16 accepted papers
This article presents a medical robotic system for deep orbital interventions, with a focus on Optic Nerve Sheath Fenestration (ONSF). ONSF is a currently invasive ophthalmic surgical approach that can reduce potentially blinding elevated hydrostatic intracranial pressure on the optic disc via an in
Recent advances in teleoperation-based robotic-assisted Minimally Invasive Surgery (MIS) have made significant inroads in clinical adoption. However, such master-slave surgical systems create a physical separation between the surgeon and the patient. The concept of Active Constraints (ACs) provides…
The real-time teleoperation or telemanipulation of redundant snakelike robots for minimally invasive surgery in a master-slave configuration is a complex problem. There are many possible mappings between a master's standard 6 degrees of freedom (DOF) and a redundant slave robot, typically with n ≫ 6
The use of snake-like robots for surgery is a popular choice for intra-luminal procedures. In practice, the requirements for strength, flexibility and accuracy are difficult to be satisfied simultaneously. This paper presents a computational approach for optimizing the design of a snake-like robot u…
This letter introduces a single-port robotic platform for transanal endoscopic microsurgery (TEMS). Two robotically controlled articulated surgical instruments are inserted via a transanal approach to perform submucosal or full-thickness dissection. This system is intended to replace the conventiona
The field of robotic surgery increasingly advances towards highly articulated and continuum robots, requiring new kinematic strategies to enable users to perform dexterous manipulation in confined workspaces. This development is driven by surgical interventions accessing the surgical workspace throu
Surgical manipulators are increasingly capable of approaching deep-seated pathologies through convoluted pathways due to the advances in the field of continuum robotics. This class of robots can be, in most cases, accurately modeled as a chain of cylindrical shapes. In order to safely and seamlessly
The use of concentric tube robots has recognized advantages for accessing target lesions while conforming to certain anatomical constraints. However, their complex kinematics makes their safe telemanipulation in convoluted anatomy a challenging task. Collaborative control schemes, which guide the op…
Traditional robotic surgical systems rely entirely on robotic arms to triangulate articulated instruments inside the human anatomy. This configuration can be ill-suited for working in tight spaces or during single access approaches, where little to no triangulation between the instrument shafts is p…
The performance of a master-slave robotic system depends significantly on the ergonomics and the capability of its master device to correctly interface the user with the slave robot. Master manipulators generating commands in task space represent a commonly adopted solution for controlling a range o…
Effective in situ, in vivo tumour margin assessment is an important, yet unmet, clinical demand in surgical oncology. Recent advances in probe-based optical imaging tools such as confocal endomicroscopy is making inroads in clinical applications. In practice, maintaining consistent tissue contact wh…
This paper introduces the design and characterization of a robotic surgical instrument produced mainly with rapid prototyping techniques. Surgical robots have generally complex structures and have therefore an elevated cost. The proposed instrument was designed to incorporate minimal number of compo…
The use of conventional surgical tool holders requires an assistant during positioning and adjustment due to the lack of weight compensation. In this paper, we introduce a robotic arm system with hands-on control approach. The robot incorporates a force sensor at the end effector which realises tool…
Safe and effective telemanipulation of concentric tube robots is hindered by their complex, non-intuitive kinematics. Guidance schemes in the form of attractive and repulsive constraints can simplify task execution and facilitate natural operation of the robot by clinicians. The real-time seamless c…
Motor channelling is a concept to provide navigation and sensory feedback to operators in master-slave surgical setups. It is beneficial since the introduction of robotic surgery creates a physical separation between the surgeon and patient anatomy. Active Constraints/Virtual Fixtures are proposed w…
Concentric tube robots are catheter-sized robots that are ideally suited for navigating along natural anatomical pathways and treating deep-seated pathologies. Their telemanipulation in dynamic environments requires on-line computation of inverse kinematics with simultaneous avoidance of anatomical…