Miniature in vivo Robots for Remote and Harsh Environments

Abstract

Abstract-Long-term human space exploration will require contingencies for emergency medical procedures including some capability to perform surgery. The ability to perform minimally invasive surgery (MIS) would be an important capability. The use of small incisions reduces surgical risk, but also eliminates the ability of the surgeon to view and touch the surgical environment directly. Robotic surgery, or telerobotic surgery, may provide emergency surgical care in remote or harsh environments such as space flight, or extremely forward environments such as battlefields. However, because current surgical robots are large and require extensive support personnel, their implementation has remained limited in forward environments, and they would be difficult, or impossible, to use in space flight or on battlefields. This paper presents experimental analysis of miniature fixed-base and mobile in vivo robots to support MIS surgery in remote and harsh environments. The objective is to develop wireless imaging and task-assisting robots that can be placed inside the abdominal cavity during surgery. Such robots will provide surgical task assistance and enable an on-site or remote surgeon to view the surgical environment from multiple angles. This approach is applicable to long-duration space flight, battlefield situations, and for traditional medical centers and other remote surgical locations.Index Terms-Extreme and remote environments, in vivo, robots, surgical, telementoring.

An overview of robotics and autonomous systems for harsh environments

“…The authors in [38] discussed the crucial aid offered by miniature robots in circumstances where big surgical robots are unavailable (such as for medical needs in space). Tele-operated fixed-base and mobile in vivo robots were tested to assist surgeons by providing wireless imaging on the abdominal cavity during surgery.…”

Robots for minimally invasive diagnosis and intervention

“…The robots are primarily classified as external large robots [15,16] and miniature in-vivo robots. The miniature in-vivo robots are further classified based on the targeted anatomy into miniature in-vivo laparoscopic robots [10,17,18] and miniature in-vivo endoscopic robots [12,19]. Miniature in-vivo endoscopic robots work within the gastro-intestinal (GI) track whereas miniature in-vivo laparoscopic robots work within the abdominal or the thoracic cavity.…”

“…The ultimate goal of this approach is to develop a multiple cooperative modular robot which together can perform a complete surgery. They are small and easily transportable [17].…”

Current Limitations and Perspectives in Single Port Surgery: Pros and Cons Laparo-Endoscopic Single-Site Surgery (LESS) for Renal Surgery

“…We are already on the beginning of the minirobotic revolution and translation from mini invasive surgery to pure intracavitary surgery. The technical potential of “in vivo robots” has to be investigated, well defined, and established in the clinical field to eliminate the difficulties in LESS surgeries [15]. …”