Soft Robot-Assisted Minimally Invasive Surgery and Interventions: Advances and Outlook

Kwok, Ka‐Wai; Würdemann, Helge A.; Arezzo, Alberto; Menciassi, Arianna; Althoefer, Kaspar

doi:10.1109/jproc.2022.3167931

Cited by 34 publications

(12 citation statements)

References 137 publications

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“…We have learned that soft robots have plenty of advantages in the application of surgery. The vital benefit of using soft robotics technologies is its relatively high safety factor in minimally invasive surgery (MIS) due to its soft nature [3]. For example, in 2022, the deployable soft robotics designed by Mark et al [4] is able to deal with many problems in minimally invasive surgery.…”

Section: Surgical Soft Robotmentioning

confidence: 99%

A review of surgical soft robot

Jiao

2023

Second International Conference on Biomedical and Intelligent Systems (IC-BIS 2023)

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Section: Surgical Soft Robotmentioning

confidence: 99%

A review of surgical soft robot

Jiao

2023

Second International Conference on Biomedical and Intelligent Systems (IC-BIS 2023)

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“…Similarly, each robotic segment had three reinforced chambers. The inherent compliance and consequent flexibility of soft robots also offers valuable benefits for medical interventions [19], [20]. Another prominent example is the STIFF-FLOP manipulator devised for MIS [21]- [23].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Miniaturised Soft Manipulators with Reinforced Actuation Chambers on the Sub-Centimetre Scale

Shi,

Abad,

Menciassi

et al. 2024

2024 IEEE 7th International Conference on Soft Robotics (RoboSoft)

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Fibre-reinforced soft robots are often considered in the design of fluid elastomer actuators, to counter ballooning and potential bursting when exposed to high levels of pressure. They also enhance deformation and navigation through confined spaces. These attributes are critical in applications such as minimally invasive surgical (MIS) procedures that use sub-12 mm diameter trocar ports. While soft robots with fully reinforced actuation chambers have not yet attained this level of miniaturisation, this paper outlines the fabrication and characterisation of miniaturised soft manipulators with reinforced actuation chambers on the sub-centimetre scale (i.e., less than 10 mm). Two robots are presented with diameters of 9.5 mm and 7.8 mm. They have four pneumatic actuation chambers per robotic segment, with a free central working lumen. Additionally, two robotic segments are serially connected to enhance dexterity and flexibility. This research advances the miniaturisation of soft manipulators with reinforced chambers and an inner free lumen, enhancing their use in applications within confined and unstructured environments.

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“…Given the differences in application, reviews of simulation training for general robotics, such as [47], focus on the use of RGB(-D) imaging, which generally does not apply in the context of MIS. Further, although previous reviews include recent advances in MIS [48][49][50][51][52][53][54][55][56][57][58][59], robotic-assisted MIS [55,[60][61][62][63], machine learning in surgical interventions [34,35,[64][65][66][67][68][69][70][71][72], or surgical simulation for human training purposes [73][74][75][76], in silico training specifically for intelligent MIS systems remains an emerging area deserving of an introduction. We focus this review on frameworks and successful applications in three imaging modalities which have received the bulk of researchers' attention, namely endoscopy, ultrasound (US), and x-ray.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

In silico simulation: a key enabling technology for next-generation intelligent surgical systems

et al. 2023

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To mitigate the challenges of operating through narrow incisions under image guidance, there is a desire to develop intelligent systems that assist decision making and spatial reasoning in minimally invasive surgery (MIS). In this context, machine learning-based systems for interventional image analysis are receiving considerable attention because of their flexibility and the opportunity to provide immediate, informative feedback to clinicians. It is further believed that learning-based image analysis may eventually form the foundation for semior fully automated delivery of surgical treatments. A significant bottleneck in developing such systems is the availability of annotated images with sufficient variability to train generalizable models, particularly the most recently favored deep convolutional neural networks or transformer architectures. A popular alternative to acquiring and manually annotating data from the clinical practice is the simulation of these data from human-based models. Simulation has many advantages, including the avoidance of ethical issues, precisely controlled environments, and the scalability of data collection. Here, we survey recent work that relies on in silico training of learning-based MIS systems, in which data are generated via computational simulation. For each imaging modality, we review available simulation tools in terms of compute requirements, image quality, and usability, as well as their applications for training intelligent systems. We further discuss open challenges for simulation-based development of MIS systems, such as the need for integrated imaging and physical modeling for non-optical modalities, as well as generative patient models not dependent on underlying CT, MRI, or other patient data. In conclusion, as the capabilities of in silico training mature, with respect to sim-to-real transfer, computational efficiency, and degree of control, they are contributing toward the next generation of intelligent surgical systems.

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Soft Robot-Assisted Minimally Invasive Surgery and Interventions: Advances and Outlook

Abstract: This article provides an in-depth overview of recent progress in soft robotics for surgery and outlines remaining challenges in the development of soft robotics technologies for in-body operation, such as materials selection, tunable stiffness, soft design paradigms, and control issues.

Cited by 34 publications

References 137 publications

A review of surgical soft robot

A review of surgical soft robot

Miniaturised Soft Manipulators with Reinforced Actuation Chambers on the Sub-Centimetre Scale

In silico simulation: a key enabling technology for next-generation intelligent surgical systems

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