Future trends in the design and application of surgical robots

Beyond current laparoscopic surgery is the emergence of robotic surgery. The power of this type of surgery is converting both vision and hand motions into electronic signals (video and telemanipulation), which completes the transition of surgery from the Industrial Age to the Information Age. Other advances include replacing scrub and circulation nurses with robots, miniaturization, biosurgery, "intelligent" instruments, and energy-directed rather than mechanical surgical tools. These modalities will supplement-but not totally replace-current forms of surgery such as open conventional, minimally invasive, endoluminal, and interventional.