Toward versatile cooperative surgical robotics: a review and future challenges

Area of Science:

• Robotics
• Human-Machine Interaction
• Surgical Technology

Background:

• Surgical robotics has over 5000 proposed approaches, leading to diversity that impacts cost and usability.
• The trend towards open, modular operating room systems necessitates adaptable human-robot interaction.
• A need exists for standardized robotic device profiles for cooperative surgical systems.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify generic cooperative robotic device profiles and features for surgical applications.
• To analyze human-machine interaction in surgical robotics for modular design.
• To establish a foundation for standardized, modular surgical robotic systems.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of surgical robotics from a human-machine interaction perspective.
• Identification of cooperative aspects and relevant communication channels in surgical scenarios.
• Review of existing classifications for surgical tasks and robotic systems, focusing on modularity.

Main Results:

• A classification scheme was developed to define distinct, generic cooperative robotic device profiles.
• Key features for cooperative surgical robots were identified based on guidelines.
• The proposed profiles can form the basis for a modular architecture in future surgical robot systems.

Conclusions:

• Modular system design allows for expansion of functionalities and varying degrees of autonomy or control.
• Standardized device profiles for cooperative surgical robots can facilitate integration into open, modular operating room networks.
• This standardization can enhance versatility, improve the benefit-to-cost ratio, and increase the market spread of surgical robotics.