by Keyword: Surgical robotics
Marbán, Arturo, Casals, Alicia, Fernández, Josep, Amat, Josep, (2014). Haptic feedback in surgical robotics: Still a challenge Advances in Intelligent Systems and Computing 
ROBOT2013: First Iberian Robotics Conference (ed. Armada, Manuel A., Sanfeliu, Alberto, Ferre, Manuel), Springer International Publishing 252, 245-253
Endowing current surgical robotic systems with haptic feedback to perform minimally invasive surgery (MIS), such as laparoscopy, is still a challenge. Haptic is a feature lost in surgical teleoperated systems limiting surgeons capabilities and ability. The availability of haptics would provide important advantages to the surgeon: Improved tissue manipulation, reducing the breaking of sutures and increase the feeling of telepresence, among others. To design and develop a haptic system, the measurement of forces can be implemented based on two approaches: Direct and indirect force sensing. MIS performed with surgical robots, imposes many technical constraints to measure forces, such as: Miniaturization, need of sterilization or materials compatibility, making it necessary to rely on indirect force sensing. Based on mathematical models of the components involved in an intervention and indirect force sensing techniques, a global perspective on how to address the problem of measurement of tool-tissue interaction forces is presented.
JTD Keywords: Surgical robotics, Haptic feedback, Indirect force sensing, Machine learning, Data fusion, Mathematical models
Frigola, M., Vinagre, M., Casals, A., Amat, J., Santana, F., Torrens, C., (2010). Robotics as a support tool for experimental optimisation of surgical strategies in orthopaedic surgery Applied Bionics and Biomechanics , 7, (3), 231-239
Robotics has shown its potential not only in assisting the surgeon during an intervention but also as a tool for training and for surgical procedure's evaluation. Thus, robotics can constitute an extension of simulators that are based on the high capabilities of computer graphics. In addition, haptics has taken a first step in increasing the performance of current virtual reality systems based uniquely on computer simulation and their corresponding interface devices. As a further step in the field of training and learning in surgery, this work describes a robotic experimental workstation composed of robots and specific measuring devices, together with their corresponding control and monitoring strategies for orthopaedic surgery. Through a case study, humerus arthroplasty, experimental evaluation shows the possibilities of having a test bed available for repetitive and quantifiable trials, which make a reliable scientific comparison between different surgical strategies possible.
JTD Keywords: Surgical robotics, Training robotics, Optimisation of surgical procedures, Surgical techniques evaluation
