EndoCAS Navigator Platform: a common platform for computer and robotic assistance in minimally invasive surgery

Computer-assisted surgery(CAS) systems are currently used in only a few surgical specialties: ear, nose and throat (ENT), neurosurgery and orthopaedics. Almost all of these systems have been developed as dedicated platforms and work on rigid anatomical structures. The development of augmented reality systems for intra-abdominal organs remains problematic because of the anatomical complexity of the human peritoneal cavity and especially because of the deformability of its organs. The aim of the present work was to develop and implement a highly modular platform (targeted for minimally invasive laparoscopic surgery) generally suitable for CAS, and to produce a prototype for demonstration of its potential clinical application and use in laparoscopic surgery