Paging Dr. Robot
Above: The Raven mobile surgical robot (credit: David Clugston)
Scalpel… Scalpel.
Clamps… Clamps.
Forceps… Forceps.
Laser beam… Laser-what!?
That’s right, laser beams. The United Kindom recently published a study titled “Saws and scalpels to lasers and robots: advances in surgery,” which details the way technology is improving the way doctors perform surgery. Today, we will examine two robots getting involved, da Vinci and Raven, and consider what they mean for health care.
The da Vinci robotic surgery system is among the most common and effective robo-doctors. It is designed to provide minimally-invasive procedures for difficult surgery. A keyhole incision is all it takes for the robotic instruments to begin work. The doctor controls the robot with a complex array of joysticks while an endoscope provides full visualization of the situation.
Since robots are faster and more precise than humans, the keyhole incisions enable a faster operation with less pain and scarring - a three hour surgery can now be performed in 45 minutes. The da Vinci robot is not replacing doctors, it is making them more efficient.
The Raven is a mobile robot surgeon developed by the University of Washington. It operates in a manner similar to da Vinci; however, it is designed to be controlled through the internet to provide care in places doctors are not located, such as a battlefield. Currently, it is undergoing testing to determine if it is strong enough to withstand the strain of transportation and how well its communication system works.
A key difference between da Vinci and Raven is the size and weight. Although both are intended to perform surgery, the da Vinci is meant for only the hospital while Raven can go anywhere it is needed. As such, Raven weighs 50 lbs. - around 2,000 lbs. less than da Vinci.
According to Dr. Savata, Professor of Surgery, University of Washington, “A robot is an information machine, rather than a machine. Thinking as such will permit greater integration into our health care system. The surgeon is then an information manager, and can integrate all aspects of the care to include preoperative planning, surgical approaches, etc. The robot can give 1mm accuracy using a virtual robot to practice an operation ahead of time on a virtual patient.”
Via [The Lantern] [The Daily]