A real-time CORBA based system architecture for robot assisted craniofacial surgery.

Area of Science:

• Medical Engineering
• Computer Science
• Surgical Technology

Background:

• Computer-aided surgery systems require robust architectures for integrating diverse devices.
• Existing systems often face challenges in modularity and development efficiency.
• Ensuring software safety is paramount in computer-assisted surgical applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose a novel system architecture for computer-aided craniofacial surgery.
• To establish a behavior-oriented communication model and address software safety.
• To develop a standard library for streamlined integration of surgical services and devices.

Main Methods:

• The architecture is based on the Common Object Request Broker Architecture (CORBA) standard.
• A behavior-oriented communication model and software safety considerations were incorporated.
• A standard library was developed to facilitate the integration of new services and devices.
• Performance and usability were evaluated using a setup including a surgical robot, navigation system, force-torque sensor, and visualization software.

Main Results:

• The proposed system architecture demonstrated excellent performance and usability in the evaluation setup.
• The developed standard library significantly decreased development time for integrating components.
• The CORBA-based architecture facilitated seamless integration of various surgical technologies.

Conclusions:

• The presented system architecture offers a viable and efficient solution for computer-aided craniofacial surgery.
• The modular design and integrated library enhance development efficiency and system flexibility.
• Further integration of devices and ongoing clinical evaluation are planned for future work.