Medical Robotics
In the last decades robotics and mechatronics have found their way into many medical applications. Especially surgery has shown large potential for the use of robotic systems. The goal in medical robotics is thereby not to replace the surgeon by a robot, but to provide the surgeon with new treatment options to the benefit of the patient. Although this technology is still in its early stages, it will significantly change future surgery. The Institute of Robotics and Mechatronics contributes to this process by several research activities which reach from the development of a universal surgical robot and sensorized surgical instruments over advanced telemanipulation concepts to intraoperative autonomous functions and preoperative planning and registration.
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The DLR MIRO is the second generation of versatile robot arms for surgical applications, developed at the Institute for Robotics and Mechatronics. With its low weight of 10 kg and dimensions similar to those of the human arm, the MIRO robot can assist the surgeon directly at the operating table where space is sparse. |
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In recent years minimally invasive surgery (MIS) has been established more and more. Access to the operation site is gained through small incisions in the patient’s skin using long, slender instruments. Since direct manual access to the operation site is restricted, surgeons have to train new operation techniques and learn to overcome the loss of haptic and tactile information. |
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Minimally invasive surgery (MIS) challenges the surgeon’s skills due to his separation from the operation area which can be reached by long instruments only. To overcome the drawbacks of conventional MIS the DLR works on a research system for telrobotic endoscpic surgery. |
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Motion compensation is a highly desired functionality in minimally invasive beating heart surgery. Before motion compensation in beating heart surgery can be performed, organ motion arising from the patient's respiration or heart beat has to be coped with. Therefore, the reliable measurement of this motion is an essential part of an advanced minimally invasive robotic surgery system. |
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During manual laparoscopic interventions, the surgeon does not have direct visual control of the operating field as in open surgery, but orientates himself by the laparoscopic image displayed on a monitor. It is the task of an assistant to guide the laparoscope such that the field of view is optimal for the surgeon. |
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One key aspect necessary for a successful minimally invasive intervention is preoperative planning, done by the surgeon in order to prepare the intervention and to decide about the best access to the surgical site. In case of robotically assisted interventions the results of these decisions must be transferred also to the robotic equipment. |
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Vision und Ziel des implantierbaren DLR-Herzens ist die langfristige Unterstützung von Menschen mit schwerer Herzinsuffizienz, für die bislang nur eingeschränkte Therapiemöglichkeiten zur Verfügung stehen. |
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Since more than 30 years neuron surgery doctors have been using passive mechanical arm, Brain spatula, for the brain operation. This device has to be held carefully by an experienced doctor to keep a small constant force. As the operation takes longer, it will be very difficult for him to manually keep the constant force, and if there is a sudden change in kept force, the brain tissue will be damaged and the patients will have danger of life. |
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Funded Projects
The research in the area of medical robotics is supported within the following Bavarian and national funded projects. This support is gratefully acknowledged. |
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