Robotics and allied technologies in endoscopic surgery

The human hand-arm system provides seven degrees of freedom for the manipulation of objects in space. In open surgery these motion axes can be used fully when guiding the surgical instrument. In endoscopic procedures the surgical instrument is fixed to the point of trocar insertion, resulting in only four degrees of freedom. This leads to a loss of instrumental functionality in endoscopic procedures. Robotics and telemanipulator technology can be used to restore the full spatial mobility of the endoscopic instrument. A functional model of an endoscopic master-slave manipulator system has been developed and is under experimental surgical evaluation. Allied technologies include new tactile sensor and vision systems that can enhance the application of robotic systems in surgery for the future.