While we are not at the stage of living like the “Jetsons” there are certainly strides being made on an almost weekly basis to move more robotic technologies into the home and it stands to reason that it would be moving into the medical field and operating rooms as well.
The same robotic technology that powers robotic arms in outer space are being explored for use in minor surgical procedures on children. A manufacturer of robotic technologies, MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates is developing a piece of equipment called the KidsArm which will help automate some procedures for pediatric surgeons.
The robotic arms being used in pediatric surgical settings and the one on the International Space Station are able to be programmed to perform specific, delicate tasks. On the Space Station it assists astronauts during space walks. In the operating room it is believed that the robotic arm will be able to assist on operations as small as blood vessels without causing any damage.
A surgeon from SickKids hospital in Toronto was quoted as saying, “The goal of the robotic arm is t help doctors perform certain procedures many times faster than if they were using their own hands.” The robotic arm will also help perform procedures with higher levels of accuracy. The arm has also being fitted to be able to perform “three to five suture points” autonomously.
Part of the KidsArm design incorporates a vision-based system that will perform like a robotic eye which will let the pediatric surgeon guide the device to a particular spot in order to perform its surgical tasks. The KidsArm will be equipped with a stereo camera that will create a “3D point cloud” of spots to help guide the device into the area needing sutures.
Currently, SickKids is testing the device to determine its usefulness in a procedure to connect vessels and similar body parts. It’s also believed that a particular device, Image-Guided Autonomous Robot, could be beneficial in diagnosing breast cancer diagnosis and surgical procedures.
UKA Optics manufactures standard and custom lens assemblies for medical imaging and diagnostic cameras.