic cystectomy and urinary diversion.

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Zehnder, Pascal; Gill, Inderbir S

2011-09-01

To provide insight into the recently published cost comparisons in the context of open, laparoscopic, and robotic-assisted laparoscopic radical cystectomy and to demonstrate the complexity of such economic analyses. Most economic evaluations are from a hospital perspective and summarize short-term perioperative therapeutic costs. However, the contributing factors (e.g. study design, included variables, robotic amortization plan, supply contract, surgical volume, surgeons' experience, etc.) vary substantially between the institutions. In addition, a real cost-effective analysis considering cost per quality-adjusted life-year gained is not feasible because of the lack of long-term oncologic and functional outcome data with the robotic procedure. On the basis of a modeled cost analysis using results from published series, robotic-assisted cystectomy was - with few exceptions - found to be more expensive when compared with the open approach. Immediate costs are affected most by operative time, followed by length of hospital stay, robotic supply, case volume, robotic cost, and transfusion rate. Any complication substantially impacts overall costs. Economic cost evaluations are complex analyses influenced by numerous factors that hardly allow an interinstitutional comparison. Robotic-assisted cystectomy is constantly refined with many institutions being somewhere on their learning curve. Transparent reports of oncologic and functional outcome data from centers of expertise applying standardized methods will help to properly analyze the real long-term benefits of robotic surgery and successor technologies and prevent us from becoming slaves of successful marketing strategies.

Robotic assisted surgery in pediatric gynecology: promising innovation in mini invasive surgical procedures.

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Nakib, Ghassan; Calcaterra, Valeria; Scorletti, Federico; Romano, Piero; Goruppi, Ilaria; Mencherini, Simonetta; Avolio, Luigi; Pelizzo, Gloria

2013-02-01

Robotic assisted surgery is not yet widely applied in the pediatric field. We report our initial experience regarding the feasibility, safety, benefits, and limitations of robot-assisted surgery in pediatric gynecological patients. Descriptive, retrospective report of experience with pediatric gynecological patients over a period of 12 months. Department of Pediatric Surgery, IRCCS Policlinico San Matteo Foundation. Children and adolescents, with a surgical diagnosis of ovarian and/or tubal lesions. Robot assembly time and operative time, days of hospitalization, time to cessation of pain medication, complication rate, conversion rate to laparoscopic procedure and trocar insertion strategy. Six children and adolescents (2.4-15 yrs), weighing 12-55 kg, underwent robotic assisted surgery for adnexal pathologies: 2 for ovarian cystectomy, 2 for oophorectomy, 1 for right oophorectomy and left salpingo-oophorectomy for gonadal disgenesis, 1 for exploration for suspected pelvic malformation. Mean operative time was 117.5 ± 34.9 minutes. Conversion to laparatomy was not necessary in any of the cases. No intra- or postoperative complications occurred. Initial results indicate that robotic assisted surgery is safely applicable in the pediatric gynecological population, although it is still premature to conclude that it provides better clinical outcomes than traditional laparoscopic surgery. Randomized, prospective, comparative studies will help characterize the advantages and disadvantages of this new technology in pediatric patients. Copyright © 2013 North American Society for Pediatric and Adolescent Gynecology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Admittance Control for Robot Assisted Retinal Vein Micro-Cannulation under Human-Robot Collaborative Mode

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Gonenc, Berk; Iordachita, Iulian

2017-01-01

Retinal vein occlusion is one of the most common retinovascular diseases. Retinal vein cannulation is a potentially effective treatment method for this condition that currently lies, however, at the limits of human capabilities. In this work, the aim is to use robotic systems and advanced instrumentation to alleviate these challenges, and assist the procedure via a human-robot collaborative mode based on our earlier work on the Steady-Hand Eye Robot and force-sensing instruments. An admittance control method is employed to stabilize the cannula relative to the vein and maintain it inside the lumen during the injection process. A pre-stress strategy is used to prevent the tip of microneedle from getting out of vein in in prolonged infusions, and the performance is verified through simulations. PMID:29607442

ACOG Technology Assessment in Obstetrics and Gynecology No. 6: Robot-assisted surgery.

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2009-11-01

The field of robotic surgery is developing rapidly, but experience with this technology is currently limited. In response to increasing interest in robotics technology, the Committee on Gynecologic Practice's Technology Assessment was developed to describe the robotic surgical system,potential advantages and disadvantages, gynecologic applications, and the current state of the evidence. Randomized trials comparing robot-assisted surgery with traditional laparoscopic, vaginal, or abdominal surgery are needed to evaluate long-term clinical outcomes and cost-effectiveness, as well as to identify the best applications of this technology.

Assessing User Needs and Requirements for Assistive Robots at Home.

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Werner, Katharina; Werner, Franz

2015-01-01

'Robots in healthcare' is a very trending topic. This paper gives an overview of currently and commonly used methods to gather user needs and requirements in research projects in the field of assistive robotics. Common strategies between authors are presented as well as examples of exceptions, which can help future researchers to find methods suitable for their own work. Typical problems of the field are discussed and partial solutions are proposed.

Maximizing Use of Robot-Arm No. 3 in Da Vinci–Assisted Thoracic Surgery

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Kajiwara, Naohiro; Maeda, Junichi; Yoshida, Koichi; Kato, Yasufumi; Hagiwara, Masaru; Kakihana, Masatoshi; Ohira, Tatsuo; Kawate, Norihiko; Ikeda, Norihiko

2015-01-01

We have previously reported on the importance of appropriate robot-arm settings and replacement of instrument ports in robot-assisted thoracic surgery, because the thoracic cavity requires a large space to access all lesions in various areas of the thoracic cavity from the apex to the diaphragm and mediastinum and the chest wall.1–3 Moreover, it can be difficult to manipulate the da Vinci Surgical System using only arms No. 1 and No. 2 depending on the tumor location. However, arm No. 3 is usually positioned on the same side as arm No. 2, and sometimes it is only used as an assisting-arm to avoid conflict with other arms (Fig. 1). In this report, we show how robot-arm No. 3 can be used with maximum effectiveness in da Vinci-assisted thoracic surgery. PMID:26011219

On the Use of the Humanoid Bioloid System for Robot-Assisted Transcription of Mexican Spanish Speech

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Santiago-Omar Caballero-Morales

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Within the context of service robotics (SR, the development of assistive technologies has become an important research field. However, the accomplishment of assistive tasks requires precise and fine control of the mechanic systems that integrate the robotic entity. Among the most challenging tasks in robot control, the handwriting task (transcription is of particular interest due to the fine control required to draw single and multiple alphabet characters to express words and sentences. For language learning activities, robot-assisted speech transcription can motivate the student to practice pronunciation and writing tasks in a dynamic environment. Hence, this paper is aimed to provide the techniques and models to accomplish accurate robot-assisted transcription of Spanish speech. The transcriptor is integrated by a multi-user speech recognizer for continuous speech and the kinematic models for the Mexican Spanish alphabet characters. The Bioloid system with the standard humanoid configuration and no special modifications or tools was considered for implementation. Particularly, the proposed transcriptor could perform the handwriting task with the Bioloid’s two two DOF (degrees-of-freedom arms. This enabled writing of one-line short and long sentences with small alphabet characters (width <1.0 cm. It is expected that the technique and models that integrate the transcriptor can provide support for the development of robot-assisted language learning activities for children and young adults.

Augmented reality during robot-assisted laparoscopic partial nephrectomy: toward real-time 3D-CT to stereoscopic video registration.

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Su, Li-Ming; Vagvolgyi, Balazs P; Agarwal, Rahul; Reiley, Carol E; Taylor, Russell H; Hager, Gregory D

2009-04-01

To investigate a markerless tracking system for real-time stereo-endoscopic visualization of preoperative computed tomographic imaging as an augmented display during robot-assisted laparoscopic partial nephrectomy. Stereoscopic video segments of a patient undergoing robot-assisted laparoscopic partial nephrectomy for tumor and another for a partial staghorn renal calculus were processed to evaluate the performance of a three-dimensional (3D)-to-3D registration algorithm. After both cases, we registered a segment of the video recording to the corresponding preoperative 3D-computed tomography image. After calibrating the camera and overlay, 3D-to-3D registration was created between the model and the surgical recording using a modified iterative closest point technique. Image-based tracking technology tracked selected fixed points on the kidney surface to augment the image-to-model registration. Our investigation has demonstrated that we can identify and track the kidney surface in real time when applied to intraoperative video recordings and overlay the 3D models of the kidney, tumor (or stone), and collecting system semitransparently. Using a basic computer research platform, we achieved an update rate of 10 Hz and an overlay latency of 4 frames. The accuracy of the 3D registration was 1 mm. Augmented reality overlay of reconstructed 3D-computed tomography images onto real-time stereo video footage is possible using iterative closest point and image-based surface tracking technology that does not use external navigation tracking systems or preplaced surface markers. Additional studies are needed to assess the precision and to achieve fully automated registration and display for intraoperative use.

Robot-assisted ultrasound imaging: overview and development of a parallel telerobotic system.

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Monfaredi, Reza; Wilson, Emmanuel; Azizi Koutenaei, Bamshad; Labrecque, Brendan; Leroy, Kristen; Goldie, James; Louis, Eric; Swerdlow, Daniel; Cleary, Kevin

2015-02-01

Ultrasound imaging is frequently used in medicine. The quality of ultrasound images is often dependent on the skill of the sonographer. Several researchers have proposed robotic systems to aid in ultrasound image acquisition. In this paper we first provide a short overview of robot-assisted ultrasound imaging (US). We categorize robot-assisted US imaging systems into three approaches: autonomous US imaging, teleoperated US imaging, and human-robot cooperation. For each approach several systems are introduced and briefly discussed. We then describe a compact six degree of freedom parallel mechanism telerobotic system for ultrasound imaging developed by our research team. The long-term goal of this work is to enable remote ultrasound scanning through teleoperation. This parallel mechanism allows for both translation and rotation of an ultrasound probe mounted on the top plate along with force control. Our experimental results confirmed good mechanical system performance with a positioning error of < 1 mm. Phantom experiments by a radiologist showed promising results with good image quality.

Robots with a gentle touch: advances in assistive robotics and prosthetics.

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Harwin, W S

1999-01-01

As healthcare costs rise and an aging population makes an increased demand on services, so new techniques must be introduced to promote an individuals independence and provide these services. Robots can now be designed so they can alter their dynamic properties changing from stiff to flaccid, or from giving no resistance to movement, to damping any large and sudden movements. This has some strong implications in health care in particular for rehabilitation where a robot must work in conjunction with an individual, and might guiding or assist a persons arm movements, or might be commanded to perform some set of autonomous actions. This paper presents the state-of-the-art of rehabilitation robots with examples from prosthetics, aids for daily living and physiotherapy. In all these situations there is the potential for the interaction to be non-passive with a resulting potential for the human/machine/environment combination to become unstable. To understand this instability we must develop better models of the human motor system and fit these models with realistic parameters. This paper concludes with a discussion of this problem and overviews some human models that can be used to facilitate the design of the human/machine interfaces.

Robot Teleoperation and Perception Assistance with a Virtual Holographic Display

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Goddard, Charles O.

2012-01-01

Teleoperation of robots in space from Earth has historically been dfficult. Speed of light delays make direct joystick-type control infeasible, so it is desirable to command a robot in a very high-level fashion. However, in order to provide such an interface, knowledge of what objects are in the robot's environment and how they can be interacted with is required. In addition, many tasks that would be desirable to perform are highly spatial, requiring some form of six degree of freedom input. These two issues can be combined, allowing the user to assist the robot's perception by identifying the locations of objects in the scene. The zSpace system, a virtual holographic environment, provides a virtual three-dimensional space superimposed over real space and a stylus tracking position and rotation inside of it. Using this system, a possible interface for this sort of robot control is proposed.

Care robots for the supermarket shelf: a product gap in assistive technologies.

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Blackman, Tim

2013-07-01

The literature on the development of assistive robots is dominated by technological papers with little consideration of how such devices might be commercialised for a mass market at a price that is affordable for older people and their families as well as public services and care insurers. This article argues that the focus of technical development in this field is too ambitious, neglecting the potential market for an affordable device that is aleady in the realm of the 'adjacent possible' given current technology capabilities. It also questions on both ethical and marketing grounds the current effort to develop assistive robots with pet-like or human-like features. The marketing literature on 'really new products' has so far not appeared to inform the development of assistive robots but has some important lessons. These include using analogies with existing products and giving particular attention to the role of early adopters. Relevant analogies for care robots are not animals or humans but useful domestic appliances and personal technologies with attractive designs, engaging functionality and intuitive usability. This points to a strategy for enabling mass adoption - which has so far eluded even conventional telecare - of emphasising how such an appliance is part of older people's contemporary lifestyles rather than a sign of age-related decline and loss of independence.

Robot-assisted tubal reanastomosis: Initial experience in a single institution

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Ahmet Göçmen

2013-03-01

Conclusion: Robot-assisted TLR is safe and feasible. This procedure may facilitate minimally invasive treatment for patients who want to regain their fertility without the aid of artificial reproductive techniques.

How to set up a robotic-assisted laparoscopic surgery center and training of staff.

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Lenihan, John P

2017-11-01

The use of computers to assist surgeons in the operating room has been an inevitable evolution in the modern practice of surgery. Robotic-assisted surgery has been evolving now for over two decades and has finally matured into a technology that has caused a monumental shift in the way gynecologic surgeries are performed. Prior to robotics, the only minimally invasive options for most Gynecologic (GYN) procedures including hysterectomies were either vaginal or laparoscopic approaches. However, even with over 100 years of vaginal surgery experience and more than 20 years of laparoscopic advancements, most gynecologic surgeries in the United States were still performed through an open incision. However, this changed in 2005 when the FDA approved the da Vinci Surgical Robotic System tm for use in gynecologic surgery. Over the last decade, the trend for gynecologic surgeries has now dramatically shifted to less open and more minimally invasive procedures. Robotic-assisted surgeries now include not only hysterectomy but also most all other commonly performed gynecologic procedures including myomectomies, pelvic support procedures, and reproductive surgeries. This success, however, has not been without controversies, particularly around costs and complications. The evolution of computers to assist surgeons and make minimally invasive procedures more common is clearly a trend that is not going away. It is now incumbent on surgeons, hospitals, and medical societies to determine the most cost-efficient and productive use for this technology. This process is best accomplished by developing a Robotics Program in each hospital that utilizes robotic surgery. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

A Quantitative Analysis of Dressing Dynamics for Robotic Dressing Assistance

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Greg Chance

2017-05-01

Full Text Available Assistive robots have a great potential to address issues related to an aging population and an increased demand for caregiving. Successful deployment of robots working in close proximity with people requires consideration of both safety and human–robot interaction (HRI. One of the established activities of daily living where robots could play an assistive role is dressing. Using the correct force profile for robot control will be essential in this application of HRI requiring careful exploration of factors related to the user’s pose and the type of garments involved. In this paper, a Baxter robot was used to dress a jacket onto a mannequin and human participants considering several combinations of user pose and clothing type (base layers, while recording dynamic data from the robot, a load cell, and an IMU. We also report on suitability of these sensors for identifying dressing errors, e.g., fabric snagging. Data were analyzed by comparing the overlap of confidence intervals to determine sensitivity to dressing. We expand the analysis to include classification techniques such as decision tree and support vector machines using k-fold cross-validation. The 6-axis load cell successfully discriminated between clothing types with predictive model accuracies between 72 and 97%. Used independently, the IMU and Baxter sensors were insufficient to discriminate garment types with the IMU showing 40–72% accuracy, but when used in combination this pair of sensors achieved an accuracy similar to the more expensive load cell (98%. When observing dressing errors (snagging, Baxter’s sensors and the IMU data demonstrated poor sensitivity but applying machine learning methods resulted in model with high predicative accuracy and low false negative rates (≤5%. The results show that the load cell could be used independently for this application with good accuracy but a combination of the lower cost sensors could also be used without a significant loss in

Postoperative hypocalcemia after thyroidectomy for Graves' disease.

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Pesce, Catherine E; Shiue, Zita; Tsai, Hua-Ling; Umbricht, Christopher B; Tufano, Ralph P; Dackiw, Alan P B; Kowalski, Jeanne; Zeiger, Martha A

2010-11-01

It is believed that patients who undergo thyroidectomy for Graves' disease are more likely to experience postoperative hypocalcemia than patients undergoing total thyroidectomy for other indications. However, no study has directly compared these two groups of patients. The aim of this study was to determine whether there was an increased incidence or severity of postoperative hypocalcemia in patients who underwent thyroidectomy for Graves' disease. An institutional review board-approved database was created of all patients who underwent thyroidectomy from 1998 to 2009 at the Johns Hopkins Hospital. There were a total of 68 patients with Graves' disease who underwent surgery. Fifty-five patients who underwent total thyroidectomy were randomly selected and served as control subjects. An analysis was conducted that examined potential covariates for postoperative hypocalcemia, including age, gender, ethnicity, preoperative alkaline phosphatase level, size of goiter, whether parathyroid tissue or glands were present in the specimen, and the reason the patient underwent surgery. Specific outcomes examined were calcium levels on postoperative day 1, whether or not patients experienced symptoms of hypocalcemia, whether or not Rocaltrol was required, the number of calcium tablets prescribed upon discharge, whether or not postoperative tetany occurred, and calcium levels 1 month after discharge. Each outcome was analyzed using a logistic regression. Graves' disease patients had a significantly (p-value Graves' disease and no patient in the control group were readmitted with tetany (p = 0.033). There was a trend, though not significant, toward patients with Graves' disease having a higher prevalence of hypocalcemia the day after thyroidectomy and 1 month later. Patients with Graves' disease are more likely to require increased dosages of calcium as well as experience tetany postoperatively than patients undergoing total thyroidectomy for other indications. This suggests that

Authoring Robot-Assisted Instructional Materials for Improving Learning Performance and Motivation in EFL Classrooms

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Hong, Zeng-Wei; Huang, Yueh-Min; Hsu, Marie; Shen, Wei-Wei

2016-01-01

Anthropomorphized robots are regarded as beneficial tools in education due to their capabilities of improving teaching effectiveness and learning motivation. Therefore, one major trend of research, known as Robot- Assisted Language Learning (RALL), is trying to develop robots to support teaching and learning English as a foreign language (EFL). As…

Robot-assisted walking with the Lokomat: the influence of different levels of guidance force on thorax and pelvis kinematics.

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Swinnen, Eva; Baeyens, Jean-Pierre; Knaepen, Kristel; Michielsen, Marc; Clijsen, Ron; Beckwée, David; Kerckhofs, Eric

2015-03-01

Little attention has been devoted to the thorax and pelvis movements during gait. The aim of this study is to compare differences in the thorax and pelvis kinematics during unassisted walking on a treadmill and during walking with robot assistance (Lokomat-system (Hocoma, Volketswil, Switzerland)). 18 healthy persons walked on a treadmill with and without the Lokomat system at 2kmph. Three different conditions of guidance force (30%, 60% and 100%) were used during robot-assisted treadmill walking (30% body weight support). The maximal movement amplitudes of the thorax and pelvis were measured (Polhemus Liberty™ (Polhemus, Colchester, Vermont, USA) (240/16)). A repeated measurement ANOVA was conducted. Robot-assisted treadmill walking with different levels of guidance force showed significantly smaller maximal movement amplitudes for thorax and pelvis, compared to treadmill walking. Only the antero-posterior tilting of the pelvis was significantly increased during robot-assisted treadmill walking compared to treadmill walking. No significant changes of kinematic parameters were found between the different levels of guidance force. With regard to the thorax and pelvis movements, robot-assisted treadmill walking is significantly different compared to treadmill walking. It can be concluded that when using robot assistance, the thorax is stimulated in a different way than during walking without robot assistance, influencing the balance training during gait. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Percutaneous Sacroiliac Screw Placement: A Prospective Randomized Comparison of Robot-assisted Navigation Procedures with a Conventional Technique

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Wang, Jun-Qiang; Wang, Yu; Feng, Yun; Han, Wei; Su, Yong-Gang; Liu, Wen-Yong; Zhang, Wei-Jun; Wu, Xin-Bao; Wang, Man-Yi; Fan, Yu-Bo

2017-01-01

Background: Sacroiliac (SI) screw fixation is a demanding technique, with a high rate of screw malposition due to the complex pelvic anatomy. TiRobot™ is an orthopedic surgery robot which can be used for SI screw fixation. This study aimed to evaluate the accuracy of robot-assisted placement of SI screws compared with a freehand technique. Methods: Thirty patients requiring posterior pelvic ring stabilization were randomized to receive freehand or robot-assisted SI screw fixation, between January 2016 and June 2016 at Beijing Jishuitan Hospital. Forty-five screws were placed at levels S1 and S2. In both methods, the primary end point screw position was assessed and classified using postoperative computed tomography. Fisher's exact probability test was used to analyze the screws’ positions. Secondary end points, such as duration of trajectory planning, surgical time after reduction of the pelvis, insertion time for guide wire, number of guide wire attempts, and radiation exposure without pelvic reduction, were also assessed. Results: Twenty-three screws were placed in the robot-assisted group and 22 screws in the freehand group; no postoperative complications or revisions were reported. The excellent and good rate of screw placement was 100% in the robot-assisted group and 95% in the freehand group. The P value (0.009) showed the same superiority in screw distribution. The fluoroscopy time after pelvic reduction in the robot-assisted group was significantly shorter than that in the freehand group (median [Q1, Q3]: 6.0 [6.0, 9.0] s vs. median [Q1, Q3]: 36.0 [21.5, 48.0] s; χ2 = 13.590, respectively, P < 0.001); no difference in operation time after reduction of the pelvis was noted (χ2 = 1.990, P = 0.158). Time for guide wire insertion was significantly shorter for the robot-assisted group than that for the freehand group (median [Q1, Q3]: 2.0 [2.0, 2.7] min vs. median [Q1, Q3]: 19.0 [15.5, 45.0] min; χ2 = 20.952, respectively, P < 0.001). The number of guide

Retention of robot-assisted surgical skills in urological surgeons acquired using Mimic dV-Trainer.

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Teishima, Jun; Hattori, Minoru; Inoue, Shogo; Ikeda, Kenichiro; Hieda, Keisuke; Ohara, Shinya; Egi, Hiroyuki; Ohdan, Hideki; Matsubara, Akio

2014-07-01

We assess the retention of robot-assisted surgical skills among urologic surgeons. The robot-assisted surgery skills of 20 urologic surgeons were assessed using a Mimic dV-Trainer program (Mimic Technologies, Inc., Seattle, WA) consisting of 6 tasks. These 20 surgeons had no previous experience either using the Mimic dV-Trainer or acting as the main surgeon in robot-assisted surgery. The surgeons completed the program 4 times in a row; after 1 year, they completed it again for a fifth time. Performance scores were recorded using the Mimic dV-Trainer's built-in algorithm. For all 6 tasks, there were significant improvements to the scores in the fourth trials compared with those in the first trials. The scores in the fifth trials did not significantly decline compared with those in the fourth trials. There was no significant difference between the fifth trial scores of surgeons with laparoscopic surgery skills/experience and those without. Our results indicate that fundamental robot-assisted surgical skills can be retained in the long-term after they are acquired.

Comparison of endoscope- versus microscope-assisted resection of deep-seated intracranial lesions using a minimally invasive port retractor system.

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Hong, Christopher S; Prevedello, Daniel M; Elder, J Bradley

2016-03-01

Tubular brain retractors may improve access to deep-seated brain lesions while potentially reducing the risks of collateral neurological injury associated with standard microsurgical approaches. Here, microscope-assisted resection of lesions using tubular retractors is assessed to determine if it is superior to endoscope-assisted surgery due to the technological advancements associated with modern tubular ports and surgical microscopes. Following institutional approval of the tubular port, data obtained from the initial 20 patients to undergo transportal resection of deep-seated brain lesions were analyzed in this study. The pathological entities of the resected tissues included metastatic tumors (8 patients), glioma (7), meningioma (1), neurocytoma (1), radiation necrosis (1), primitive neuroectodermal tumor (1), and hemangioblastoma (1). Surgery incorporated endoscopic (5 patients) or microscopic (15) assistance. The locations included the basal ganglia (11 patients), cerebellum (4), frontal lobe (2), temporal lobe (2), and parietal lobe (1). Cases were reviewed for neurological outcomes, extent of resection (EOR), and complications. Technical data for the port, surgical microscope, and endoscope were analyzed. EOR was considered total in 14 (70%), near total (> 95%) in 4 (20%), and subtotal (microscope rather than the endoscope due to a wider and 3D field of view. Improved microscope optics and tubular retractor design allows for binocular vision with improved lighting for the resection of deep-seated brain lesions.

Robotic-assisted transoral removal of a bilateral floor of mouth ranulas

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Stromeyer Frederick W

2011-07-01

Full Text Available Abstract Objective To describe the management of bilateral oral ranulas with the use of the da Vinci Si Surgical System and discuss advantages and disadvantages over traditional transoral resection. Study Design Case Report and Review of Literature. Results A 47 year old woman presented to our service with an obvious right floor of mouth swelling. Clinical evaluation and computerized tomography scan confirmed a large floor of mouth ranula on the right and an incidental asymptomatic early ranula of the left sublingual gland. After obtaining an informed consent, the patient underwent a right transoral robotic-assisted transoral excision of the ranula and sublingual gland with identification and dissection of the submandibular duct and lingual nerve. The patient had an excellent outcome with no evidence of lingual nerve paresis and a return to oral intake on the first postoperative day. Subsequently, the patient underwent an elective transoral robotic-assisted excision of the incidental ranula on the left sublingual gland. Conclusion We describe the first robotic-assisted excision of bilateral oral ranulas in current literature. The use of the da Vinci system provides excellent visualization, magnification, and dexterity for transoral surgical management of ranulas with preservation of the lingual nerve and Wharton's duct with good functional outcomes. However, the use of the robotic system for anterior floor of mouth surgery in terms of improved surgical outcomes as compared to traditional transoral surgery, long-term recurrence rates, and cost effectiveness needs further validation.

Robot-assisted automatic ultrasound calibration.

Science.gov (United States)

Aalamifar, Fereshteh; Cheng, Alexis; Kim, Younsu; Hu, Xiao; Zhang, Haichong K; Guo, Xiaoyu; Boctor, Emad M

2016-10-01

Ultrasound (US) calibration is the process of determining the unknown transformation from a coordinate frame such as the robot's tooltip to the US image frame and is a necessary task for any robotic or tracked US system. US calibration requires submillimeter-range accuracy for most applications, but it is a time-consuming and repetitive task. We provide a new framework for automatic US calibration with robot assistance and without the need for temporal calibration. US calibration based on active echo (AE) phantom was previously proposed, and its superiority over conventional cross-wire phantom-based calibration was shown. In this work, we use AE to guide the robotic arm motion through the process of data collection; we combine the capability of the AE point to localize itself in the frame of the US image with the automatic motion of the robotic arm to provide a framework for calibrating the arm to the US image automatically. We demonstrated the efficacy of the automated method compared to the manual method through experiments. To highlight the necessity of frequent ultrasound calibration, it is demonstrated that the calibration precision changed from 1.67 to 3.20 mm if the data collection is not repeated after a dismounting/mounting of the probe holder. In a large data set experiment, similar reconstruction precision of automatic and manual data collection was observed, while the time was reduced by 58 %. In addition, we compared ten automatic calibrations with ten manual ones, each performed in 15 min, and showed that all the automatic ones could converge in the case of setting the initial matrix as identity, while this was not achieved by manual data sets. Given the same initial matrix, the repeatability of the automatic was [0.46, 0.34, 0.80, 0.47] versus [0.42, 0.51, 0.98, 1.15] mm in the manual case for the US image four corners. The submillimeter accuracy requirement of US calibration makes frequent data collections unavoidable. We proposed an automated

Assist-as-needed robotic trainer based on reinforcement learning and its application to dart-throwing.

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Obayashi, Chihiro; Tamei, Tomoya; Shibata, Tomohiro

2014-05-01

This paper proposes a novel robotic trainer for motor skill learning. It is user-adaptive inspired by the assist-as-needed principle well known in the field of physical therapy. Most previous studies in the field of the robotic assistance of motor skill learning have used predetermined desired trajectories, and it has not been examined intensively whether these trajectories were optimal for each user. Furthermore, the guidance hypothesis states that humans tend to rely too much on external assistive feedback, resulting in interference with the internal feedback necessary for motor skill learning. A few studies have proposed a system that adjusts its assistive strength according to the user's performance in order to prevent the user from relying too much on the robotic assistance. There are, however, problems in these studies, in that a physical model of the user's motor system is required, which is inherently difficult to construct. In this paper, we propose a framework for a robotic trainer that is user-adaptive and that neither requires a specific desired trajectory nor a physical model of the user's motor system, and we achieve this using model-free reinforcement learning. We chose dart-throwing as an example motor-learning task as it is one of the simplest throwing tasks, and its performance can easily be and quantitatively measured. Training experiments with novices, aiming at maximizing the score with the darts and minimizing the physical robotic assistance, demonstrate the feasibility and plausibility of the proposed framework. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Harmonic focus in thyroidectomy for substernal goiter

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hahn, Christoffer Holst; Trolle, Waldemar; Sørensen, Christian Hjort

2015-01-01

, hospital stay and complications. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Prospective non-randomised study of 242 consecutive patients with substernal goiter out of 2258 patients (11%) who underwent thyroidectomy. A total of 121 patients had thyroidectomy performed with bipolar electrocoagulation and knot-tying techniques...

Walking with robot assistance: the influence of body weight support on the trunk and pelvis kinematics.

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Swinnen, Eva; Baeyens, Jean-Pierre; Knaepen, Kristel; Michielsen, Marc; Hens, Gerrit; Clijsen, Ron; Goossens, Maggie; Buyl, Ronald; Meeusen, Romain; Kerckhofs, Eric

2015-05-01

The goal was to assess in healthy participants the three-dimensional kinematics of the pelvis and the trunk during robot-assisted treadmill walking (RATW) at 0%, 30% and 50% body weight support (BWS), compared with treadmill walking (TW). 18 healthy participants walked (2 kmph) on a treadmill with and without robot assistance (Lokomat; 60% guidance force; 0%, 30% and 50% BWS). After an acclimatisation period (four minutes), trunk and pelvis kinematics were registered in each condition (Polhemus Liberty [240 Hz]). The results were analysed using a repeated measures analysis of variance with Bonferroni correction, with the level of suspension as within-subject factor. During RATW with BWS, there were significantly (1) smaller antero-posterior and lateral translations of the trunk and the pelvis; (2) smaller antero-posterior flexion and axial rotation of the trunk; (3) larger lateral flexion of the trunk; and (4) larger antero-posterior tilting of the pelvis compared with TW. There are significant differences in trunk and pelvis kinematics in healthy persons during TW with and without robot assistance. These data are relevant in gait rehabilitation, relating to normal balance regulation. Additional research is recommended to further assess the influence of robot assistance on human gait. The trunk and pelvis moves in a different way during walking with robot assistance. The data suggest that the change in movement is due to the robot device and the harness of the suspension system more than due to the level of suspension itself.

Socio-technological imaginaries, assistive robotics and transformation of care

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nickelsen, Niels Christian Mossfeldt

The media and political/managerial levels focus on the opportunities to re-perform Denmark through digitization. Feeding assistive robotics (FAR) is a welfare technology, relevant to citizens with no function in their arms. Despite national dissemination strategies, it proves difficult to recruit...

Socio-technological imaginaries, assistive robotics and transformation of care

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nickelsen, Niels Christian Mossfeldt; Simonsen Abildgaard, Johan

2018-01-01

The media and political/managerial levels focus on the opportunities to re-perform Denmark through digitization. Feeding assistive robotics (FAR) is a welfare technology, relevant to citizens with no function in their arms. Despite national dissemination strategies, it proves difficult to recruit...

Initial experience with the new da Vinci single-port robot-assisted platform.

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Ballestero Diego, R; Zubillaga Guerrero, S; Truan Cacho, D; Carrion Ballardo, C; Velilla Diez, G; Calleja Hermosa, P; Gutiérrez Baños, J L

2017-06-01

To describe our experience in the first cases of urological surgeries performed with the da Vinci single-port robot-assisted platform. We performed 5 single-port robot-assisted surgeries (R-LESS) between May and October 2014. We performed 3 ureteral reimplant surgeries, one ureteropyeloplasty in an inverted kidney and 1 partial nephrectomy. The perioperative and postoperative results were collected, as well as a report of the complications according to the Clavien classification system. Of the 5 procedures, 4 were performed completely by LESS, while 1 procedure was reconverted to multiport robot-assisted surgery. There were no intraoperative complications. We observed perioperative complications in 4 patients, all of which were grade 1 or 2. The mean surgical time was 262minutes (range, 230-300). In our initial experience with the da Vinci device, R-LESS surgery was feasible and safe. There are still a number of limitations in its use, which require new and improved R-LESS platforms. Copyright © 2016 AEU. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

Direct target NOTES: prospective applications for next generation robotic platforms.

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Atallah, S; Hodges, A; Larach, S W

2018-05-01

A new era in surgical robotics has centered on alternative access to anatomic targets and next generation designs include flexible, single-port systems which follow circuitous rather than straight pathways. Such systems maintain a small footprint and could be utilized for specialized operations based on direct organ target natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery (NOTES), of which transanal total mesorectal excision (taTME) is an important derivative. During two sessions, four direct target NOTES operations were conducted on a cadaveric model using a flexible robotic system to demonstrate proof-of-concept of the application of a next generation robotic system to specific types of NOTES operations, all of which required removal of a direct target organ through natural orifice access. These four operations were (a) robotic taTME, (b) robotic transvaginal hysterectomy in conjunction with (c) robotic transvaginal salpingo-oophorectomy, and in an ex vivo model, (d) trans-cecal appendectomy. Feasibility was demonstrated in all cases using the Flex ® Robotic System with Colorectal Drive. During taTME, the platform excursion was 17 cm along a non-linear path; operative time was 57 min for the transanal portion of the dissection. Robotic transvaginal hysterectomy was successfully completed in 78 min with transvaginal extraction of the uterus, although laparoscopic assistance was required. Robotic transvaginal unilateral salpingo-oophorectomy with transvaginal extraction of the ovary and fallopian tube was performed without laparoscopic assistance in 13.5 min. In an ex vivo model, a robotic trans-cecal appendectomy was also successfully performed for the purpose of demonstrating proof-of-concept only; this was completed in 24 min. A flexible robotic system has the potential to access anatomy along circuitous paths, making it a suitable platform for direct target NOTES. The conceptual operations posed could be considered suitable for next generation robotics once

Diode laser assisted minimal invasive sphenoidotomy for endoscopic transphenoidal pituitary surgery: our technique and results.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Jih-Chin; Lai, Wen-Sen; Ju, Da-Tong; Chu, Yueng-Hsiang; Yang, Jinn-Moon

2015-03-01

During endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS), intra-operative bleeding can significantly compromise visualization of the surgical field. The diode laser that provides good hemostatic and vaporization effects and excellent photocoagulation has been successfully applied in endoscopic surgery with several advantages. The current retrospective study demonstrates the feasibility of diode laser-combined endoscopic sinus surgery on sphenoidotomy. The patients who went through endoscopic transphenoidal pituitary surgery were enrolled. During the operation, the quality of the surgical field was assessed and graded by the operating surgeon using the scale proposed by Boezaart. The mean operation time was 37.80 ± 10.90 minutes. The mean score on the quality of surgical field was 1.95. A positive correlation between the lower surgical field quality score and the shorter surgical time was found with statistical significance (P diode laser-assisted sphenoidotomy is a reliable and safe approach of pituitary gland surgery with minimal invasiveness. It is found that application of diode laser significantly improved quality of surgical field and shortened operation time. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Tele-care robot for assisting independent senior citizens who live at home.

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Katz, Reuven

2015-01-01

In the last twenty years most developed countries face dramatic demographic changes, and predominantly the rapid aging of their population. As the share of elderly people is climbing while the number of care providers is declining, the aging problem is becoming an increasingly important social and economic challenge. The supply of care at home, utilizing affordable tele-care systems and smart home technologies, is one of the promising strategies to cope with challenges posed by these demographic changes. The goal of this paper is to present a tele-care robot (TCR) aimed to assist Senior citizens who live independently at their home, that need assistance in daily life activities. The idea of the proposed system is that a caregiver, operating from a central location, will be able to service between 10 to 20 patients living at their home, by using the tele-care robot. The robot will possess motion control capabilities to move inside the house of each patient and alert in case that emergency events occur. The robot will allow the care provider to communicate remotely with the patient using audio and video equipment installed on the robot. By using the robot, the caregiver will be able to examine several times during the day the well-being of the patient, his medication consumption, and his overall functionality.

The First Korean Experience of Telemanipulative Robot-Assisted Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy Using the da Vinci System

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Kang, Chang Moo; Chi, Hoon Sang; Hyeung, Woo Jin; Kim, Kyung Sik; Choi, Jin Sub; Kim, Byong Ro

2007-01-01

With the advancement of laparoscopic instruments and computer sciences, complex surgical procedures are expected to be safely performed by robot assisted telemanipulative laparoscopic surgery. The da Vinci system (Intuitive Surgical, Mountain View, CA, USA) became available at the many surgical fields. The wrist like movements of the instrument's tip, as well as 3-dimensional vision, could be expected to facilitate more complex laparoscopic procedure. Here, we present the first Korean experience of da Vinci robotic assisted laparoscopic cholecystectomy and discuss the introduction and perspectives of this robotic system. PMID:17594166

Robotic-assisted laparoscopic hysterectomy for women with endometrial cancer

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Herling, Suzanne Forsyth; Møller, Ann M; Palle, Connie

2017-01-01

INTRODUCTION: Robotic-assisted laparoscopic hysterectomy (RALH) has become a widely used approach for women with endometrial cancer and has replaced laparotomy. It has been questioned if the increased costs are justified by superior surgical outcomes. The aim of the present study was to examine...

Robotic surgery

Science.gov (United States)

... with this type of surgery give it some advantages over standard endoscopic techniques. The surgeon can make ... Elsevier Saunders; 2015:chap 87. Muller CL, Fried GM. Emerging technology in surgery: Informatics, electronics, robotics. In: ...

[Robot-assisted Pylorus-Preserving Partial Pancreaticoduodenectomy (Kausch-Whipple Procedure)].

Science.gov (United States)

Aselmann, H; Egberts, J-H; Hinz, S; Jünemann, K-P; Becker, T

2016-04-01

The surgical treatment of pancreatic head tumours is one of the most complex procedures in general surgery. In contrast to colorectal surgery, minimally-invasive techniques are not very commonly applied in pancreatic surgery. Both the delicate dissection along peri- and retropancreatic vessels and the extrahepatic bile ducts and subsequent reconstruction are very demanding with rigid standard laparoscopic instruments. The 4-arm robotic surgery system with angled instruments, unidirectional movement of instruments with adjustable transmission, tremor elimination and a stable, surgeon-controlled 3D-HD view is a promising platform to overcome the limitations of standard laparoscopic surgery regarding precise dissection and reconstruction in pancreatic surgery. Pancreatic head resection for mixed-type IPMN of the pancreatic head. Robot-assisted, minimally-invasive pylorus-preserving pancreaticoduodenectomy (Kausch-Whipple procedure). The robotic approach is particularly suited for complex procedures such as pylorus-preserving pancreatic head resections. The fully robotic Kausch-Whipple procedure is technically feasible and safe. The advantages of the robotic system are apparent in the delicate dissection near vascular structures, in lymph node dissection, the precise dissection of the uncinate process and, especially, bile duct and pancreatic anastomosis. Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

Robot-assisted laparoscopic (RAL) procedures in general surgery.

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Alimoglu, Orhan; Sagiroglu, Julide; Atak, Ibrahim; Kilic, Ali; Eren, Tunc; Caliskan, Mujgan; Bas, Gurhan

2016-09-01

Robotics was introduced in clinical practice more than two decades ago, and it has gained remarkable popularity for a wide variety of laparoscopic procedures. We report our results of robot-assisted laparoscopic surgery (RALS) in the most commonly applied general surgical procedures. Ninety seven patients underwent RALS from 2009 to 2012. Indications for RALS were cholelithiasis, gastric carcinoma, splenic tumors, colorectal carcinoma, benign colorectal diseases, non-toxic nodular goiter and incisional hernia. Records of patients were analyzed for demographic features, intraoperative and postoperative complications and conversion to open surgery. Forty six female and 51 male patients were operated and mean age was 58,4 (range: 25-88). Ninety three out of 97 procedures (96%) were completed robotically, 4 were converted to open surgery and there were 15 postoperative complications. There was no mortality. Wide variety of procedures of general surgery can be managed safely and effectively by RALS. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Protecting the skin during thyroidectomy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Renan Bezerra Lira

Full Text Available In this note we describe the standard technical maneuver used in our department to protect the skin during thyroidectomy in order to get the best aesthetic result. We use surgical gloves to protect the skin during these operations to reduce the negative impact of thermal trauma and mechanical retractors and energy delivery devices at the edges of the skin incised. This practice is effective, inexpensive, rapid, reproducible and showed no complication in our experience of over 2,500 thyroidectomies.

Preliminary analysis of force-torque measurements for robot-assisted fracture surgery.

Science.gov (United States)

Georgilas, Ioannis; Dagnino, Giulio; Tarassoli, Payam; Atkins, Roger; Dogramadzi, Sanja

2015-08-01

Our group at Bristol Robotics Laboratory has been working on a new robotic system for fracture surgery that has been previously reported [1]. The robotic system is being developed for distal femur fractures and features a robot that manipulates the small fracture fragments through small percutaneous incisions and a robot that re-aligns the long bones. The robots controller design relies on accurate and bounded force and position parameters for which we require real surgical data. This paper reports preliminary findings of forces and torques applied during bone and soft tissue manipulation in typical orthopaedic surgery procedures. Using customised orthopaedic surgical tools we have collected data from a range of orthopaedic surgical procedures at Bristol Royal Infirmary, UK. Maximum forces and torques encountered during fracture manipulation which involved proximal femur and soft tissue distraction around it and reduction of neck of femur fractures have been recorded and further analysed in conjunction with accompanying image recordings. Using this data we are establishing a set of technical requirements for creating safe and dynamically stable minimally invasive robot-assisted fracture surgery (RAFS) systems.

Control strategies for effective robot assisted gait rehabilitation: the state of art and future prospects.

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Cao, Jinghui; Xie, Sheng Quan; Das, Raj; Zhu, Guo L

2014-12-01

A large number of gait rehabilitation robots, together with a variety of control strategies, have been developed and evaluated during the last decade. Initially, control strategies applied to rehabilitation robots were adapted from those applied to traditional industrial robots. However, these strategies cannot optimise effectiveness of gait rehabilitation. As a result, researchers have been investigating control strategies tailored for the needs of rehabilitation. Among these control strategies, assisted-as-needed (AAN) control is one of the most popular research topics in this field. AAN training strategies have gained the theoretical and practical evidence based backup from motor learning principles and clinical studies. Various approaches to AAN training have been proposed and investigated by research groups all around the world. This article presents a review on control algorithms of gait rehabilitation robots to summarise related knowledge and investigate potential trends of development. There are existing review papers on control strategies of rehabilitation robots. The review by Marchal-Crespo and Reinkensmeyer (2009) had a broad cover of control strategies of all kinds of rehabilitation robots. Hussain et al. (2011) had specifically focused on treadmill gait training robots and covered a limited number of control implementations on them. This review article encompasses more detailed information on control strategies for robot assisted gait rehabilitation, but is not limited to treadmill based training. It also investigates the potential to further develop assist-as-needed gait training based on assessments of patients' ability. In this paper, control strategies are generally divided into the trajectory tracking control and AAN control. The review covers these two basic categories, as well as other control algorithm and technologies derived from them, such as biofeedback control. Assessments on human gait ability are also included to investigate how to

Robot-assisted therapy for improving social interactions and activity participation among institutionalized older adults: a pilot study.

Science.gov (United States)

Sung, Huei-Chuan; Chang, Shu-Min; Chin, Mau-Yu; Lee, Wen-Li

2015-03-01

Animal-assisted therapy is gaining popularity as part of therapeutic activities for older adults in many long-term care facilities. However, concerns about dog bites, allergic responses to pets, disease, and insufficient available resources to care for a real pet have led to many residential care facilities to ban this therapy. There are situations where a substitute artificial companion, such as robotic pet, may serve as a better alternative. This pilot study used a one-group pre- and posttest design to evaluate the effect of a robot-assisted therapy for older adults. Sixteen eligible participants participated in the study and received a group robot-assisted therapy using a seal-like robot pet for 30 minutes twice a week for 4 weeks. All participants received assessments of their communication and interaction skills using the Assessment of Communication and Interaction Skills (ACIS-C) and activity participation using the Activity Participation Scale at baseline and at week 4. A total of 12 participants completed the study. Wilcoxon signed rank test showed that participants' communication and interaction skills (z = -2.94, P = 0.003) and activity participation (z = -2.66, P = 0.008) were significantly improved after receiving 4-week robot-assisted therapy. By interacting with a robot pet, such as Paro, the communication, interaction skills, and activity participation of the older adults can be improved. The robot-assisted therapy can be provided as a routine activity program and has the potential to improve social health of older adults in residential care facilities. Copyright © 2014 Wiley Publishing Asia Pty Ltd.

A human-oriented framework for developing assistive service robots.

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McGinn, Conor; Cullinan, Michael F; Culleton, Mark; Kelly, Kevin

2018-04-01

Multipurpose robots that can perform a range of useful tasks have the potential to increase the quality of life for many people living with disabilities. Owing to factors such as high system complexity, as-yet unresolved research questions and current technology limitations, there is a need for effective strategies to coordinate the development process. Integrating established methodologies based on human-centred design and universal design, a framework was formulated to coordinate the robot design process over successive iterations of prototype development. An account is given of how the framework was practically applied to the problem of developing a personal service robot. Application of the framework led to the formation of several design goals which addressed a wide range of identified user needs. The resultant prototype solution, which consisted of several component elements, succeeded in demonstrating the performance stipulated by all of the proposed metrics. Application of the framework resulted in the development of a complex prototype that addressed many aspects of the functional and usability requirements of a personal service robot. Following the process led to several important insights which directly benefit the development of subsequent prototypes. Implications for Rehabilitation This research shows how universal design might be used to formulate usability requirements for assistive service robots. A framework is presented that guides the process of designing service robots in a human-centred way. Through practical application of the framework, a prototype robot system that addressed a range of identified user needs was developed.

The use of socially assistive robots for dementia care.

Science.gov (United States)

Huschilt, Julie; Clune, Laurie

2012-10-01

Innovative solutions for dementia care are required to address the steady rise in adults living with dementia, lack of adequate staffing to provide high-quality dementia care, and the need for family caregivers to provide care for their loved ones in the home. This article provides an overview of the use of socially assistive robots (SARs) to offer support as therapists, companions, and educators for people living with dementia. Social, ethical, and legal challenges associated with the use of robotic technology in patient care and implications for the use of SARs by nurses are discussed. These items considered, the authors conclude that SARs should be considered as a viable way to assist people living with dementia to maintain their highest possible level of independence, enhance their quality of life, and provide support to overburdened family caregivers. Further research is needed to evaluate the merits of this technological approach in the care of adults with dementia. Copyright 2012, SLACK Incorporated.

Intelligent navigation and accurate positioning of an assist robot in indoor environments

Science.gov (United States)

Hua, Bin; Rama, Endri; Capi, Genci; Jindai, Mitsuru; Tsuri, Yosuke

2017-12-01

Intact robot's navigation and accurate positioning in indoor environments are still challenging tasks. Especially in robot applications, assisting disabled and/or elderly people in museums/art gallery environments. In this paper, we present a human-like navigation method, where the neural networks control the wheelchair robot to reach the goal location safely, by imitating the supervisor's motions, and positioning in the intended location. In a museum similar environment, the mobile robot starts navigation from various positions, and uses a low-cost camera to track the target picture, and a laser range finder to make a safe navigation. Results show that the neural controller with the Conjugate Gradient Backpropagation training algorithm gives a robust response to guide the mobile robot accurately to the goal position.

Multimodality gynecomastia repair by cross-chest power-assisted superficial liposuction combined with endoscopic-assisted pull-through excision.

Science.gov (United States)

Ramon, Ytzhack; Fodor, Lucian; Peled, Isaac J; Eldor, Liron; Egozi, Dana; Ullmann, Yehuda

2005-12-01

Numerous methods of gynecomastia repair have been described to accomplish removal of breast tissue. Our multimodality surgical approach for the treatment of gynecomastia combines the use of power-assisted superficial cross-chest liposuction with direct pull-through excision of the breast parenchyma under endoscopic supervision. Seventeen patients, aging 17-39, underwent this multimodality approach. According to Simon's grading, 3 patients had grade 1, 5 had grade 2a, 6 had grade 2b, and 3 had grade 3 gynecomastia. Power-assisted liposuction was performed with a 3- or 4-mm triple-hole cannula inserted through the contralateral periareolar medial incision to suction the contralateral prepectoral fatty breast. At the end of the liposuction, the fibrous tissue was easily pulled through the ipsilateral stab wound and excised under endoscopic control. Follow-up time ranged from 6 to 34 months. The amount of fat removed by liposuction varied from 100-800 mL per breast, and the amount of breast parenchyma removed by excision varied from 20-110 g. All patients recovered remarkably well. No complications were recorded. All patients were satisfied with their results. This technique enables an effective treatment of both the fatty and fibrous tissue of the male breast and avoids skin redundancy due to skin contraction. A smooth masculine breast contour is consistently achieved without the stigma of this type of surgery.

User-centric design of a personal assistance robot (FRASIER) for active aging.

Science.gov (United States)

Padir, Taşkin; Skorinko, Jeanine; Dimitrov, Velin

2015-01-01

We present our preliminary results from the design process for developing the Worcester Polytechnic Institute's personal assistance robot, FRASIER, as an intelligent service robot for enabling active aging. The robot capabilities include vision-based object detection, tracking the user and help with carrying heavy items such as grocery bags or cafeteria trays. This work-in-progress report outlines our motivation and approach to developing the next generation of service robots for the elderly. Our main contribution in this paper is the development of a set of specifications based on the adopted user-centered design process, and realization of the prototype system designed to meet these specifications.

Multidisciplinary approach for developing a new robotic system for domiciliary assistance to elderly people.

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Cavallo, F; Aquilano, M; Bonaccorsi, M; Mannari, I; Carrozza, M C; Dario, P

2011-01-01

This paper aims to show the effectiveness of a (inter / multi)disciplinary team, based on the technology developers, elderly care organizations, and designers, in developing the ASTRO robotic system for domiciliary assistance to elderly people. The main issues presented in this work concern the improvement of robot's behavior by means of a smart sensor network able to share information with the robot for localization and navigation, and the design of the robot's appearance and functionalities by means of a substantial analysis of users' requirements and attitude to robotic technology to improve acceptability and usability.

Overview of robotic colorectal surgery: Current and future practical developments

Science.gov (United States)

Roy, Sudipta; Evans, Charles

2016-01-01

Minimal access surgery has revolutionised colorectal surgery by offering reduced morbidity and mortality over open surgery, while maintaining oncological and functional outcomes with the disadvantage of additional practical challenges. Robotic surgery aids the surgeon in overcoming these challenges. Uptake of robotic assistance has been relatively slow, mainly because of the high initial and ongoing costs of equipment but also because of limited evidence of improved patient outcomes. Advances in robotic colorectal surgery will aim to widen the scope of minimal access surgery to allow larger and more complex surgery through smaller access and natural orifices and also to make the technology more economical, allowing wider dispersal and uptake of robotic technology. Advances in robotic endoscopy will yield self-advancing endoscopes and a widening role for capsule endoscopy including the development of motile and steerable capsules able to deliver localised drug therapy and insufflation as well as being recharged from an extracorporeal power source to allow great longevity. Ultimately robotic technology may advance to the point where many conventional surgical interventions are no longer required. With respect to nanotechnology, surgery may eventually become obsolete. PMID:26981188

Admittance-Based Upper Limb Robotic Active and Active-Assistive Movements

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cristóbal Ochoa Luna

2015-09-01

Full Text Available This paper presents two rehabilitation schemes for patients with upper limb impairments. The first is an active-assistive scheme based on the trajectory tracking of predefined paths in Cartesian space. In it, the system allows for an adjustable degree of variation with respect to ideal tracking. The amount of variation is determined through an admittance function that depends on the opposition forces exerted on the system by the user, due to possible impairments. The coefficients of the function allow the adjustment of the degree of assistance the robot will provide in order to complete the target trajectory. The second scheme corresponds to active movements in a constrained space. Here, the same admittance function is applied; however, in this case, it is unattached to a predefined trajectory and instead connected to one generated in real time, according to the user's intended movements. This allows the user to move freely with the robot in order to track a given path. The free movement is bounded through the use of virtual walls that do not allow users to exceed certain limits. A human-machine interface was developed to guide the robot's user.

Endoscopic-assisted osteotomies for the treatment of craniosynostosis.

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Hinojosa, J; Esparza, J; Muñoz, M J

2007-12-01

The development of multidisciplinar units for Craniofacial Surgery has led to better postoperative results and a considerable decrease in morbidity in the treatment of complex craniofacial patients. Standard correction of craniosynostosis involves calvarial remodeling, often considerable blood losses that need to be replaced and lengthy hospital stay. The use of minimally invasive techniques for the correction of some of these malformations are widespread and allows the surgeon to minimize the incidence of complications by means of a decreased surgical time, blood salvage, and shortening of postoperative hospitalization in comparison to conventional craniofacial techniques. Simple and milder craniosynostosis are best approached by endoscopy-assisted osteotomies and render the best results. Extended procedures other than simple suturectomies have been described for more severe patients. Different osteotomies resembling standard fronto-orbital have been developed for the correction, and the use of postoperative cranial orthesis may improve the final cosmetic appearance. Thus, endoscopic-assisted procedures differ from the simple strategy of single suture resection that rendered insufficient results in the past, and different approaches can be tailored to solve these cases in patients in the setting of a case-to-case bases.

Endoscope-assisted breast reconstruction. 1. Immediate breast reconstruction after lateral quadrantectomy with endoscopically harvested latissimus dorsi muscle flap

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Satake, Toshihiko; Hasegawa, Takamitsu; Kurihara, Kazunao; Kudo, Tetsuya; Kim, Shiei; Wakamatsu, Shingo.

1996-01-01

Breast conserving therapy (BCT) now is widely accepted in Japan. Quadrantectomy has been chosen from among the several available breast conserving operations for its minimal recurrence rate. Quadrantectomy, or excision of one-quarter volume of the breast, leaves a moderate degree of deformity which diminishes the quality of life. The authors have introduced immediate post-ectomy breast reconstruction utilizing an endoscopically harvested latissimus dorsi (LD) muscle flap which results in a minimal donor site scar. Five cases of endoscope-assisted LD muscle reconstruction of a quadrantectomized breast have been followed by irradiation therapy. Prior to reconstruction, with the patient in the supine position, quadrantectomy and dissection of axillary lymphnodes are performed through an incision extending from the anterior axillary to the inflamammary line. The patient then is placed in the lateral supine position. LD muscle flap dissection by electrocautery begins through the initial incision. Dissections of posterior portions of the muscle continue, under endoscopic visualization, through one or two ports along the anterior margin of the muscle. Moderate amount of adipose tissue is left attached to the muscle to obtain full augmentation. The raised flap then is transferred and secured to the post-quandrantectomy defect. Some post-irradiation shrinkage of the inserted LD muscle has been a common occurrence of breast reconstruction. An ample amount of adipose tissue left attached to the muscle margin will solve this matter since fatty tissue is more resistant to post-irradiation atrophy. (J.P.N.)

Endoscope-assisted breast reconstruction. 1. Immediate breast reconstruction after lateral quadrantectomy with endoscopically harvested latissimus dorsi muscle flap

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Satake, Toshihiko; Hasegawa, Takamitsu; Kurihara, Kazunao; Kudo, Tetsuya; Kim, Shiei [Kawaguchi Municipal Medical Center, Saitama (Japan); Wakamatsu, Shingo

1996-08-01

Breast conserving therapy (BCT) now is widely accepted in Japan. Quadrantectomy has been chosen from among the several available breast conserving operations for its minimal recurrence rate. Quadrantectomy, or excision of one-quarter volume of the breast, leaves a moderate degree of deformity which diminishes the quality of life. The authors have introduced immediate post-ectomy breast reconstruction utilizing an endoscopically harvested latissimus dorsi (LD) muscle flap which results in a minimal donor site scar. Five cases of endoscope-assisted LD muscle reconstruction of a quadrantectomized breast have been followed by irradiation therapy. Prior to reconstruction, with the patient in the supine position, quadrantectomy and dissection of axillary lymphnodes are performed through an incision extending from the anterior axillary to the inflamammary line. The patient then is placed in the lateral supine position. LD muscle flap dissection by electrocautery begins through the initial incision. Dissections of posterior portions of the muscle continue, under endoscopic visualization, through one or two ports along the anterior margin of the muscle. Moderate amount of adipose tissue is left attached to the muscle to obtain full augmentation. The raised flap then is transferred and secured to the post-quandrantectomy defect. Some post-irradiation shrinkage of the inserted LD muscle has been a common occurrence of breast reconstruction. An ample amount of adipose tissue left attached to the muscle margin will solve this matter since fatty tissue is more resistant to post-irradiation atrophy. (J.P.N.)

Incidental cancer in multinodular goitre post thyroidectomy

African Journals Online (AJOL)

of choice to rule out cancer in patients presenting with MNG is fine- ... Method. Records of patients who underwent thyroidectomy between January 2005 and December 2010 at Chris Hani .... each of benign goitre and atypical cells, one Hurthle cell lesion .... 6%) in their retrospective audit of MNG post thyroidectomy. The.

Robot-assisted single port radical nephrectomy and cholecystectomy: description and technical aspects.

Science.gov (United States)

Mota Filho, Francisco Hidelbrando Alves; Sávio, Luis Felipe; Sakata, Rafael Eiji; Ivanovic, Renato Fidelis; da Silva, Marco Antonio Nunes; Maia, Ronaldo; Passerotti, Carlo

2018-01-01

Robot-Assisted Single Site Radical Nephrectomy (RASS-RN) has been reported by surgeons in Europe and United States (1-3). To our best knowledge this video presents the first RASS-RN with concomitant cholecystectomy performed in Latin America. A 66 year-old renal transplant male due to chronic renal failure presented with an incidental 1.3cm nodule in the upper pole of the right kidney. In addition, symptomatic gallbladder stones were detected. Patient was placed in modified flank position. Multichannel single port device was placed using Hassan's technique through a 3cm supra-umbilical incision. Standard radical nephrectomy and cholecystectomy were made using na 8.5mm camera, two 5mm robotic arms and an assistant 5mm access. Surgery time and estimated blood loss were 208 minutes and 100mL, respectively. Patient did well and was discharged within less than 48 hours, without complications. Pathology report showed benign renomedullary tumor of interstitial cells and chronic cholecystitis. Robotic technology improves ergonomics, gives better precision and enhances ability to approach complex surgeries. Robot-assisted Single Port aims to reduce the morbidity of multiple trocar placements while maintaining the advantages of robotic surgery (2). Limitations include the use of semi-rigid instruments providing less degree of motion and limited space leading to crash between instruments. On the other hand, it is possible to perform complex and concomitant surgeries with just one incision. RASS-RN seems to be safe and feasible option for selected cases. Studies should be performed to better understand the results using single port technique in Urology. Copyright® by the International Brazilian Journal of Urology.

Robot-assisted single port radical nephrectomy and cholecystectomy: description and technical aspects

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Francisco Hidelbrando Alves Mota Filho

Full Text Available ABSTRACT Introduction Robot-Assisted Single Site Radical Nephrectomy (RASS-RN has been reported by surgeons in Europe and United States (1–3. To our best knowledge this video presents the first RASS-RN with concomitant cholecystectomy performed in Latin America. Case A 66 year-old renal transplant male due to chronic renal failure presented with an incidental 1.3cm nodule in the upper pole of the right kidney. In addition, symptomatic gallbladder stones were detected. Results Patient was placed in modified flank position. Multichannel single port device was placed using Hassan's technique through a 3 cm supra-umbilical incision. Standard radical nephrectomy and cholecystectomy were made using an 8.5mm camera, two 5mm robotic arms and an assistant 5mm access. Surgery time and estimated blood loss were 208 minutes and 100mL, respectively. Patient did well and was discharged within less than 48 hours, without complications. Pathology report showed benign renomedullary tumor of interstitial cells and chronic cholecystitis. Discussion Robotic technology improves ergonomics, gives better precision and enhances ability to approach complex surgeries. Robot-assisted Single Port aims to reduce the morbidity of multiple trocar placements while maintaining the advantages of robotic surgery (2. Limitations include the use of semi-rigid instruments providing less degree of motion and limited space leading to crash between instruments. On the other hand, it is possible to perform complex and concomitant surgeries with just one incision. Conclusion RASS-RN seems to be safe and feasible option for selected cases. Studies should be performed to better understand the results using single port technique in Urology.

Hypocalcaemia following total thyroidectomy: An analysis of 806 patients

OpenAIRE

Nair, C. Gopalakrishnan; Babu, Misha J. C.; Menon, Riju; Jacob, Pradeep

2013-01-01

Background: Permanent hypocalcaemia following thyroidectomy causes considerable morbidity. This prospective observational study aims to define the factors likely to predict hypocalcaemia following total thyroidectomy. Materials and Methods: Patients who were subjected to total thyroidectomy during January 2005 to December 2009 were followed up for a minimum period of 1 year. Efficacy of an intraoperative parathyroid hormone assay to predict hypocalcaemia was validated. Results: Overall incide...

Current status of robotic stroke rehabilitation and opportunities for a cyber-physically assisted upper limb stroke rehabilitation

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Li, C.; Rusak, Z.; Horvath, I.; Ji, L.; Hou, Y.

2014-01-01

In the last two decades, robotics-assisted stroke reha-bilitation has been wide-spread, in particular for movement rehabilitation of upper limbs. Several studies have reported on the clinical effectiveness of this kind of therapy. The results of these studies show that robot assisted therapy can be

EXPERIENCE WITH ROBOTIC LUMЕNIS CO LASER IN ENDOSCOPIC LARYNGEAL SURGERY

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

E. N. Novozhilova

2014-01-01

Full Text Available  2 The paper describes the first experience in using robotic CO laser at the Department of Head and Neck Tumors, Moscow City Cancer Hospital Sixty-Two. With advances in endoscopic techniques and anesthesiology, there have been new possibilities of usingdirect (rigid larygoscopy in conjunction with laser systems.The Lumеnis laser assembly consists of three interconnected components: a videocamera, an operating microscope, and directly CO laser. It includes a computer system that sets a program to perform an operation.The heart of the laser system is a scanning Digital Acu Blade micromanipulator. This unique assembly makes itpossible to control the area and depth of incision, to cut intricate shapes in relation to the surface anatomy, and to precisely control ablation and hemostasis. The effect of tissue carbonization during surgery is minimal at the expense of the physical characteristics and different modes of radiation. It is noted that this system allows organ-sparing treatment in cancer patients and their prompt rehabilitation after surgical interventions.

Development of stereo endoscope system with its innovative master interface for continuous surgical operation.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Myungjoon; Lee, Chiwon; Hong, Nhayoung; Kim, Yoon Jae; Kim, Sungwan

2017-06-24

Although robotic laparoscopic surgery has various benefits when compared with conventional open surgery and minimally invasive surgery, it also has issues to overcome and one of the issues is the discontinuous surgical flow that occurs whenever control is swapped between the endoscope system and the operating robot arm system. This can lead to problems such as collision between surgical instruments, injury to patients, and increased operation time. To achieve continuous surgical operation, a wireless controllable stereo endoscope system is proposed which enables the simultaneous control of the operating robot arm system and the endoscope system. The proposed system consists of two improved novel master interfaces (iNMIs), a four-degrees of freedom (4-DOFs) endoscope control system (ECS), and a simple three-dimensional (3D) endoscope. In order to simultaneously control the proposed system and patient side manipulators of da Vinci research kit (dVRK), the iNMIs are installed to the master tool manipulators of dVRK system. The 4-DOFs ECS consists of four servo motors and employs a two-parallel link structure to provide translational and fulcrum point motion to the simple 3D endoscope. The images acquired by the endoscope undergo stereo calibration and rectification to provide a clear 3D vision to the surgeon as available in clinically used da Vinci surgical robot systems. Tests designed to verify the accuracy, data transfer time, and power consumption of the iNMIs were performed. The workspace was calculated to estimate clinical applicability and a modified peg transfer task was conducted with three novice volunteers. The iNMIs operated for 317 min and moved in accordance with the surgeon's desire with a mean latency of 5 ms. The workspace was calculated to be 20378.3 cm 3 , which exceeds the reference workspace of 549.5 cm 3 . The novice volunteers were able to successfully execute the modified peg transfer task designed to evaluate the proposed system's overall

Effects of realistic force feedback in a robotic assisted minimally invasive surgery system.

Science.gov (United States)

Moradi Dalvand, Mohsen; Shirinzadeh, Bijan; Nahavandi, Saeid; Smith, Julian

2014-06-01

Robotic assisted minimally invasive surgery systems not only have the advantages of traditional laparoscopic procedures but also restore the surgeon's hand-eye coordination and improve the surgeon's precision by filtering hand tremors. Unfortunately, these benefits have come at the expense of the surgeon's ability to feel. Several research efforts have already attempted to restore this feature and study the effects of force feedback in robotic systems. The proposed methods and studies have some shortcomings. The main focus of this research is to overcome some of these limitations and to study the effects of force feedback in palpation in a more realistic fashion. A parallel robot assisted minimally invasive surgery system (PRAMiSS) with force feedback capabilities was employed to study the effects of realistic force feedback in palpation of artificial tissue samples. PRAMiSS is capable of actually measuring the tip/tissue interaction forces directly from the surgery site. Four sets of experiments using only vision feedback, only force feedback, simultaneous force and vision feedback and direct manipulation were conducted to evaluate the role of sensory feedback from sideways tip/tissue interaction forces with a scale factor of 100% in characterising tissues of varying stiffness. Twenty human subjects were involved in the experiments for at least 1440 trials. Friedman and Wilcoxon signed-rank tests were employed to statistically analyse the experimental results. Providing realistic force feedback in robotic assisted surgery systems improves the quality of tissue characterization procedures. Force feedback capability also increases the certainty of characterizing soft tissues compared with direct palpation using the lateral sides of index fingers. The force feedback capability can improve the quality of palpation and characterization of soft tissues of varying stiffness by restoring sense of touch in robotic assisted minimally invasive surgery operations.

Consistency of performance of robot-assisted surgical tasks in virtual reality.

Science.gov (United States)

Suh, I H; Siu, K-C; Mukherjee, M; Monk, E; Oleynikov, D; Stergiou, N

2009-01-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate consistency of performance of robot-assisted surgical tasks in a virtual reality environment. Eight subjects performed two surgical tasks, bimanual carrying and needle passing, with both the da Vinci surgical robot and a virtual reality equivalent environment. Nonlinear analysis was utilized to evaluate consistency of performance by calculating the regularity and the amount of divergence in the movement trajectories of the surgical instrument tips. Our results revealed that movement patterns for both training tasks were statistically similar between the two environments. Consistency of performance as measured by nonlinear analysis could be an appropriate methodology to evaluate the complexity of the training tasks between actual and virtual environments and assist in developing better surgical training programs.

Clinical assessment of diode laser-assisted endoscopic intrasphenoidal vidian neurectomy in the treatment of refractory rhinitis.

Science.gov (United States)

Lai, Wen-Sen; Cheng, Sheng-Yao; Lin, Yuan-Yung; Yang, Pei-Lin; Lin, Hung-Che; Cheng, Li-Hsiang; Yang, Jinn-Moon; Lee, Jih-Chin

2017-12-01

For chronic rhinitis that is refractory to medical therapy, surgical intervention such as endoscopic vidian neurectomy (VN) can be used to control the intractable symptoms. Lasers can contribute to minimizing the invasiveness of ENT surgery. The aim of this retrospective study is to compare in patients who underwent diode laser-assisted versus traditional VN in terms of operative time, surgical field, quality of life, and postoperative complications. All patients had refractory rhinitis with a poor treatment response to a 6-month trial of corticosteroid nasal sprays and underwent endoscopic VN between November 2006 and September 2015. They were non-randomly allocated into either a cold instrument group or a diode laser-assisted group. Vidian nerve was excised with a 940-nm continuous wave diode laser through a 600-μm silica optical fiber, utilizing a contact mode with the power set at 5 W. A visual analog scale (VAS) was used to grade the severity of the rhinitis symptoms for quality of life assessment before the surgery and 6 months after. Of the 118 patients enrolled in the study, 75 patients underwent cold instrument VN and 43 patients underwent diode laser-assisted VN. Patients in the laser-assisted group had a significantly lower surgical field score and a lower postoperative bleeding rate than those in the cold instrument group. Changes in the VAS were significant in preoperative and postoperative nasal symptoms in each group. The application of diode lasers for vidian nerve transection showed a better surgical field and a lower incidence of postoperative hemorrhage. Recent advancements in laser application and endoscopic technique has made VN safer and more effective. We recommend this surgical approach as a reliable and effective treatment for patients with refractory rhinitis.

Redefining robot based technologies for elderly people assistance: a survey

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pagliarini, Luigi; Lund, Henrik Hautop

2016-01-01

, learning-speed, efficiency, short and long-term effect, active vs. passive, etc. We do so by showing the most important existing examples, and by taking into account all the possible factors that might help researchers when thinking of developing appropriate technologies for elderly care, as well as......, for their relative assistance personnel. Indeed, while in rehabilitation robotics, a major role is played by the human-machine interface (HMI) used to gather the patient's intent from biological signals, and convert them into control signals for the robotic artefacts, surprisingly, decades of research have not yet...

Movement Performance of Human-Robot Cooperation Control Based on EMG-Driven Hill-Type and Proportional Models for an Ankle Power-Assist Exoskeleton Robot.

Science.gov (United States)

Ao, Di; Song, Rong; Gao, JinWu

2017-08-01

Although the merits of electromyography (EMG)-based control of powered assistive systems have been certified, the factors that affect the performance of EMG-based human-robot cooperation, which are very important, have received little attention. This study investigates whether a more physiologically appropriate model could improve the performance of human-robot cooperation control for an ankle power-assist exoskeleton robot. To achieve the goal, an EMG-driven Hill-type neuromusculoskeletal model (HNM) and a linear proportional model (LPM) were developed and calibrated through maximum isometric voluntary dorsiflexion (MIVD). The two control models could estimate the real-time ankle joint torque, and HNM is more accurate and can account for the change of the joint angle and muscle dynamics. Then, eight healthy volunteers were recruited to wear the ankle exoskeleton robot and complete a series of sinusoidal tracking tasks in the vertical plane. With the various levels of assist based on the two calibrated models, the subjects were instructed to track the target displayed on the screen as accurately as possible by performing ankle dorsiflexion and plantarflexion. Two measurements, the root mean square error (RMSE) and root mean square jerk (RMSJ), were derived from the assistant torque and kinematic signals to characterize the movement performances, whereas the amplitudes of the recorded EMG signals from the tibialis anterior (TA) and the gastrocnemius (GAS) were obtained to reflect the muscular efforts. The results demonstrated that the muscular effort and smoothness of tracking movements decreased with an increase in the assistant ratio. Compared with LPM, subjects made lower physical efforts and generated smoother movements when using HNM, which implied that a more physiologically appropriate model could enable more natural and human-like human-robot cooperation and has potential value for improvement of human-exoskeleton interaction in future applications.

The Evolution of Image-Free Robotic Assistance in Unicompartmental Knee Arthroplasty.

Science.gov (United States)

Lonner, Jess H; Moretti, Vincent M

2016-01-01

Semiautonomous robotic technology has been introduced to optimize accuracy of bone preparation, implant positioning, and soft tissue balance in unicompartmental knee arthroplasty (UKA), with the expectation that there will be a resultant improvement in implant durability and survivorship. Currently, roughly one-fifth of UKAs in the US are being performed with robotic assistance, and it is anticipated that there will be substantial growth in market penetration of robotics over the next decade. First-generation robotic technology improved substantially implant position compared to conventional methods; however, high capital costs, uncertainty regarding the value of advanced technologies, and the need for preoperative computed tomography (CT) scans were barriers to broader adoption. Newer image-free semiautonomous robotic technology optimizes both implant position and soft tissue balance, without the need for preoperative CT scans and with pricing and portability that make it suitable for use in an ambulatory surgery center setting, where approximately 40% of these systems are currently being utilized. This article will review the robotic experience for UKA, including rationale, system descriptions, and outcomes.

Dissecção endoscópica da artéria torácica interna com auxílio robótico Endoscopic harvest of internal thoracic artery with robotic assistance

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Paulo R .L. Prates

2004-06-01

Full Text Available A cirurgia robótica é hoje um método viável para reduzir o trauma e as morbidades relacionadas em cirurgia cardíaca. Em nossa instituição, o auxílio robótico já foi utilizado de forma bem-sucedida em implantes toracoscópicos de eletrodos epimiocárdicos para marcapassos biventriculares. O objetivo deste artigo é descrever a técnica por nós utilizada para dissecção da artéria torácica interna (ATI, mediante toracoscopia com apoio do robô AESOP e relatar seus resultados iniciais obtidos em nove pacientes.Robotic surgery is today a reliable method to reduce trauma and related comorbidities in cardiac surgery. In our institucion, robotic assistance has been effectively used for thoracoscopic implantation of epimyocardial leads for biventricular pacing. The objective of this article is to describe the technique that we developed to dissect the internal thoracic artery using thoracoscopy assistance with AESOP robotic system and to report the initial results obtained with its use in nine patients.

Robotic-assisted laparoendoscopic single-site surgery (R-LESS) in urology: an evidence-based analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Barret, E; Sanchez-Salas, R; Ercolani, M; Forgues, A; Rozet, F; Galiano, M; Cathelineau, X

2011-06-01

The objective of this manuscript is to provide an evidence-based analysis of the current status and future perspectives of robotic laparoendoscopic single-site surgery (R-LESS). A PubMed search has been performed for all relevant urological literature regarding natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery (NOTES) and laparoendoscopic single-site surgery (LESS). All clinical and investigative reports for robotic LESS and NOTES procedures in the urological literature have been considered. A significant number of clinical urological procedures have been successfully completed utilizing R-LESS procedures. The available experience is limited to referral centers, where the case volume is sufficient to help overcome the challenges and learning curve of LESS surgery. The robotic interface remains the best fit for LESS procedures but its mode of use continues to evolve in attempts to improve surgical technique. We stand today at the dawn of R-LESS surgery, but this approach may well become the standard of care in the near future. Further technological development is needed to allow widespread adoption of the technique.

Multi-slice computed tomography-assisted endoscopic transsphenoidal surgery for pituitary macroadenoma: a comparison with conventional microscopic transsphenoidal surgery.

Science.gov (United States)

Tosaka, Masahiko; Nagaki, Tomohito; Honda, Fumiaki; Takahashi, Katsumasa; Yoshimoto, Yuhei

2015-11-01

Intraoperative computed tomography (iCT) is a reliable method for the detection of residual tumour, but previous single-slice low-resolution computed tomography (CT) without coronal or sagittal reconstructions was not of adequate quality for clinical use. The present study evaluated the results of multi-slice iCT-assisted endoscopic transsphenoidal surgery for pituitary macroadenoma. This retrospective study included 30 consecutive patients with newly diagnosed or recurrent pituitary macroadenoma with supradiaphragmatic extension who underwent endoscopic transsphenoidal surgery using iCT (eTSS+iCT group), and control 30 consecutive patients who underwent conventional endoscope-assisted transsphenoidal surgery (cTSS group). The tumour volume was calculated by multiplying the tumour area by the slice thickness. Visual acuity and visual field were estimated by the visual impairment score (VIS). The resection extent, (preoperative tumour volume - postoperative residual tumour volume)/preoperative tumour volume, was 98.9% (median) in the eTSS+iCT group and 91.7% in the cTSS group, and had significant difference between the groups (P = 0.04). Greater than 95 and >90% removal rates were significantly higher in the eTSS+iCT group than in the cTSS group (P = 0.02 and P = 0.001, respectively). However, improvement in VIS showed no significant difference between the groups. The rate of complications also showed no significant difference. Multi-slice iCT-assisted endoscopic transsphenoidal surgery may improve the resection extent of pituitary macroadenoma. Multi-slice iCT may have advantages over intraoperative magnetic resonance imaging in less expensive, short acquisition time, and that special protection against magnetic fields is not needed.

The role of visual and direct force feedback in robotics-assisted mitral valve annuloplasty.

Science.gov (United States)

Currie, Maria E; Talasaz, Ali; Rayman, Reiza; Chu, Michael W A; Kiaii, Bob; Peters, Terry; Trejos, Ana Luisa; Patel, Rajni

2017-09-01

The objective of this work was to determine the effect of both direct force feedback and visual force feedback on the amount of force applied to mitral valve tissue during ex vivo robotics-assisted mitral valve annuloplasty. A force feedback-enabled master-slave surgical system was developed to provide both visual and direct force feedback during robotics-assisted cardiac surgery. This system measured the amount of force applied by novice and expert surgeons to cardiac tissue during ex vivo mitral valve annuloplasty repair. The addition of visual (2.16 ± 1.67), direct (1.62 ± 0.86), or both visual and direct force feedback (2.15 ± 1.08) resulted in lower mean maximum force applied to mitral valve tissue while suturing compared with no force feedback (3.34 ± 1.93 N; P forces on cardiac tissue during robotics-assisted mitral valve annuloplasty suturing, force feedback may be required. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Development of a multimode navigation system for an assistive robotics project

OpenAIRE

Cherubini , Andrea; Oriolo , G; Macri , F; Aloise , F; Babiloni , F; Cincotti , F; Mattia , D

2007-01-01

International audience; Assistive technology is an emerging area where robotic devices can be used to strengthen the residual abilities of individuals with motor disabilities or to help them achieve independence in the activities of daily living. This paper deals with a project aimed at designing a system that provides remote control of home-installed appliances, including the Sony AIBO, a commercial mobile robot. The development of the project is described by focusing on the design of the ro...

Robotic-assisted transperitoneal radical prostatectomy in a patient with pelvic kidney

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rabah, Danny M.; Alyami, Fahad A.

2008-01-01

Robots are increasingly utilized in urology, due to their favorable performance characteristics especially in prostatectomy and pyeloplasty. However, preoperative diagnosis of urogenital congenital anomalies and preoperative planning are important aspects to be considered. The presence of ectopic pelvic kidney is a challenge for the surgeon to perform robotic-assisted radical prostatectomy (RARP) without injury to the pelvic kidney (PC) or its blood supply. We report our experience of performing RARP in a patient with a PK. (author)

Human capital gains associated with robotic assisted laparoscopic pyeloplasty in children compared to open pyeloplasty.

Science.gov (United States)

Behan, James W; Kim, Steve S; Dorey, Frederick; De Filippo, Roger E; Chang, Andy Y; Hardy, Brian E; Koh, Chester J

2011-10-01

Robotic assisted laparoscopic pyeloplasty is an emerging, minimally invasive alternative to open pyeloplasty in children for ureteropelvic junction obstruction. The procedure is associated with smaller incisions and shorter hospital stays. To our knowledge previous outcome analyses have not included human capital calculations, especially regarding loss of parental workdays. We compared perioperative factors in patients who underwent robotic assisted laparoscopic and open pyeloplasty at a single institution, especially in regard to human capital changes, in an institutional cost analysis. A total of 44 patients 2 years old or older from a single institution underwent robotic assisted (37) or open (7) pyeloplasty from 2008 to 2010. We retrospectively reviewed the charts to collect demographic and perioperative data. The human capital approach was used to calculate parental productivity losses. Patients who underwent robotic assisted laparoscopic pyeloplasty had a significantly shorter average hospital length of stay (1.6 vs 2.8 days, p human capital gains, eg decreased lost parental wages, and lower hospitalization expenses. Future comparative outcome analyses in children should include financial factors such as human capital loss, which can be especially important for families with young children. Copyright © 2011 American Urological Association Education and Research, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Robot-assisted placement of depth electrodes along the long Axis of the amygdalohippocampal complex

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alvin Y. Chan

2016-12-01

Conclusions: We have developed the Robot-Assisted Lateral Transoccipital Approach (RALTA, which is an advantageous technique for placing bilateral amygdalohippocampal depth electrodes using robotic guidance. Benefits of this technique include fewer electrodes required per patient and ease of positioning compared with seated or prone positioning.

Monitoring of Robot Assisted Polishing through parameters of acoustic emission

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lazarev, Ruslan; Top, Søren; Bilberg, Arne

The polishing process is essential for the surface generation of machine tooling components in advanced manufacturing. While robot assisted polishing is faster and more consistent than manual polishing, it can still consume a significant part of ma- chining time and operator presence time...

Evolution of upper limb kinematics four years after subacute robot-assisted rehabilitation in stroke patients.

Science.gov (United States)

Pila, Ophélie; Duret, Christophe; Gracies, Jean-Michel; Francisco, Gerard E; Bayle, Nicolas; Hutin, Émilie

2018-04-25

To assess functional status and robot-based kinematic measures four years after subacute robot-assisted rehabilitation in hemiparesis. Twenty-two patients with stroke-induced hemiparesis underwent a ≥3-month upper limb combined program of robot-assisted and occupational therapy from two months post-stroke, and received community-based therapy after discharge. Four years later, 19 (86%) participated in this follow-up study. Assessments 2, 5 and 54 months post-stroke included Fugl-Meyer (FM), Modified Frenchay Scale (MFS, at Month 54) and robot-based kinematic measures of targeting tasks in three directions, north, paretic and non-paretic: distance covered, velocity, accuracy (root mean square (RMS) error from straight line) and smoothness (number of velocity peaks; upward changes in accuracy and smoothness represent worsening). Analysis was stratified by FM score at two months: ≥17 (Group 1) or Kinematic changes (three directions pooled) were: distance -1[-17;2]% (ns); velocity, -8[-32;28]% (ns); accuracy, +6[-13;98]% (ns); smoothness, +44[-6;126]% (p robot-assisted upper limb training during subacute post-stroke phase, movement kinematics deteriorated despite community-based therapy, especially in more severely impaired patients. EudraCT 2016-005121-36. Registration: 2016-12-20. Date of enrolment of the first participant to the trial: 2009-11-24.

The value of contrast-enhanced laparoscopic ultrasound during robotic-assisted surgery for primary colorectal cancer

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ellebaek, Signe Bremholm; Fristrup, Claus Wilki; Pless, Torsten

2018-01-01

AIM: The aim of this study was to assess the potential clinical value of contrast enhanced laparoscopic ultrasonography (CE-LUS) as a screening modality for liver metastases during robotic assisted surgery for primary colorectal cancer (CRC). METHOD: A prospective, descriptive (feasibility) study...... including 50 consecutive patients scheduled for robotic assisted surgery for primary CRC. CE-LUS was performed by 2 experienced specialists. Only patients without metastatic disease were included. Follow-up was obtained with contrast-enhanced CT imaging at 3 and 12 months postoperatively. RESULTS: Fifty......-up revealed no liver metastasis in any of the patients. CONCLUSION: CE-LUS did not increase the detection rate of occult liver metastasis during robotic assisted primary CRC surgery. The use of CE-LUS as a screening modality for detection of liver metastasis cannot be recommended based on this study...

Assistive humanoid robot MARKO: development of the neck mechanism

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Penčić Marko

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The paper presents the development of neck mechanism for humanoid robots. The research was conducted within the project which is developing a humanoid robot Marko that represents assistive apparatus in the physical therapy for children with cerebral palsy.There are two basic ways for the neck realization of the robots. The first is based on low backlash mechanisms that have high stiffness and the second one based on the viscoelastic elements having variable flexibility. We suggest low backlash differential gear mechanism that requires small actuators. Based on the kinematic-dynamic requirements a dynamic model of the robots upper body is formed. Dynamic simulation for several positions of the robot was performed and the driving torques of neck mechanism are determined.Realized neck has 2 DOFs and enables movements in the direction of flexion-extension 100°, rotation ±90° and the combination of these two movements. It consists of a differential mechanism with three spiral bevel gears of which the two are driving and are identical, and the third one which is driven gear to which the robot head is attached. Power transmission and motion from the actuators to the input links of the differential mechanism is realized with two parallel placed gear mechanisms that are identical.Neck mechanism has high carrying capacity and reliability, high efficiency, low backlash that provide high positioning accuracy and repeatability of movements, compact design and small mass and dimensions.

Microsurgical Decompression of the Cochlear Nerve to Treat Disabling Tinnitus via an Endoscope-Assisted Retrosigmoid Approach: The Padua Experience.

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Di Stadio, Arianna; Colangeli, Roberta; Dipietro, Laura; Martini, Alessandro; Parrino, Daniela; Nardello, Ennio; D'Avella, Domenico; Zanoletti, Elisabetta

2018-05-01

The use of surgical cochlear nerve decompression is controversial. This study aimed at investigating the safety and validity of microsurgical decompression via an endoscope-assisted retrosigmoid approach to treat tinnitus in patients with neurovascular compression of the cochlear nerve. Three patients with disabling tinnitus resulting from a loop in the internal auditory canal were evaluated with magnetic resonance imaging and tests of pure tone auditory, tinnitus, and auditory brain response (ABR) to identify the features of the cochlear nerve involvement. We observed a loop with a caliber greater than 0.8 mm in all patients. Patients were treated via an endoscope-assisted retrosigmoid microsurgical decompression. After surgery, none of the patients reported short-term or long-term complications. After surgery, tinnitus resolved immediately in 2 patients, whereas in the other patient symptoms persisted although they improved; in all patients, hearing was preserved and ABR improved. Microsurgical decompression via endoscope-assisted retrosigmoid approach is a promising, safe, and valid procedure for treating tinnitus caused by cochlear nerve compression. This procedure should be considered in patients with disabling tinnitus who have altered ABR and a loop that has a caliber greater than 0.8 mm and is in contact with the cochlear nerve. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Endoscopic Camera Control by Head Movements for Thoracic Surgery

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Reilink, Rob; de Bruin, Gart; Franken, M.C.J.; Mariani, Massimo A.; Misra, Sarthak; Stramigioli, Stefano

2010-01-01

In current video-assisted thoracic surgery, the endoscopic camera is operated by an assistant of the surgeon, which has several disadvantages. This paper describes a system which enables the surgeon to control the endoscopic camera without the help of an assistant. The system is controlled using

Does robot-assisted gait training ameliorate gait abnormalities in multiple sclerosis? A pilot randomized-control trial.

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Straudi, S; Benedetti, M G; Venturini, E; Manca, M; Foti, C; Basaglia, N

2013-01-01

Gait disorders are common in multiple sclerosis (MS) and lead to a progressive reduction of function and quality of life. Test the effects of robot-assisted gait rehabilitation in MS subjects through a pilot randomized-controlled study. We enrolled MS subjects with Expanded Disability Status Scale scores within 4.5-6.5. The experimental group received 12 robot-assisted gait training sessions over 6 weeks. The control group received the same amount of conventional physiotherapy. Outcomes measures were both biomechanical assessment of gait, including kinematics and spatio-temporal parameters, and clinical test of walking endurance (six-minute walk test) and mobility (Up and Go Test). 16 subjects (n = 8 experimental group, n = 8 control group) were included in the final analysis. At baseline the two groups were similar in all variables, except for step length. Data showed walking endurance, as well as spatio-temporal gait parameters improvements after robot-assisted gait training. Pelvic antiversion and reduced hip extension during terminal stance ameliorated after aforementioned intervention. Robot-assisted gait training seems to be effective in increasing walking competency in MS subjects. Moreover, it could be helpful in restoring the kinematic of the hip and pelvis.

Drains after Thyroidectomy for Benign Thyroid Disorders; Are ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Prophylactic drainage after thyroidectomy has been a regular practice at Kenyatta National Hospital( KNH). This has been ... stay and post-operative pain. Introduction. Prophylactic drains are still regularly used in ..... Total versus subtotal thyroidectomy for the management of benign multinodular goiter in an endemic region.

Robotic Hand-Assisted Training for Spinal Cord Injury Driven by Myoelectric Pattern Recognition: A Case Report.

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Lu, Zhiyuan; Tong, Kai-Yu; Shin, Henry; Stampas, Argyrios; Zhou, Ping

2017-10-01

A 51-year-old man with an incomplete C6 spinal cord injury sustained 26 yrs ago attended twenty 2-hr visits over 10 wks for robot-assisted hand training driven by myoelectric pattern recognition. In each visit, his right hand was assisted to perform motions by an exoskeleton robot, while the robot was triggered by his own motion intentions. The hand robot was designed for this study, which can perform six kinds of motions, including hand closing/opening; thumb, index finger, and middle finger closing/opening; and middle, ring, and little fingers closing/opening. After the training, his grip force increased from 13.5 to 19.6 kg, his pinch force remained the same (5.0 kg), his score of Box and Block test increased from 32 to 39, and his score from the Graded Redefined Assessment of Strength, Sensibility, and Prehension test Part 4.B increased from 22 to 24. He accomplished the tasks in the Graded Redefined Assessment of Strength, Sensibility, and Prehension test Part 4.B 28.8% faster on average. The results demonstrate the feasibility and effectiveness of robot-assisted training driven by myoelectric pattern recognition after spinal cord injury.

Clinical evaluation of complete solo surgery with the "ViKY®" robotic laparoscope manipulator.

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Takahashi, Masahiro; Takahashi, Masanori; Nishinari, Naoto; Matsuya, Hideki; Tosha, Tsutomu; Minagawa, Yukihiro; Shimooki, Osamu; Abe, Tadashi

2017-02-01

Advancement in both surgical technique and medical equipment has enabled solo surgery. ViKY ® Endoscope Positioning System (ViKY ® ) is a robotic system that remotely controls an endoscope and provides direct vision control to the surgeon. Here, we report our experience with ViKY ® -assisted solo surgery. We retrospectively examined 25 cases of solo surgery TAPP with ViKY ® . ViKY ® was setup by the surgeon alone, and the setup duration was determined as the time at which the side rail was positioned and that when the endoscope was installed. For assessing the control unit, the number of false movements was counted. We compared the operative results between ViKY ® -assisted solo surgery TAPP and the conventional method with an assistant. The average time to set up ViKY ® was 7.9 min. The average number of commands for ViKY ® during surgery was 98.3, and the average number of errors and no response of control unit was 7.9. The mean duration of surgery was 136 min for the ViKY ® group, including the setup time, and 117 min for the conventional method. No case required an assistant during the operation. There was also no difference between the two groups with regard to postoperative complications and the rate of recurrence. ViKY ® proved reliable in recognizing orders with very few failures, and the operations were performed safely and were comparable to the conventional operations with assistants. Solo surgery with ViKY ® was beneficial in this clinical evaluation.

Stage III nasopharyngeal angiofibroma: Improving results with endoscopic-assisted midfacial degloving and modification to the Fisch staging system.

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Shah, Saurin R; Keshri, Amit; Patadia, Simple; Sahu, Rabi Narayan; Srivastava, Arun Kumar; Behari, Sanjay

2015-10-01

To study outcomes with endoscopic-assisted midfacial degloving for Fisch stage III nasopharyngeal angiofibroma and propose a new staging system. Retrospective study of patients with Fisch stage III juvenile nasopharyngeal angiofibroma (JNA) including preoperative angiography, intraoperative blood loss and residue/recurrence following surgery. Tertiary care superspecialty referral center. Fifteen consecutive patients with Fisch stage III JNA undergoing operations over a period of 18 months. Preoperative angiography details, intraoperative blood loss, residue/recurrence, complications of surgery. Transarterial embolization with particulate agents followed by endoscopic-assisted midfacial degloving provides excellent outcomes with Fisch stage III JNAs. The modified Fisch staging system proposed would allow better preoperative evaluation and comparison of outcomes with different treatment options for stage III JNAs. Copyright © 2015 European Association for Cranio-Maxillo-Facial Surgery. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Robotic-Assisted Live Donor Ileal Segmentectomy for Intestinal Transplantation

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Guosheng Wu, MD, PhD

2017-10-01

Full Text Available Background. Every effort should be made to optimize surgical techniques and to minimize potential morbidity rates associated with live donor operations. Advances in a minimally invasive approach by robotic surgery to donor nephrectomy have raised the possibility of applying this technique to live donor bowel resections for intestinal transplantation. Methods. We report the first 5 consecutive cases of a robotic-assisted live donor ileal segmentectomy. We describe the technical aspects of the procedure, discuss the rationale for considering this option, and evaluate potential advantages of this approach. Results. We found that this new approach is associated with less postoperative discomfort, a shorter hospital length of stay, and a faster recovery of bowel function compared to our previous open surgery. Conclusions. Our initial experience suggests that robotic surgery is a safe and feasible procedure for live donor ileal resection for intestinal transplantation and is a useful alternative to conventional open surgery.

Robotic-assisted laparoscopic partial nephrectomy: initial experience in Brazil and a review of the literature

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Carlo Camargo Passerotti

2012-02-01

Full Text Available CONTEXT AND PURPOSE: Partial nephrectomy has become the standard of care for renal tumors less than 4 cm in diameter. Controversy still exists, however, regarding the best surgical approach, especially when minimally invasive techniques are taken into account. Robotic-assisted laparoscopic partial nephrectomy (RALPN has emerged as a promising technique that helps surgeons achieve the standards of open partial nephrectomy care while offering a minimally invasive approach. The objective of the present study was to describe our initial experience with robotic-assisted laparoscopic partial nephrectomy and extensively review the pertinent literature. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Between August 2009 and February 2010, eight consecutive selected patients with contrast enhancing renal masses observed by CT were submitted to RALPN in a private institution. In addition, we collected information on the patients' demographics, preoperative tumor characteristics and detailed operative, postoperative and pathological data. In addition, a PubMed search was performed to provide an extensive review of the robotic-assisted laparoscopic partial nephrectomy literature. RESULTS: Seven patients had RALPN on the left or right sides with no intraoperative complications. One patient was electively converted to a robotic-assisted radical nephrectomy. The operative time ranged from 120 to 300 min, estimated blood loss (EBL ranged from 75 to 400 mL and, in five cases, the warm ischemia time (WIT ranged from 18 to 32 min. Two patients did not require any clamping. Overall, no transfusions were necessary, and there were no intraoperative complications or adverse postoperative clinical events. All margins were negative, and all patients were disease-free at the 6-month follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: Robotic-assisted laparoscopic partial nephrectomy is a feasible and safe approach to small renal cortical masses.Further prospective studies are needed to compare open partial nephrectomy with

[Laser-based quality assurance for robot-assisted milling at the base of the skull].

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Maassen, M M; Malthan, D; Stallkamp, J; Schäfer, A; Dammann, F; Schwaderer, E; Zenner, H P

2006-02-01

Implanting active hearing devices in the lateral base of the skull requires high-precision, secure fixation of the electromagnetic transducer and long-life anchorage using osteosynthetic fixation plates referred to as mountain brackets. Nonlinear distortion in the acoustic signal path and consecutive implant loosening can only be avoided by exact osseous milling to create the necessary cavity bed while avoiding excessive milling. Robot technology is ideal for high-precision milling. However, safety measures are necessary in order to prevent errors from occurring during the reduction process. Ideally, a robot should be guided by a navigation system. However, robotic systems so far available do not yet have an integrated global navigation system. We used an animal model under laboratory conditions to examine the extent to which the semiautomatic ROBIN assistant system developed could be expected to increase osseous milling accuracy before implanting active electronic hearing devices into the recipient tissue in the cranium. An existing prototype system for robot-assisted skull base surgery was equipped with laser sensors for geometric measurement of the operation site. The three-dimensional measurement data was compared with CT simulation data before, during, and after the robot-assisted operation. The experiments were conducted on test objects as well as on animal models. Under ideal conditions, the operation site could be measured at a spatial resolution of better than 0.02 mm in each dimension. However, reflections and impurities in the operation site from bleeding and rinsing fluids did have a considerable effect on data collection, necessitating specialised registering procedures. Using an error-tolerant procedure specifically developed, the effective registering error could be kept under 0.3 mm. After milling, the resulting shape matched the intended form at an accuracy level of 0.8 mm. The results show that robot systems can reach the accuracy required for

Quality-of-life outcomes in Graves disease patients after total thyroidectomy.

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Kus, Lukas H; Hopman, Wilma M; Witterick, Ian J; Freeman, Jeremy L

2017-01-01

Historically, research into surgical treatment of Graves disease has assessed subtotal rather than total thyroidectomy. Most clinicians now recommend total thyroidectomy, but little information is available regarding quality-of-life (QOL) outcomes for this procedure. Our aim was to assess QOL after total thyroidectomy. This is a retrospective, pilot study of patients with Graves disease who underwent total thyroidectomy from 1991 to 2007 at a high-volume tertiary referral center in Toronto, Canada. Questionnaires addressing disease-specific symptoms and global QOL concerns were sent to 54 patients. Analyses included parametric and nonparametric tests to assess the differences between perception of symptoms and global QOL before and after surgery. Forty patients responded (response rate: 74%) at a median of 4.8 years postoperatively. On a 10-point scale, overall wellness improved from 4.1 preoperatively to 8.7 postoperatively (p total thyroidectomy. Patients experienced marked and rapid improvement in QOL postoperatively. These findings suggest that total thyroidectomy is a safe and effective treatment.

Comparison of three-dimensional, assist-as-needed robotic arm/hand movement training provided with Pneu-WREX to conventional tabletop therapy after chronic stroke.

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Reinkensmeyer, David J; Wolbrecht, Eric T; Chan, Vicky; Chou, Cathy; Cramer, Steven C; Bobrow, James E

2012-11-01

Robot-assisted movement training can help individuals with stroke reduce arm and hand impairment, but robot therapy is typically only about as effective as conventional therapy. Refining the way that robots assist during training may make them more effective than conventional therapy. Here, the authors measured the therapeutic effect of a robot that required individuals with a stroke to achieve virtual tasks in three dimensions against gravity. The robot continuously estimated how much assistance patients needed to perform the tasks and provided slightly less assistance than needed to reduce patient slacking. Individuals with a chronic stroke (n = 26; baseline upper limb Fugl-Meyer score, 23 ± 8) were randomized into two groups and underwent 24 one-hour training sessions over 2 mos. One group received the assist-as-needed robot training and the other received conventional tabletop therapy with the supervision of a physical therapist. Training helped both groups significantly reduce their motor impairment, as measured by the primary outcome measure, the Fugl-Meyer score, but the improvement was small (3.0 ± 4.9 points for robot therapy vs. 0.9 ± 1.7 for conventional therapy). There was a trend for greater reduction for the robot-trained group (P = 0.07). The robot group largely sustained this gain at the 3-mo follow-up. The robot-trained group also experienced significant improvements in Box and Blocks score and hand grip strength, whereas the control group did not, but these improvements were not sustained at follow-up. In addition, the robot-trained group showed a trend toward greater improvement in sensory function, as measured by the Nottingham Sensory Test (P = 0.06). These results suggest that in patients with chronic stroke and moderate-severe deficits, assisting in three-dimensional virtual tasks with an assist-as-needed controller may make robotic training more effective than conventional tabletop training.

Home-based tele-assisted robotic rehabilitation of joint impairments in children with cerebral palsy.

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Chen, Kai; Ren, Yupeng; Gaebler-Spira, Deborah; Zhang, Li-Qun

2014-01-01

A portable rehabilitation robot incorporating intelligent stretching, robot-guided voluntary movement training with motivating games and tele-rehabilitation was developed to provide convenient and cost-effective rehabilitation to children with cerebral palsy (CP) and extend rehabilitation care beyond hospital. Clinicians interact with the patients remotely for periodic evaluations and updated guidance. The tele-assisted stretching and active movement training was done over 6-week 18 sessions on the impaired ankle of 23 children with CP in their home setting. Treatment effectiveness was evaluated using biomechanical measures and clinical outcome measures. After the tele-assisted home robotic rehabilitation intervention, there were significant increases in the ankle passive and active range of motion, muscle strength, a decrease in spasticity, and increases in balance and selective control assessment of lower-extremity.

Robot-assisted laparoscopic partial nephrectomy: Current review of the technique and literature.

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Singh, Iqbal

2009-10-01

To visit the operative technique and to review the current published English literature on the technique, and outcomes following robot-assisted laparoscopic partial nephrectomy (RPN). We searched the published English literature and the PubMed(()) for published series of 'robotic partial nephrectomy' (RPN) using the keywords; robot, robot-assisted laparoscopic partial nephrectomy, laparoscopic partial nephrectomy, partial nephrectomy and laparoscopic surgery. The search yielded 15 major selected series of 'robotic partial nephrectomy'; these were reviewed, tracked and analysed in order to determine the current status and role of RPN in the management of early renal neoplasm(s), as a minimally invasive surgical alternative to open partial nephrectomy. A review of the initial peri-operative outcome of the 350 cases of select series of RPN reported in published English literature revealed a mean operating time, warm ischemia time, estimated blood loss and hospital stay, of 191 minutes, 25 minutes, 162 ml and 2.95 days, respectively. The overall computed mean complication rate of RPN in the present select series was about 7.4%. RPN is a safe, feasible and effective minimally invasive surgical alternative to laparoscopic partial nephrectomy for early stage (T(1)) renal neoplasm(s). It has acceptable initial renal functional outcomes without the increased risk of major complications in experienced hands. Prospective randomised, controlled, comparative clinical trials with laparoscopic partial nephrectomy (LPN) are the need of the day. While the initial oncological outcomes of RPN appear to be favourable, long-term data is awaited.

Learning curve for robotic-assisted surgery for rectal cancer: use of the cumulative sum method.

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Yamaguchi, Tomohiro; Kinugasa, Yusuke; Shiomi, Akio; Sato, Sumito; Yamakawa, Yushi; Kagawa, Hiroyasu; Tomioka, Hiroyuki; Mori, Keita

2015-07-01

Few data are available to assess the learning curve for robotic-assisted surgery for rectal cancer. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the learning curve for robotic-assisted surgery for rectal cancer by a surgeon at a single institute. From December 2011 to August 2013, a total of 80 consecutive patients who underwent robotic-assisted surgery for rectal cancer performed by the same surgeon were included in this study. The learning curve was analyzed using the cumulative sum method. This method was used for all 80 cases, taking into account operative time. Operative procedures included anterior resections in 6 patients, low anterior resections in 46 patients, intersphincteric resections in 22 patients, and abdominoperineal resections in 6 patients. Lateral lymph node dissection was performed in 28 patients. Median operative time was 280 min (range 135-683 min), and median blood loss was 17 mL (range 0-690 mL). No postoperative complications of Clavien-Dindo classification Grade III or IV were encountered. We arranged operative times and calculated cumulative sum values, allowing differentiation of three phases: phase I, Cases 1-25; phase II, Cases 26-50; and phase III, Cases 51-80. Our data suggested three phases of the learning curve in robotic-assisted surgery for rectal cancer. The first 25 cases formed the learning phase.

Advanced Myoelectric Control for Robotic Hand-Assisted Training: Outcome from a Stroke Patient.

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Lu, Zhiyuan; Tong, Kai-Yu; Shin, Henry; Li, Sheng; Zhou, Ping

2017-01-01

A hand exoskeleton driven by myoelectric pattern recognition was designed for stroke rehabilitation. It detects and recognizes the user's motion intent based on electromyography (EMG) signals, and then helps the user to accomplish hand motions in real time. The hand exoskeleton can perform six kinds of motions, including the whole hand closing/opening, tripod pinch/opening, and the "gun" sign/opening. A 52-year-old woman, 8 months after stroke, made 20× 2-h visits over 10 weeks to participate in robot-assisted hand training. Though she was unable to move her fingers on her right hand before the training, EMG activities could be detected on her right forearm. In each visit, she took 4× 10-min robot-assisted training sessions, in which she repeated the aforementioned six motion patterns assisted by our intent-driven hand exoskeleton. After the training, her grip force increased from 1.5 to 2.7 kg, her pinch force increased from 1.5 to 2.5 kg, her score of Box and Block test increased from 3 to 7, her score of Fugl-Meyer (Part C) increased from 0 to 7, and her hand function increased from Stage 1 to Stage 2 in Chedoke-McMaster assessment. The results demonstrate the feasibility of robot-assisted training driven by myoelectric pattern recognition after stroke.

Semi-manual mastoidectomy assisted by human-robot collaborative control - A temporal bone replica study.

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Lim, Hoon; Matsumoto, Nozomu; Cho, Byunghyun; Hong, Jaesung; Yamashita, Makoto; Hashizume, Makoto; Yi, Byung-Ju

2016-04-01

To develop an otological robot that can protect important organs from being injured. We developed a five degree-of-freedom robot for otological surgery. Unlike the other robots that were reported previously, our robot does not replace surgeon's procedures, but instead utilizes human-robot collaborative control. The robot basically releases all of the actuators so that the surgeon can manipulate the drill within the robot's working area with minimal restriction. When the drill reaches a forbidden area, the surgeon feels as if the drill hits a wall. When an engineer performed mastoidectomy using the robot for assistance, the facial nerve in the segmented region was always protected with a more than 2.5mm margin, which was almost the same as the pre-set safety margin of 3mm. Semi-manual drilling using human-robot collaborative control was feasible, and may hold a realistic prospect of clinical use in the near future. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Laparoscopic and robot-assisted laparoscopic digestive surgery: Present and future directions

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Rodríguez-Sanjuán, Juan C; Gómez-Ruiz, Marcos; Trugeda-Carrera, Soledad; Manuel-Palazuelos, Carlos; López-Useros, Antonio; Gómez-Fleitas, Manuel

2016-01-01

Laparoscopic surgery is applied today worldwide to most digestive procedures. In some of them, such as cholecystectomy, Nissen’s fundoplication or obesity surgery, laparoscopy has become the standard in practice. In others, such as colon or gastric resection, the laparoscopic approach is frequently used and its usefulness is unquestionable. More complex procedures, such as esophageal, liver or pancreatic resections are, however, more infrequently performed, due to the high grade of skill necessary. As a result, there is less clinical evidence to support its implementation. In the recent years, robot-assisted laparoscopic surgery has been increasingly applied, again with little evidence for comparison with the conventional laparoscopic approach. This review will focus on the complex digestive procedures as well as those whose use in standard practice could be more controversial. Also novel robot-assisted procedures will be updated. PMID:26877605

3D force control for robotic-assisted beating heart surgery based on viscoelastic tissue model.

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Liu, Chao; Moreira, Pedro; Zemiti, Nabil; Poignet, Philippe

2011-01-01

Current cardiac surgery faces the challenging problem of heart beating motion even with the help of mechanical stabilizer which makes delicate operation on the heart surface difficult. Motion compensation methods for robotic-assisted beating heart surgery have been proposed recently in literature, but research on force control for such kind of surgery has hardly been reported. Moreover, the viscoelasticity property of the interaction between organ tissue and robotic instrument further complicates the force control design which is much easier in other applications by assuming the interaction model to be elastic (industry, stiff object manipulation, etc.). In this work, we present a three-dimensional force control method for robotic-assisted beating heart surgery taking into consideration of the viscoelastic interaction property. Performance studies based on our D2M2 robot and 3D heart beating motion information obtained through Da Vinci™ system are provided.

Robot-assisted reaching exercise promotes arm movement recovery in chronic hemiparetic stroke: a randomized controlled pilot study

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Rymer W Zev

2006-06-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background and purpose Providing active assistance to complete desired arm movements is a common technique in upper extremity rehabilitation after stroke. Such active assistance may improve recovery by affecting somatosensory input, motor planning, spasticity or soft tissue properties, but it is labor intensive and has not been validated in controlled trials. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of robotically administered active-assistive exercise and compare those with free reaching voluntary exercise in improving arm movement ability after chronic stroke. Methods Nineteen individuals at least one year post-stroke were randomized into one of two groups. One group performed 24 sessions of active-assistive reaching exercise with a simple robotic device, while a second group performed a task-matched amount of unassisted reaching. The main outcome measures were range and speed of supported arm movement, range, straightness and smoothness of unsupported reaching, and the Rancho Los Amigos Functional Test of Upper Extremity Function. Results and discussion There were significant improvements with training for range of motion and velocity of supported reaching, straightness of unsupported reaching, and functional movement ability. These improvements were not significantly different between the two training groups. The group that performed unassisted reaching exercise improved the smoothness of their reaching movements more than the robot-assisted group. Conclusion Improvements with both forms of exercise confirmed that repeated, task-related voluntary activation of the damaged motor system is a key stimulus to motor recovery following chronic stroke. Robotically assisting in reaching successfully improved arm movement ability, although it did not provide any detectable, additional value beyond the movement practice that occurred concurrently with it. The inability to detect any additional value of robot-assisted reaching

Robot-Assisted Middle Pancreatectomy for Elderly Patients: Our Initial Experience

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Zhang, Tian; Wang, Xinjing; Huo, Zhen; Wen, Chenlei; Wu, Zhichong; Zhan, Qian; Jin, Jiabin; Cheng, Dongfeng; Chen, Hao; Deng, Xiaxing; Shen, Baiyong; Peng, Chenghong

2015-01-01

Background The aim of this study was to evaluate the indications, safety, feasibility, and short- and long-term outcomes for elderly patients who underwent robot-assisted middle pancreatectomies (MPs). Material/Methods Ten patients (≥60 years) underwent robot-assisted middle pancreatectomies from 2012 to 2015. The perioperative data, including tumor size, operating time, rate of postoperative pancreatic fistula (POPF), postoperative morbidity, and other parameters, were analyzed. We collected and analyzed the follow-up information. Results The mean age of patients was 64.30 years (range, 60–73 years). The average tumor size was 2.61 cm. The 10 cases were all benign or low-grade malignant lesions. The mean operating time was 175.00 min. The mean blood loss was 113.00 ml with no blood transfusion needed. Postoperative fistulas developed in 5 patients; there were 2 Grade A fistulas and 3 grade B fistulas. There were 3 patients who underwent postoperative complications, including 2 Grade 1 or 2 complications and 1 Grade 3 complication. No reoperation and postoperative mortality occurred. The mean hospital stay was 19.91 days. After a median follow-up of 23 months, new onset of diabetes mellitus developed in 1 patient and none suffered from deterioration of previously diagnosed diabetes or exocrine insufficiency, and no tumor recurrence happened. Conclusions Robot-assisted middle pancreatectomy was safe and feasible for elderly people. It had low risk of exocrine or endocrine dysfunction and benefited patients’ long-term outcomes. Incidence of POPF was relatively high but we could prevent it from resulting in bad outcomes by scientific perioperative care and systemic treatment. PMID:26395335

Review of emerging surgical robotic technology.

Science.gov (United States)

Peters, Brian S; Armijo, Priscila R; Krause, Crystal; Choudhury, Songita A; Oleynikov, Dmitry

2018-04-01

The use of laparoscopic and robotic procedures has increased in general surgery. Minimally invasive robotic surgery has made tremendous progress in a relatively short period of time, realizing improvements for both the patient and surgeon. This has led to an increase in the use and development of robotic devices and platforms for general surgery. The purpose of this review is to explore current and emerging surgical robotic technologies in a growing and dynamic environment of research and development. This review explores medical and surgical robotic endoscopic surgery and peripheral technologies currently available or in development. The devices discussed here are specific to general surgery, including laparoscopy, colonoscopy, esophagogastroduodenoscopy, and thoracoscopy. Benefits and limitations of each technology were identified and applicable future directions were described. A number of FDA-approved devices and platforms for robotic surgery were reviewed, including the da Vinci Surgical System, Sensei X Robotic Catheter System, FreeHand 1.2, invendoscopy E200 system, Flex® Robotic System, Senhance, ARES, the Single-Port Instrument Delivery Extended Research (SPIDER), and the NeoGuide Colonoscope. Additionally, platforms were reviewed which have not yet obtained FDA approval including MiroSurge, ViaCath System, SPORT™ Surgical System, SurgiBot, Versius Robotic System, Master and Slave Transluminal Endoscopic Robot, Verb Surgical, Miniature In Vivo Robot, and the Einstein Surgical Robot. The use and demand for robotic medical and surgical platforms is increasing and new technologies are continually being developed. New technologies are increasingly implemented to improve on the capabilities of previously established systems. Future studies are needed to further evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of each robotic surgical device and platform in the operating suite.

Robotic-Assisted Minimally Invasive Surgery for Gynecologic and Urologic Oncology

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

less post-operative pain management required compared to retropubic surgery, however improved study design and measurement of complications need to be further addressed. Clinical significance of significant findings for length of hospitalizations is low. Laparoscopy: benefits of robotic surgery in terms of less blood loss and fewer individuals requiring transfusions likely owing to the technical difficulty of conventional laparoscopy, in the context of study design limitations. Clinical significance of significant findings for blood loss is low. The potential link between less blood loss, improved visualization and improved functional outcomes is an important consideration for use of robotics. All studies included were observational in nature and therefore the results must be interpreted cautiously. Economic Analysis The objective of this project was to assess the economic impact of robotic-assisted laparoscopy (RAL) for endometrial, cervical, and prostate cancers in the province of Ontario. A budget impact analysis was undertaken to report direct costs associated with open surgery (OS), endoscopic laparoscopy (EL) and robotic-assisted laparoscopy (RAL) based on clinical literature review outcomes, to report a budget impact in the province based on volumes and costs from administrative data sets, and to project a future impact of RAL in Ontario. A cost-effectiveness analysis was not conducted because of the low quality evidence from the clinical literature review. Hospital costs were obtained from the Ontario Case Costing Initiative (OCCI) for the appropriate Canadian Classification of Health Intervention (CCI) codes restricted to selective ICD-10 diagnostic codes after consultation with experts in the field. Physician fees were obtained from the Ontario Schedule of Benefits (OSB) after consultation with experts in the field. Fees were costed based on operation times reported in the clinical literature for the procedures being investigated. Volumes of procedures were

Hand-held transendoscopic robotic manipulators: A transurethral laser prostate surgery case study.

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Hendrick, Richard J; Mitchell, Christopher R; Herrell, S Duke; Webster, Robert J

2015-11-01

Natural orifice endoscopic surgery can enable incisionless approaches, but a major challenge is the lack of small and dexterous instrumentation. Surgical robots have the potential to meet this need yet often disrupt the clinical workflow. Hand-held robots that combine thin manipulators and endoscopes have the potential to address this by integrating seamlessly into the clinical workflow and enhancing dexterity. As a case study illustrating the potential of this approach, we describe a hand-held robotic system that passes two concentric tube manipulators through a 5 mm port in a rigid endoscope for transurethral laser prostate surgery. This system is intended to catalyze the use of a clinically superior, yet rarely attempted, procedure for benign prostatic hyperplasia. This paper describes system design and experiments to evaluate the surgeon's functional workspace and accuracy using the robot. Phantom and cadaver experiments demonstrate successful completion of the target procedure via prostate lobe resection.

A Systematic Review on Existing Measures for the Subjective Assessment of Rehabilitation and Assistive Robot Devices

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yiannis Koumpouros

2016-01-01

Full Text Available The objective of the current study is to identify and classify outcome measures currently used for the assessment of rehabilitation or assistive robot devices. We conducted a systematic review of the literature using PubMed, MEDLINE, CIRRIE, and Scopus databases for studies that assessed rehabilitation or assistive robot devices from 1980 through January 2016. In all, 31 articles met all inclusion criteria. Tailor-made questionnaires were the most commonly used tool at 66.7%, while the great majority (93.9% of the studies used nonvalidated instruments. The study reveals the absence of a standard scale which makes it difficult to compare the results from different researchers. There is a great need, therefore, for a valid and reliable instrument to be available for use by the intended end users for the subjective assessment of robot devices. The study concludes by identifying two scales that have been validated in general assistive technology devices and could support the scope of subjective assessment in rehabilitation or assistive robots (however, with limited coverage and a new one called PYTHEIA, recently published. The latter intends to close the gap and help researchers and developers to evaluate, assess, and produce products that satisfy the real needs of the end users.

Kinematic modelling of a five-DOFs spatial manipulator used in robot-assisted surgery

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Shakti Singh

2016-09-01

Full Text Available Since last three decades, research in the field of robot kinematics is boosted-up among different researchers worldwide. This is mainly due to their increased use in various challenging fields of engineering and science. One such challenging application is the use of master–slave concept in a robot-assisted surgery. The authors have already performed the kinematic study and gravity balancing of seven degrees-of-freedom (DOFs surgeon-side manipulator (Singh et al., 2015a, 2015b. To meet these challenging demands, the most important aspect of a robotic manipulator is to develop an accurate kinematic model. In this direction, different researchers in the literature have made significant contributions. Out of these, the most prominent one is D–H parameters method, which was proposed by Denavit and Hartenberg in 1955. In the present work, this method is applied to a five-DOFs spatial manipulator, named as patient-side manipulator, which tracks the motion of surgeon-side manipulator during a robot-assisted surgery. The prototype considered in this work is a spatial serial manipulator, being developed at CSIR-CSIO Chandigarh. Experimental validations are performed and results are found to be in close agreement.

Initial consecutive 125 cases of robotic assisted laparoscopic radical prostatectomy performed in Ireland's first robotic radical prostatectomy centre.

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

Bouchier-Hayes, D M

2012-03-01

We examined the patient characteristics, operative proceedings and the outcomes of the initial series of 125 cases of robot-assisted laparoscopic radical prostatectomy (RALRP) in an independent hospital in Ireland, performed by two surgeons using the da Vinci(®) surgical system.

Predicting thyroxine requirements following total thyroidectomy.

Science.gov (United States)

Mistry, Dipan; Atkin, Stephen; Atkinson, Helen; Gunasekaran, Sinnappa; Sylvester, Deborah; Rigby, Alan S; England, R James

2011-03-01

Optimal thyroxine replacement following total thyroidectomy is critical to avoid symptoms of hypothyroidism. The aim of this study was to determine the best formula to determine the initiated replacement dose of levothyroxine immediately following total thyroidectomy. Prospective study. All patients were initiated on 100 μg levothyroxine and titrated to within the reference range for TSH and free T4. Correlations to height, weight, age, lean body mass (LBM), body surface area (BSA) and body mass index (BMI) were calculated. One hundred consecutive adult patients underwent total thyroidectomy for non-malignant disease. Comparison between three methods of levothyroxine dose prediction, aiming for a levothyroxine dose correct to within 25 μg of actual dose required. Correlations were seen between levothyroxine dose and patient age (r=-0.346, Pregression equation was calculated (predicted levothyroxine dose=[0·943 × bodyweight] + [-1.165 × age] + 125.8), simplified to (levothyroxine dose= bodyweight - age + 125) pragmatically. Initiating patients empirically on 100 μg post-operatively showed that 40% of patients achieved target within 25 μg of their required dose; this increased to 59% when using a weight-only dose calculation (1.6 μg/kg) and to 72% using the simplified regression equation. A simple calculated regression equation gives a more accurate prediction of initiated levothyroxine dose following total thyroidectomy, reducing the need for outpatient attendance for dose titration. © 2011 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Feasibility Study of a Socially Assistive Humanoid Robot for Guiding Elderly Individuals during Walking

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Chiara Piezzo

2017-07-01

Full Text Available The impact of the world-wide ageing population has commenced with respect to society in developed countries. Several researchers focused on exploring new methods to improve the quality of life of elderly individuals by allowing them to remain independent and healthy to the maximum possible extent. For example, new walking aids are designed to allow elderly individuals to remain mobile in a safe manner because the importance of walking is well-known. The aim of the present study involves designing a humanoid robot guide as a walking trainer for elderly individuals. It is hypothesized that the same service robot provides an assistive and social contribution with respect to interaction between elderly users by motivating them to walk more and simultaneously provides assistance, such as physical assistance and gait monitoring, while walking. This study includes a detailed statement of the research problem as well as a literature review of existing studies related to walking companion robots. A user-centred design approach is adopted to report the results of the current first feasibility study by using a commercially available humanoid robot known as Pepper developed by Softbank-Aldebaran. A quantitative questionnaire was used to investigate all elements that assess intrinsic motivation in users while performing a given activity. Conversely, basic gait data were acquired through a video analysis to test the capability of the robot to modify the gait of human users. The results in terms of the feedback received from elderly subjects and the literature review improve the design of the walking trainer for elderly individuals.

Robot-assisted laparoscopic versus open partial nephrectomy in patients with chronic kidney disease: A propensity score-matched comparative analysis of surgical outcomes.

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Takagi, Toshio; Kondo, Tsunenori; Tachibana, Hidekazu; Iizuka, Junpei; Omae, Kenji; Kobayashi, Hirohito; Yoshida, Kazuhiko; Tanabe, Kazunari

2017-07-01

To compare surgical outcomes between robot-assisted laparoscopic partial nephrectomy and open partial nephrectomy in patients with chronic kidney disease. Of 550 patients who underwent partial nephrectomy between 2012 and 2015, 163 patients with T1-2 renal tumors who had an estimated glomerular filtration rate between 30 and 60 mL/min/1.73 m 2 , and underwent robot-assisted laparoscopic partial nephrectomy or open partial nephrectomy were retrospectively analyzed. To minimize selection bias between the two surgical methods, patient variables were adjusted by 1:1 propensity score matching. The present study included 75 patients undergoing robot-assisted laparoscopic partial nephrectomy and 88 undergoing open partial nephrectomy. After propensity score matching, 40 patients were included in each operative group. The mean preoperative estimated glomerular filtration rate was 49 mL/min/1.73 m 2 . The mean ischemia time was 21 min in robot-assisted laparoscopic partial nephrectomy (warm ischemia) and 35 min in open partial nephrectomy (cold ischemia). Preservation of the estimated glomerular filtration rate 3-6 months postoperatively was not significantly different between robot-assisted laparoscopic partial nephrectomy and open partial nephrectomy (92% vs 91%, P = 0.9348). Estimated blood loss was significantly lower in the robot-assisted laparoscopic partial nephrectomy group than in the open partial nephrectomy group (104 vs 185 mL, P = 0.0025). The postoperative length of hospital stay was shorter in the robot-assisted laparoscopic partial nephrectomy group than in the open partial nephrectomy group (P negative surgical margin status were not significantly different between the two groups. In our experience, robot-assisted laparoscopic partial nephrectomy and open partial nephrectomy provide similar outcomes in terms of functional preservation and perioperative complications among patients with chronic kidney disease. However, a lower estimated blood loss and

Ambulatory movements, team dynamics and interactions during robot-assisted surgery.

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Ahmad, Nabeeha; Hussein, Ahmed A; Cavuoto, Lora; Sharif, Mohamed; Allers, Jenna C; Hinata, Nobuyuki; Ahmad, Basel; Kozlowski, Justen D; Hashmi, Zishan; Bisantz, Ann; Guru, Khurshid A

2016-07-01

To analyse ambulatory movements and team dynamics during robot-assisted surgery (RAS), and to investigate whether congestion of the physical space associated with robotic technology led to workflow challenges or predisposed to errors and adverse events. With institutional review board approval, we retrospectively reviewed 10 recorded robot-assisted radical prostatectomies in a single operating room (OR). The OR was divided into eight zones, and all movements were tracked and described in terms of start and end zones, duration, personnel and purpose. Movements were further classified into avoidable (can be eliminated/improved) and unavoidable (necessary for completion of the procedure). The mean operating time was 166 min, of which ambulation constituted 27 min (16%). A total of 2 896 ambulatory movements were identified (mean: 290 ambulatory movements/procedure). Most of the movements were procedure-related (31%), and were performed by the circulating nurse. We identified 11 main pathways in the OR; the heaviest traffic was between the circulating nurse zone, transit zone and supply-1 zone. A total of 50% of ambulatory movements were found to be avoidable. More than half of the movements during RAS can be eliminated with an improved OR setting. More studies are needed to design an evidence-based OR layout that enhances access, workflow and patient safety. © 2016 The Authors BJU International © 2016 BJU International Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

The endoscopic ultrasound-assisted Rendez-Vous technique for treatment of recurrent pancreatitis due to pancreas divisum and ansa pancreatica

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Sergio López-Durán

Full Text Available Endoscopic treatment of pancreatic ductal malformations causing recurrent acute pancreatitis, such as pancreas divisum or ansa pancreatica, is mainly based on the sphincterotomy of the minor papilla. However, the technical complexity of conventional endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP is increased in patients presenting anatomical variants like these and it may be unsuccessful. We report the case of a pancreas divisum combined with ansa pancreatica and describe the cannulation and sphincterotomy of the minor papilla using an ultrasound-assisted Rendez-Vous technique.

A Study on the Education Assistant System Using Smartphones and Service Robots for Children

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Gu-Min Jeong

2014-04-01

Full Text Available In this paper, we propose a new education assistant system model using both smartphones and service robots for children's learning. Through the interaction between a smartphone and a robot, various use cases can be derived. For example, we can control the movement of the robot remotely, watch the status of the children using real-time streaming, or read the answer on the smartphone while only the question is displayed on the robot. Considering these facts, we present three use cases, namely ‘remote control’, ‘streaming’ and ‘N-screen’ for robot-based learning with smartphones. The proposed learning model is implemented in Android-based smartphones and a service robot using the OPRoS platform, and we show that the proposed model works well.1

Coblation-assisted endonasal endoscopic resection of juvenile nasopharyngeal angiofibroma.

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Ye, L; Zhou, X; Li, J; Jin, J

2011-09-01

Juvenile nasopharyngeal angiofibroma may be successfully resected using endoscopic techniques. However, the use of coblation technology for such resection has not been described. This study aimed to document cases of Fisch class I juvenile nasopharyngeal angiofibroma with limited nasopharyngeal and nasal cavity extension, which were completely resected using an endoscopic coblation technique. We retrospectively studied 23 patients with juvenile nasopharyngeal angiofibroma who underwent resection with either traditional endoscopic instruments (n = 12) or coblation (n = 11). Intra-operative blood loss and overall operative time were recorded. The mean tumour resection time for coblation and traditional endoscopic instruments was 87 and 136 minutes, respectively (t = 9.962, p angiofibroma (Fisch class I), with good surgical margins and minimal blood loss.

Decreased Time to Return to Work Using Robotic-Assisted Unicompartmental Knee Arthroplasty Compared to Conventional Techniques.

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Jinnah, Alexander H; Augart, Marco A; Lara, Daniel L; Jinnah, Riyaz H; Poehling, Gary G; Gwam, Chukwuweike U; Plate, Johannes F

2018-06-01

Unicompartmental knee arthroplasty (UKA) is a commonly used procedure for patients suffering from debilitating unicompartmental knee arthritis. For UKA recipients, robotic-assisted surgery has served as an aid in improving surgical accuracy and precision. While studies exist detailing outcomes of robotic UKA, to our knowledge, there are no studies assessing time to return to work using robotic-assisted UKA. Thus, the purpose of this study was to prospectively assess the time to return to work and to achieve the level of work activity following robotic-assisted UKA to create recommendations for patients preoperatively. We hypothesized that the return to work time would be shorter for robotic-assisted UKAs compared with TKAs and manual UKAs, due to more accurate ligament balancing and precise implementation of the operative plan. Thirty consecutive patients scheduled to undergo a robotic-assisted UKA at an academic teaching hospital were prospectively enrolled in the study. Inclusion criteria included employment at the time of surgery, with the intent on returning to the same occupation following surgery and having end-stage knee degenerative joint disease (DJD) limited to the medial compartment. Patients were contacted via email, letter, or phone at two, four, six, and 12 weeks following surgery until they returned to work. The Baecke physical activity questionnaire (BQ) was administered to assess patients' level of activity at work pre- and postoperatively. Statistical analysis was performed using SAS Enterprise Guide (SAS Institute Inc., Cary, North Carolina) and Excel® (Microsoft Corporation, Redmond, Washington). Descriptive statistics were calculated to assess the demographics of the patient population. Boxplots were generated using an Excel® spreadsheet to visualize the BQ scores and a two-tailed t-test was used to assess for differences between pre- and postoperative scores with alpha 0.05. The mean time to return to work was 6.4 weeks (SD=3.4, range 2

Systematic review and cumulative analysis of perioperative outcomes and complications after robot-assisted radical cystectomy

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Novara, Giacomo; Catto, James W F; Wilson, Timothy

2015-01-01

and complications of RARC in comparison with ORC and LRC. EVIDENCE ACQUISITION: Medline, Scopus, and Web of Science databases were searched using a free-text protocol including the terms robot-assisted radical cystectomy or da Vinci radical cystectomy or robot* radical cystectomy. RARC case series and studies...

The da Vinci robotic surgical assisted anterior lumbar interbody fusion: technical development and case report.

Science.gov (United States)

Beutler, William J; Peppelman, Walter C; DiMarco, Luciano A

2013-02-15

Technique development to use the da Vince Robotic Surgical System for anterior lumbar interbody fusion at L5-S1 is detailed. A case report is also presented. To evaluate and develop the da Vinci robotic assisted laparoscopic anterior lumbar stand-alone interbody fusion procedure. Anterior lumbar interbody fusion is a common procedure associated with potential morbidity related to the surgical approach. The da Vinci robot provides intra-abdominal dissection and visualization advantages compared with the traditional open and laparoscopic approach. The surgical techniques for approach to the anterior lumbar spine using the da Vinci robot were developed and modified progressively beginning with operative models followed by placement of an interbody fusion cage in the living porcine model. Development continued to progress with placement of fusion cage in a human cadaver, completed first in the laboratory setting and then in the operating room. Finally, the first patient with fusion completed using the da Vinci robot-assisted approach is presented. The anterior transperitoneal approach to the lumbar spine is accomplished with enhanced visualization and dissection capability, with maintenance of pneumoperitoneum using the da Vinci robot. Blood loss is minimal. The visualization inside the disc space and surrounding structures was considered better than current open and laparoscopic techniques. The da Vinci robot Surgical System technique continues to develop and is now described for the transperitoneal approach to the anterior lumbar spine. 4.

Effects of Assist-As-Needed Upper Extremity Robotic Therapy after Incomplete Spinal Cord Injury: A Parallel-Group Controlled Trial

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John Michael Frullo

2017-06-01

Full Text Available BackgroundRobotic rehabilitation of the upper limb following neurological injury has been supported through several large clinical studies for individuals with chronic stroke. The application of robotic rehabilitation to the treatment of other neurological injuries is less developed, despite indications that strategies successful for restoration of motor capability following stroke may benefit individuals with incomplete spinal cord injury (SCI as well. Although recent studies suggest that robot-aided rehabilitation might be beneficial after incomplete SCI, it is still unclear what type of robot-aided intervention contributes to motor recovery.MethodsWe developed a novel assist-as-needed (AAN robotic controller to adjust challenge and robotic assistance continuously during rehabilitation therapy delivered via an upper extremity exoskeleton, the MAHI Exo-II, to train independent elbow and wrist joint movements. We further enrolled seventeen patients with incomplete spinal cord injury (AIS C and D levels in a parallel-group balanced controlled trial to test the efficacy of the AAN controller, compared to a subject-triggered (ST controller that does not adjust assistance or challenge levels continuously during therapy. The conducted study is a stage two, development-of-concept pilot study.ResultsWe validated the AAN controller in its capability of modulating assistance and challenge during therapy via analysis of longitudinal robotic metrics. For the selected primary outcome measure, the pre–post difference in ARAT score, no statistically significant change was measured in either group of subjects. Ancillary analysis of secondary outcome measures obtained via robotic testing indicates gradual improvement in movement quality during the therapy program in both groups, with the AAN controller affording greater increases in movement quality over the ST controller.ConclusionThe present study demonstrates feasibility of subject-adaptive robotic therapy

Matching technologies of home automation, robotics, assistance, geriatric telecare and telemedicine

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Franchimon, F.; Brink, M.

2009-01-01

The aging society could have a greater societal impact than the current financial crisis. The percentage of older adults has increased while the size of the health care workforce has remained constant. Home automation, robotics, assistive technology, geriatric telecare and telemedicine can support

[Robotic-assisted minimally invasive abdominothoracal oesophageal resection with intrathoracic anastomosis].

Science.gov (United States)

Egberts, J-H; Aselmann, H; Schafmayer, C; Jünemann, K-P; Becker, T

2014-02-01

Ivor Lewis oesophagectomy is one of the approaches used worldwide for treating oesophageal cancer. The adoption of minimally invasive oesophagectomy has increased worldwide since its first description more than 15 years ago. However, minimally invasive oesophagectomy with a chest anastomosis has advantages. By using a four-arm robotic platform, not only the preparation of the gastric tube and mobilisation of the oesophagus but also the intrathoracic anastomosis of the oesophagogastrostomy can be performed in a comfortable and safe way. The indication for oesophageal resection is oesophageal cancer. The operative procedure comprises robotic-assisted abdominothoracal oesophageal resection with reconstruction by a gastric tube and intrathoracic anastomosis (Ivor Lewis procedure). Robotic abdominal and thoracic minimally invasive esophagectomy is feasible, and safe with a complete lymph node dissection. Especially the intrathoracic anastomosis of the oesophagogastrostomy can be performed in a comfortable and safe way. Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

Robot-assisted laparoscopic partial nephrectomy: Current review of the technique and literature

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Singh Iqbal

2009-01-01

Full Text Available Aim: To visit the operative technique and to review the current published English literature on the technique, and outcomes following robot-assisted laparoscopic partial nephrectomy (RPN. Materials and Methods: We searched the published English literature and the PubMed (TM for published series of ′robotic partial nephrectomy′ (RPN using the keywords; robot, robot-assisted laparoscopic partial nephrectomy, laparoscopic partial nephrectomy, partial nephrectomy and laparoscopic surgery. Results: The search yielded 15 major selected series of ′robotic partial nephrectomy′; these were reviewed, tracked and analysed in order to determine the current status and role of RPN in the management of early renal neoplasm(s, as a minimally invasive surgical alternative to open partial nephrectomy. A review of the initial peri-operative outcome of the 350 cases of select series of RPN reported in published English literature revealed a mean operating time, warm ischemia time, estimated blood loss and hospital stay, of 191 minutes, 25 minutes, 162 ml and 2.95 days, respectively. The overall computed mean complication rate of RPN in the present select series was about 7.4%. Conclusions: RPN is a safe, feasible and effective minimally invasive surgical alternative to laparoscopic partial nephrectomy for early stage (T 1 renal neoplasm(s. It has acceptable initial renal functional outcomes without the increased risk of major complications in experienced hands. Prospective randomised, controlled, comparative clinical trials with laparoscopic partial nephrectomy (LPN are the need of the day. While the initial oncological outcomes of RPN appear to be favourable, long-term data is awaited.

Outcomes analysis of radioactive iodine and total thyroidectomy for pediatric Graves' disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Cohen, Reuven Zev; Felner, Eric I; Heiss, Kurt F; Wyly, J Bradley; Muir, Andrew B

2016-03-01

The majority of pediatric patients with Graves' disease will ultimately require definitive therapy in the form of radioactive iodine (RAI) ablation or thyroidectomy. There are few studies that directly compare the efficacy and complication rates between RAI and thyroidectomy. We compared the relapse rate as well as the acute and long-term complications of RAI and total thyroidectomy among children and adolescents with Graves' disease treated at our center. Medical records from 81 children and adolescents with a diagnosis of Graves' disease who received definitive therapy over a 12-year period were reviewed. Fifty one patients received RAI and 30 patients underwent thyroidectomy. The relapse rate was not significantly different between RAI and thyroidectomy (12.1% vs. 0.0%, p=0.28). There were no acute or long-term complications in the RAI group, but there were eight cases of hypoparathyroidism (two transient and six permanent) in the thyroidectomy group. None of the patients developed a recurrent laryngeal nerve injury. RAI is a safe and effective option for treatment of children and adolescents with Graves' disease. In light of the rate of permanent hypoparathyroidism seen at our center with thyroidectomy and previously published long-term safety of RAI, we recommend RAI as the first line treatment for children and adolescents with Graves' disease. For those centers performing thyroidectomies, we recommend that each center select 1-2 high-volume pediatric surgeons to perform all thyroid procedures, allowing individuals to increases case volume and potentially decrease long-term complications of thyroidectomy.

[Outcome of endoscopically assisted surgical treatment of mandibular condyle fractures: a retrospective study of 22 patients].

Science.gov (United States)

Prade, V; Seguin, P; Boutet, C; Alix, T

2014-12-01

The condylar region is a frequent localization of mandibular fractures; there are various types of management. Mini-invasive endoscopic surgery is an alternative to open reduction. We had as goal to evaluate the outcome of this technique. We performed a monocentric retrospective study of patients consecutively operated for a condylar fracture (type II to V in the Spiessl and Schroll classification) with intraoral route and endoscopic assistance, during 30 months. We assessed the functional and radiological outcomes, and the complications. Twenty-two patients (25 fractures) were included. Seventeen patients (19 fractures) could be followed (mean follow-up: 16.7 months). The mean values were: interincisal opening, 45mm (±8.4); protrusion, 8.3mm (±1.9); ipsilateral excursion of the jaw: 8.6mm (±2); contralateral excursion: 8.7mm (±4). Three routes were used combined with a preauricular approach. The fracture reduction was good for 10 of the 19 fractures and poor for 3. The complications were: 3 cases of infection, 1 case of fixation failure with good consolidation; for combined approaches: 2 cases of temporary facial palsy and 2 cases of Frey syndrome. Endoscopic assistance for the surgical management of the fracture of mandibular condyle is a reliable technique, with a good functional outcome, and a low rate of specific complications, especially for facial nerve lesion or esthetic outcome. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Intermittent Intraoperative Neural Monitoring Technology in Minimally Invasive Video-Assisted Thyroidectomy: A Preliminary Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Hei, Hu; Zhai, Yifei; Qin, Jianwu; Song, Yongping

2016-01-01

Intraoperative neural monitoring (IONM) technology was applied in minimally invasive video-assisted thyroidectomy (MIVAT) to explore its safety and effectiveness. Data were collected retrospectively from October 2009 to August 2011. Inclusion criteria included the following: (1) benign thyroid nodule with maximum diameter less than 4.0 cm by preoperative ultrasound evaluation; (2) no previous thyroid surgeries; (3) no cervical radiation history; (4) normal function of recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN) examined by preoperative laryngoscopy; (5) patients who did not accept to take a "wait and see" follow-up strategy. Enrolled patients were randomly allocated into NIM group and control group. 46 patients were enrolled in NIM group, and 51 patients were enrolled in control group. All surgeries in NIM group were performed successfully, and majority of tracheal intubations were placed with one attempt. 47 RLNs in NIM group and 60 RLNs in control group were exposed. The time of RLN locating was 6.06 ± 1.48 min in NIM group and 6.92 ± 1.34 min in control group (p = .02). The time of RLN tracing and exposing was 28.96 ± 4.75 min in NIM group and 32.17 ± 5.56 min in control group (p = .02). 1 case of temporary RLN paralysis was observed in both groups, and no permanent RLN paralysis was reported. The application of intermittent IONM in MIVAT is feasible. Intermittent IONM can help reduce the time of RLN locating and the time of RLN tracing and exposing.

Novel posterior reconstruction technique during robot-assisted laparoscopic prostatectomy: description and comparative outcomes.

Science.gov (United States)

Jeong, Chang Wook; Oh, Jong Jin; Jeong, Seong Jin; Hong, Sung Kyu; Byun, Seok-Soo; Choe, Gheeyoung; Lee, Sang Eun

2012-07-01

The aim of the present study was to assess the impact of a novel posterior reconstruction technique during robot-assisted laparoscopic prostatectomy on continence recovery. A total of 116 consecutive patients who received the novel posterior reconstruction (case group) were retrospectively compared with a cohort of 126 patients who did not receive posterior reconstruction (control group). The primary end-point was the duration of continence recovery (no pad use) after robot-assisted laparoscopic prostatectomy. The posterior reconstruction was obtained by opposing the median dorsal fibrous raphe to the posterior counterpart of the detrusor apron, rather than the Denonvilliers' fascia. The case group showed higher continence rates at all points of evaluation, which were 2 weeks (30.1% vs 19.8%), 1 month (58.4% vs 45.7%), 3 months (82.7% vs 70.5%) and 6 months postoperatively (95.3% vs 86.4%) (P = 0.007). Application of the novel posterior reconstruction technique, age and length of membranous urethra were significant variables for the complete recovery of continence on multivariable analysis. This study shows that the application of this novel PR technique significantly improves the recovery of continence in patients undergoing robot-assisted laparoscopic prostatectomy. © 2012 The Japanese Urological Association.

Computer assisted surgery with 3D robot models and visualisation of the telesurgical action.

Science.gov (United States)

Rovetta, A

2000-01-01

This paper deals with the support of virtual reality computer action in the procedures of surgical robotics. Computer support gives a direct representation of the surgical theatre. The modelization of the procedure in course and in development gives a psychological reaction towards safety and reliability. Robots similar to the ones used by the manufacturing industry can be used with little modification as very effective surgical tools. They have high precision, repeatability and are versatile in integrating with the medical instrumentation. Now integrated surgical rooms, with computer and robot-assisted intervention, are operating. The computer is the element for a decision taking aid, and the robot works as a very effective tool.

Effect of Robot-Assisted Game Training on Upper Extremity Function in Stroke Patients

Science.gov (United States)

2017-01-01

Objective To determine the effects of combining robot-assisted game training with conventional upper extremity rehabilitation training (RCT) on motor and daily functions in comparison with conventional upper extremity rehabilitation training (OCT) in stroke patients. Methods Subjects were eligible if they were able to perform the robot-assisted game training and were divided randomly into a RCT and an OCT group. The RCT group performed one daily session of 30 minutes of robot-assisted game training with a rehabilitation robot, plus one daily session of 30 minutes of conventional rehabilitation training, 5 days a week for 2 weeks. The OCT group performed two daily sessions of 30 minutes of conventional rehabilitation training. The effects of training were measured by a Manual Function Test (MFT), Manual Muscle Test (MMT), Korean version of the Modified Barthel Index (K-MBI) and a questionnaire about satisfaction with training. These measurements were taken before and after the 2-week training. Results Both groups contained 25 subjects. After training, both groups showed significant improvements in motor and daily functions measured by MFT, MMT, and K-MBI compared to the baseline. Both groups demonstrated similar training effects, except motor power of wrist flexion. Patients in the RCT group were more satisfied than those in the OCT group. Conclusion There were no significant differences in changes in most of the motor and daily functions between the two types of training. However, patients in the RCT group were more satisfied than those in the OCT group. Therefore, RCT could be a useful upper extremity rehabilitation training method. PMID:28971037

Effect of Robot-Assisted Game Training on Upper Extremity Function in Stroke Patients.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Kyeong Woo; Kim, Sang Beom; Lee, Jong Hwa; Lee, Sook Joung; Kim, Jin Wan

2017-08-01

To determine the effects of combining robot-assisted game training with conventional upper extremity rehabilitation training (RCT) on motor and daily functions in comparison with conventional upper extremity rehabilitation training (OCT) in stroke patients. Subjects were eligible if they were able to perform the robot-assisted game training and were divided randomly into a RCT and an OCT group. The RCT group performed one daily session of 30 minutes of robot-assisted game training with a rehabilitation robot, plus one daily session of 30 minutes of conventional rehabilitation training, 5 days a week for 2 weeks. The OCT group performed two daily sessions of 30 minutes of conventional rehabilitation training. The effects of training were measured by a Manual Function Test (MFT), Manual Muscle Test (MMT), Korean version of the Modified Barthel Index (K-MBI) and a questionnaire about satisfaction with training. These measurements were taken before and after the 2-week training. Both groups contained 25 subjects. After training, both groups showed significant improvements in motor and daily functions measured by MFT, MMT, and K-MBI compared to the baseline. Both groups demonstrated similar training effects, except motor power of wrist flexion. Patients in the RCT group were more satisfied than those in the OCT group. There were no significant differences in changes in most of the motor and daily functions between the two types of training. However, patients in the RCT group were more satisfied than those in the OCT group. Therefore, RCT could be a useful upper extremity rehabilitation training method.

Comparison of fiber delivered CO2 laser and electrocautery in transoral robot assisted tongue base surgery.

Science.gov (United States)

Karaman, Murat; Gün, Taylan; Temelkuran, Burak; Aynacı, Engin; Kaya, Cem; Tekin, Ahmet Mahmut

2017-05-01

To compare intra-operative and post-operative effectiveness of fiber delivered CO 2 laser to monopolar electrocautery in robot assisted tongue base surgery. Prospective non-randomized clinical study. Twenty moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) patients, non-compliant with Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP), underwent Transoral Robotic Surgery (TORS) using the Da Vinci surgical robot in our University Hospital. OSA was treated with monopolar electrocautery in 10 patients, and with flexible CO 2 laser fiber in another 10 patients. The following parameters in the two sets are analyzed: Intraoperative bleeding that required cauterization, robot operating time, need for tracheotomy, postoperative self-limiting bleeding, length of hospitalization, duration until start of oral intake, pre-operative and post-operative minimum arterial oxygen saturation, pre-operative and post-operative Epworth Sleepiness Scale score, postoperative airway complication and postoperative pain. Mean follow-up was 12 months. None of the patients required tracheotomy and there were no intraoperative complications related to the use of the robot or the CO 2 laser. The use of CO 2 laser in TORS-assisted tongue base surgery resulted in less intraoperative bleeding that required cauterization, shorter robot operating time, shorter length of hospitalization, shorter duration until start of oral intake and less postoperative pain, when compared to electrocautery. Postoperative apnea-hypopnea index scores showed better efficacy of CO 2 laser than electrocautery. Comparison of postoperative airway complication rates and Epworth sleepiness scale scores were found to be statistically insignificant between the two groups. The use of CO 2 laser in robot assisted tongue base surgery has various intraoperative and post-operative advantages when compared to monopolar electrocautery.

[Robot-assisted liver resection].

Science.gov (United States)

Aselmann, H; Möller, T; Kersebaum, J-N; Egberts, J H; Croner, R; Brunner, M; Grützmann, R; Becker, T

2017-06-01

Robotic liver resection can overcome some of the limitations of laparoscopic liver surgery; therefore, it is a promising tool to increase the proportion of minimally invasive liver resections. The present article gives an overview of the current literature. Furthermore, the results of a nationwide survey on robotic liver surgery among hospitals in Germany with a DaVinci system used in general visceral surgery and the perioperative results of two German robotic centers are presented.

Effects of robot-assisted training on upper limb functional recovery during the rehabilitation of poststroke patients.

Science.gov (United States)

Daunoraviciene, Kristina; Adomaviciene, Ausra; Grigonyte, Agne; Griškevičius, Julius; Juocevicius, Alvydas

2018-05-18

The study aims to determine the effectiveness of robot-assisted training in the recovery of stroke-affected arms using an exoskeleton robot Armeo Spring. To identify the effect of robot training on functional recovery of the arm. A total of 34 stroke patients were divided into either an experimental group (EG; n= 17) or a control group (n= 17). EG was also trained to use the Armeo Spring during occupational therapy. Both groups were clinically assessed before and after treatment. Statistical comparison methods (i.e. one-tailed t-tests for differences between two independent means and the simplest test) were conducted to compare motor recovery using robot-assisted training or conventional therapy. Patients assigned to the EG showed a statistically significant improvement in upper extremity motor function when compared to the CG by FIM (Peffect in the EG and CG was meaningful for shoulder and elbow kinematic parameters. The findings show the benefits of robot therapy in two areas of functional recovery. Task-oriented robotic training in rehabilitation setting facilitates recovery not only of the motor function of the paretic arm but also of the cognitive abilities in stroke patients.

[Robot-Assisted Laparoscopic Radical Prostatectomy for Patients with Prostatic Cancer and Factors Promoting Installation of the Robotic Surgical Equipment-Questionnaire Survey].

Science.gov (United States)

Tsukamoto, Taiji; Tanaka, Shigeru

2015-08-01

We conducted a questionnaire survey of hospitals with robot-assisted surgical equipment to study changes of the surgical case loads after its installation and the managerial strategies for its purchase. The study included 154 hospitals (as of April 2014) that were queried about their radical prostatectomy case loads from January 2009 to December 2013, strategies for installation of the equipment in their hospitals, and other topics related to the study purpose. The overall response rate of hospitals was 63%, though it marginally varied according to type and area. The annual case load was determined based on the results of the questionnaire and other modalities. It increased from 3,518 in 2009 to 6,425 in 2013. The case load seemed to be concentrated in hospitals with robot equipment since the increase of their number was very minimal over the 5 years. The hospitals with the robot treated a larger number of newly diagnosed patients with the disease than before. Most of the patients were those having localized cancer that was indicated for radical surgery, suggesting again the concentration of the surgical case loads in the hospitals with robots. While most hospitals believed that installation of a robot was necessary as an option for treatment procedures, the future strategy of the hospital, and other reasons, the action of the hospital to gain prestige may be involved in the process of purchasing the equipment. In conclusion, robot-assisted laparoscopic radical prostatectomy has become popular as a surgical procedure for prostate cancer in our society. This may lead to a concentration of the surgical case load in a limited number of hospitals with robots. We also discuss the typical action of an acute-care hospital when it purchases expensive clinical medical equipment.