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Robotic Surgery
Operating rooms are stepping into the 21st century
thanks to a robotic arm that can assist surgeons in non-invasive,
endoscopic procedures. Computer Motion, Inc., in Santa Barbara,
California, originally performed research under a NASA Small
Business Innovation Research (SBIR) contract from the Jet
Propulsion Laboratory to develop AESOP,® (Automated
Endoscopic System for Optimal Positioning).
NASA hopes to make use of the technology powering the robotic
arm of AESOP to service satellites and inspect payloads on the
Space Shuttle in the future. The hope is to use robotics on space
repair missions requiring exact and precise movements that exceed
human dexterity.
Nearly a million endoscopic surgeries are performed annually
by inserting a slender camera into a small incision in the patient
to access the part of the body targeted for the operation. The
surgeon uses the camera to monitor the operation, which requires
long, narrow instruments. This endoscopic approach reduces the
healing and recovery time needed by the patient and lowers healthcare
costs.
Now, with Computer Motion's AESOP, surgeons can control the
motion of the camera, which is attached to a robotic arm. AESOP
eliminates the need for surgical staff to hold the camera in
place. The robotic arm also allows for a steadier view of the
surgery and more precise and consistent movements of the camera.
![shows doctors seated in the ZEUS Robotic Surgical System, from which they can perform minimally invasive surgeries without suffering from fatigue or stress during lengthy operations](images/36B.JPG) |
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Doctors seated in the
ZEUSTM Robotic
Surgical System can perform minimally invasive surgeries without
suffering from fatigue or stress during lengthy operations. |
The AESOP arm uses Computer Motion's voice recognition software,
which is pre-recorded onto a voice card and inserted into the
controller. Computer Motion's NASA-funded research determined
that voice controlled commands are preferred in the operating
room as opposed to alternatives such as eye-tracking and head-tracking,
which control motion in response to movements of the surgeon's
head.
A second generation of this technology, called the ZEUSTM
Robotic Surgical System, has the potential to make endoscopic
procedures even more accessible. Traditional endoscopic methods
require a long learning curve and a greater dexterity than some
possess. Also, suturing for microsurgical procedures such as
endoscopic coronary artery bypass graft often exceeds typical
human dexterity limits.
However, through the use of a master-slave robotic system,
surgeon motions are scaled down, allowing the doctor to make
more natural movements. By manipulating additional robotic arms,
the surgeon can move the instruments with the precision the procedure
requires. Incisions can be made smaller than the diameter of
a pencil as compared to the 12- to 15-inch incision and cracked
ribs traditional open-heart surgery requires.
One final benefit of the ZEUS system is that it allows the
surgeon to perform the operation seated in an ergonomic position,
eliminating the problems of fatigue and frustration resulting
from leaning over the patient in an awkward posture for hours.
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AESOP,® a voice-controlled robotic endoscopic
positioning system, provides an absolutely steady picture during
minimally invasive surgeries. |
Last summer, the first completely endoscopic coronary artery
bypass graft was performed using the ZEUS system and has now
been put in use at 19 sites. Computer Motion hopes to use AESOP
and ZEUS as the cornerstone technologies for tomorrow's Intelligent
Operating RoomTM.
AESOP® is a registered trademark of Computer
Motion, Inc. ZEUSTM and Intelligent
Operating RoomTM are trademarks of Computer Motion,
Inc.
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