Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 21, 2025
07:27
Robotics in Surgery: A Modular Robotic Platform Driven Gastric Wedge Resection
Published on: February 7, 2025
398
Enhancing Surgical Precision in Autonomous Robotic Incisions via Physics-Based Tissue Cutting Simulation
Jiawei Ge1, Ethan Kilmer2, Leila J Mady3
1Jiawei Ge, Justin D. Opfermann, and Axel Krieger are with the Department of Mechanical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21211, USA.
Proceedings of the ... IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems. IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems
|March 19, 2025
Summary
This study integrates physics-based simulations into robotic surgery to predict tissue deformation, improving incision accuracy. This approach enhances precision in soft tissue tumor resections, reducing the need for real-time surgical adjustments.
Area of Science:
- Robotic Surgery
- Surgical Simulation
- Biomechanical Engineering
Background:
- Achieving precision in soft tissue surgeries, like tumor resections, is critical.
- Surgeons currently rely on intraoperative adjustments to compensate for tool-tissue interaction deformations.
- Existing methods necessitate dynamic adjustments during autonomous procedures.
Purpose of the Study:
- To integrate physics-based tissue cutting simulations into autonomous robotic surgery.
- To preoperatively predict and compensate for tissue deformations during incisions.
- To enhance surgical precision and minimize intraoperative adjustments.
Main Methods:
- A real-to-sim-to-real workflow was adapted.
- The Autonomous System for Tumor Resection (ASTR) evaluated initial incision accuracy.
- A finite element analysis simulation (SOFA) mimicked tissue-incision interactions.
- Simulation insights refined robot path planning for improved accuracy.
Main Results:
- Average absolute incision error reduced from 1.73 mm to 1.46 mm (p < 0.001).
- Shape matching scores (Hu moments) improved from 0.10 to 0.06.
- Centroid shifts decreased from 2.09 mm to 1.33 mm.
- Potential reduction in close margins, preventing adverse oncologic outcomes.
Conclusions:
- Merging physics-based simulations with autonomous robotic surgery can lead to more accurate incisions.
- This approach shows feasibility for improving precision in tumor resections.
- Preoperative compensation for tissue deformation is a promising strategy for autonomous surgery.
