Introduction to robot-assisted minimally invasive surgery (MIS)

It is well recognised that the performance of minimally invasive surgery (MIS) imposes an increasing burden on surgeons' manual dexterity and visuomotor control. Tissue deformation, restricted workspace, and a limited field-of-view make manual operation of the procedure difficult. With the advent of robot assisted MIS, manual dexterity is enhanced by microprocessor controlled mechanical wrists, allowing motion scaling and tremor removal. Further enhancement of three-dimensional (3D) vision and intra-operative image guidance permits improved clinical uptake of the technology, ensuring better operative safety and consistency. This chapter provides a detailed overview of robotic surgical systems and introduces recent developments in the integration of synergistic controls such as virtual fixtures, dynamic active constraints, and perceptual docking. © 2012 Woodhead Publishing Limited. All rights reserved.link_to_subscribed_fulltex