A Wireless Robot for Networked Laparoscopy

Abstract

State-of-the-art laparoscopes for minimally invasive abdominal surgery are encumbered by cabling for power, video, and light sources. Although these laparoscopes provide good image quality, they interfere with surgical instruments, occupy a trocar port, require an assistant in the operating room to control the scope, have a very limited field of view, and are expensive. MARVEL is a wireless Miniature Anchored Robotic Videoscope for Expedited Laparoscopy that addresses these limitations by providing an inexpensive in vivo wireless camera module (CM) that eliminates the surgical-tool bottleneck experienced by surgeons in current laparoscopic endoscopic single-site (LESS) procedures. The MARVEL system includes 1) multiple CMs that feature a wirelessly controlled pan/tilt camera platform, which enable a full hemisphere field of view inside the abdominal cavity, wirelessly adjustable focus, and a multiwavelength illumination control system; 2) a master control module that provides a near-zero latency video wireless communications link, independent wireless control for multiple MARVEL CMs, digital zoom; and 3) a wireless human-machine interface that gives the surgeon full control over CM functionality. The research reported in this paper is the first step in developing a suite of semiautonomous wirelessly controlled and networked robotic cyber-physical devices to enable a paradigm shift in minimally invasive surgery and other domains such as wireless body area networks.

Recent technological advancements in laparoscopic surgical instruments

“…An in vivo in a LESS environment test was done and validated its advantages which allows for another instrument to be introduced with no conflict with operative tools. While a system called MARVEL or Miniature Anchored Robotic Videoscope for Expedited Laparoscopy which aims to be the first step in developing semiautonomous wirelessly controlled and networked MIS devices and other smart tools was presented by Castro et al [13]. The system comprised of three modules namely master control module (MCM), wireless human-machine interface (HMI), and the system's camera modules (CM).…”

Fine orientation control of an insertable robotic camera system for single incision laparoscopic surgery

“…The cameras need to be mounted on the internal surface of an insufflated abdominal wall. Some camera designs are mounted on abdominal walls by suturing/piercing/magnetic fixation and controlled by on‐board motors with peripheral mechanisms for 2‐DoF rotation . To reduce the design complexity and decrease the camera size, it is preferred to reduce the usages of on‐board motors.…”

“…Some camera designs are mounted on abdominal walls by suturing/piercing/magnetic fixation and controlled by on-board motors with peripheral mechanisms for 2-DoF rotation. [5][6][7] To reduce the design complexity and decrease the camera size, it is preferred to reduce the usages of on-board motors. The cameras' robotic DoFs, such as 2-DoF navigation and 1-DoF rotation (pan motion), can be activated by the magnetic coupling between external magnetic handle and internal magnets.…”

Multicamera Laparoscopic Imaging With Tunable Focusing Capability

“…In addition, constant maneuvering of the camera between ports is required to adjust the viewing angle of the surgical field. Several groups have bypassed these requirements by means of imaging tools tethered [9], sutured [10] or magnetically anchored [11] to the abdominal wall. However, these invasive solutions result in additional puncture points or tugging of the abdominal wall, increasing the invasiveness of the laparoscopic procedures.…”