SEARCH · PubMed Health

Results for “Robotics”

Explore indexed PubMed citations for clinical trials, systematic reviews and public health research. Read source abstracts and follow each citation to its original PubMed record.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 397 records · Page 22Linked to original sources

PubMed1993

Robotic assistance in orthopaedic surgery. A proof of principle using distal femoral arthroplasty.

The term "robot" refers to a precision mechanical device that is accurately controlled by a computer using intelligent software. The term "robotic assistance" refers to the use of such a device to aid a surgeon in the optimal conduct of a procedure, particularly one requiring specified geometrical relationships. The authors have been exploring the application of robotic assistance in situations in which accuracy and precision are required in orthopaedic surgery. The initial application concerned the planning, positioning, and orientation cuts and holes of the bone required for the femoral component of a total knee arthroplasty. A three-dimensional digitizing template allowed the surgeon to specify the desired position and orientation of the component's articular surfaces in relation to the distal femur. The robotic system used this spatial relationship, along with its knowledge of the geometry of the component selected by the surgeon, to plan the precise location of the required bone cuts and holes. Finally, the robotic assistant sequentially positioned saw and drill guides with respect to the distal femur so that the surgeon made these cuts and holes in the locations necessary for optimal component fit, position, and orientation. The robotic assistant functioned easily in the operating room environment; increased the accuracy; and decreased the time, equipment, and personnel required for the conduct of the geometrical part of this surgical procedure.

Hip Prosthesis↗

PubMed1998

[A voice-controlled robot assisted thoracoscopic surgery for pulmonary tumor].

We herein report a case of voice-controlled robot assisted thoracoscopic surgery for a right apical tumor in a 55-year-old male. The patient was referred to our hospital for further examination of an abnormal shadow on chest X-ray. A chest computed tomographic scan indicated a suspicion of malignancy. Thoracoscopic surgery using a voice-controlled robot was conducted. The thoracoscope connected with the robotic arm was inserted through the trocar. In all maneuvers (forward and backward, right and left, up and down, insertion and extraction), the robotic arm moved appropriately immediately after the voice commands were issued, and favorable operative fields were obtained. Thoracoscopic partial resection of the involved lung was successfully performed with no complications. The operative time was 140 min. The postoperative course was uneventful. Voice-controlled robotic technology innovations may become the operating surgeon's third arm in the future. They will be further used not only in laparoscopic but also in thoracoscopic surgical procedures. Regular use will lead to greater skill in thoracoscopic application with the advent of new robotically assisted endoscopic surgery.

Antitubercular Agents↗

PubMed2026

Age is Just a Number: Outcomes of Robotic Hiatal Hernia Repair in Octogenarians.

BACKGROUND: Robot-assisted hiatal hernia repair has become increasingly popular in high-risk populations as a relatively low-risk, minimally invasive surgical option. As life expectancy rises, more octogenarians are being considered for surgery despite age-related comorbidities. However, data on the safety and efficacy of robotic repair in this population are limited. This single-center retrospective study evaluates postoperative outcomes and complications after robotic hiatal hernia repair in octogenarians. METHODS: Patients aged ≥80 years who underwent repair between 2017 and 2024 were propensity score-matched in a 1:3 ratio to those <80 years based on sex, body mass index, hernia type, and surgery type. Multivariable regression analyses were used to assess differences in hospital stay and postoperative outcomes, with significance set at P < .05. RESULTS: A total of 302 patients underwent robotic hiatal hernia repair, including 78 patients aged ≥80 years and 224 aged <80 years. The ≥80 group had a median age of 83 years compared with 69 years (P < .001), with no differences in sex, body mass index, hernia, or surgery type. There were no significant differences in total hospital hours (30 vs 31, P = .11), postoperative events (5.4% vs 7.7%, P = .42), or 30-day readmissions (2.2% vs 5.1%, P = 24). No mortality was observed in either group. Age was not a significant factor for postoperative events on multivariable regression analysis. CONCLUSIONS: Surgical outcomes did not differ significantly between patients aged ≥80 and <80 years who underwent robot-assisted hiatal hernia repair. Elective robotic-assisted hiatal hernia repair is safe in carefully selected octogenarians.

Journal Article↗

PubMed2006

Computerized lifelong mentoring support using robot for autistic individuals.

Developmental diversity in childhood is transformed into personality variation in adulthood. This view is now revalued through an ongoing paradigm shift in the field of developmental conditions, the transition from the qualitative dichotomy perspective to the quantitative concept. In the quantitative concept, autism is not a disease nor a developmental qualitative disorder, but a behavioral extreme in individual variation. Although the traditional qualitative view cannot interpret the recent worldwide prevalence of autism, the increase in the reported number of cases with autism and border cases can be easily explained by a dimensional exploration in which the primary autistic phenotype is regarded as an evolutional superiority. Therefore, the only suitable intervention is mentoring which provides a powerful lifelong support for higher social achievement in individuals with autism. Here, we hypothesize the coming mentoring circumstances for autistic individuals in the near future. Ongoing progress in robot and computer technology might allow the guardians to leave the major part of mentoring support to an individualized robot, and the 'folk physics' tendency in individuals with autism could facilitate the spread of the mentoring support system. The development of the robot mentor software may be simple because of the uniformity and stereotypy of the behavior patterns in individuals with autism. With the help of the robot mentor and under its guidance, autistic people might enjoy their social life and contribute to the prosperity of the human society to the maximum degree. Because the future population ratio of autistics/non-autistics might be reversed according to the current trend of the prevalence, mentoring robot programs for autistic individuals should be developed without delay as a novel preliminary activity in the Jiminy Cricket movement, which is a campaign to reverse the estrangement of the present majority from autism and to increase the number of mentors for autistic individuals. In this article, prerequisites for the mentoring program of the robot mentor are expected and discussed.

Adult↗

PubMed2006

Dynamic and interactive generation of object handling behaviors by a small humanoid robot using a dynamic neural network model.

This study presents experiments on the learning of object handling behaviors by a small humanoid robot using a dynamic neural network model, the recurrent neural network with parametric bias (RNNPB). The first experiment showed that after the robot learned different types of ball handling behaviors using human direct teaching, the robot was able to generate adequate ball handling motor sequences situated to the relative position between the robot's hands and the ball. The same scheme was applied to a block handling learning task where it was shown that the robot can switch among learned different block handling sequences, situated to the ways of interaction by human supporters. Our analysis showed that entrainment of the internal memory structures of the RNNPB through the interactions of the objects and the human supporters are the essential mechanisms for those observed situated behaviors of the robot.

Algorithms↗

PubMed2004

Development of an ultrasonic inspection robot using an electromagnetic acoustic transducer for a Lamb wave and an SH-plate wave.

For inspection of a storage tank and pipeline in service, the application of an automatic inspection system (nondestructive inspection robot) is desirable, because manual inspection is difficult to perfectly and exactly perform due to the enormous amount of inspection needed. However, an ultrasonic nondestructive inspection robot with a piezoelectric oscillator needs to touch only the material surface to be directly inspected using a coupling medium. That is, the material surface and the sensor must always be held by constant pressure in the vertical direction on the material side. Actually, it is difficult to overcome these problems; thus an ultrasonic inspection robot could not be widely applied. We then tried to develop an ultrasonic inspection robot with an electromagnetic acoustic transducer (EMAT) which did not require a coupling medium to inspect the circumferential pipe parts. We developed a special EMAT that could transmit and receive alternately a Lamb wave with high sensitivity and a SH-plate wave without influence by the welded part. The method by which the inspection robot turned around the direction of the steel pipe surroundings was executed by observing the tape pasted in the direction of the steel pipe surroundings with an installed CCD camera. In this report, the basic mechanism of this inspection robot and an examination of results are described.

Journal Article↗

PubMed1998

Evolutionary neurocontrollers for autonomous mobile robots.

In this article we describe a methodology for evolving neurocontrollers of autonomous mobile robots without human intervention. The presentation, which spans from technological and methodological issues to several experimental results on evolution of physical mobile robots, covers both previous and recent work in the attempt to provide a unified picture within which the reader can compare the effects of systematic variations on the experimental settings. After describing some key principles for building mobile robots and tools suitable for experiments in adaptive robotics, we give an overview of different approaches to evolutionary robotics and present our methodology. We start reviewing two basic experiments showing that different environments can shape very different behaviours and neural mechanisms under very similar selection criteria. We then address the issue of incremental evolution in two different experiments from the perspective of changing environments and robot morphologies. Finally, we investigate the possibility of evolving plastic neurocontrollers and analyse an evolved neurocontroller that relies on fast and continuously changing synapses characterized by dynamic stability. We conclude by reviewing the implications of this methodology for engineering, biology, cognitive science and artificial life, and point at future directions of research.

Journal Article↗

PubMed2005

Robotics in laparoscopic urology.

Following the successful application of the da Vinci robot in minimally invasive radical prostatectomy, several surgeries are now being performed with the assistance of the robot. These include both upper tract and lower tract surgeries such as nephrectomy, pyeloplasty and sacrocolpopexy and both ablative and reconstructive procedures. This article attempts to put into perspective the current role of the da Vinci Surgical system in urologic surgery and discusses in brief new developments in robotic technology that are on the horizon. A MEDLINE search was performed and published data on robot-assisted urologic procedures were reviewed. Abstracts presented at major international conferences in the last two years were also reviewed. Studies presenting operative and functional data for more than five patients were used in the review. There has been an explosive increase in the number of urologic procedures being attempted using Da Vinci assistance. Many, such as partial nephrectomy, donor nephrectomy, cystoprostatectomy, ureteral reimplantation and vasovasostomy are in the phase of feasibility studies, however others such as radical prostatectomy and pyeloplasty have one year functional results available which are comparable to those of other minimally invasive approaches. We believe that robotic technology represents the future of minimally invasive surgery and applications for the robot will expand as more centers report their results.

Journal Article↗

PubMed1986

Application of robotics in blood banking.

To demonstrate the feasibility of using robots in blood banking applications several prototype systems were developed. Activities associated with sample testing and component preparation were examined. In one project, a general-purpose laboratory robot (Zymate Laboratory Automation System, Zymark, Inc., Hopkinton, Mass.) was configured to prepare samples for microplate-based ABO/Rh testing. In a second project, this same robot was configured to carry out specific steps in evaluating bar-coded labels, as part of a quality control procedure. A fluid-handling robot (Sampler 505, Tecan AG, Hombrechtikon, Switzerland) was used to prepare the dilution of serum samples for the evaluation of an anti-HTLV-III test kit. It was then configured to aspirate, dilute and dispense samples for anti-HTLV-III and HBsAg testing. This robotic system is now in field trial. The use of large industrial robots for automating component production was also considered. The key element in this design was the development of a fixture that would hold the blood bag set during the balancing, centrifugation and expressing steps. However, a fixture which was capable of performing these operations and that was equivalent in size and adaptable to a standard centrifuge bucket could not be fabricated.

Antibodies, Viral↗

PubMed1986

Robotic sample preparation evaluated for the immunochemical determination of cardiac isoenzymes.

A general-purpose bench-top laboratory robot was programmed to perform sample preparation for immunoprecipitative and immunoinhibitory determinations of cardiac isoenzymes with commercial kits. Run size could be varied from 1 to 24 patients' samples, and was determined by the robot without prompting. The robot placed the processed samples into a sample rotor for dried transfer to a batch centrifugal analyzer. Robotic precision compared well with that of manual performance of the same procedures at four concentrations of lactate dehydrogenase (EC 1.1.1.27) isoenzyme 1 activity and at one of two concentrations of creatine kinase (EC 2.7.3.2.) isoenzyme MB activity; for the other creatine kinase MB concentration, use of the robot significantly improved precision. Results for 100 samples from patients after open-heart surgery were highly correlated with manually obtained results for both isoenzyme determinations (r less that 0.96 each). Time to completion for small run sizes for either approach was comparable about 25 min. For larger batches, robotic run time increased rapidly, to 169 min for 24 patients' samples vs 41 min by manual assay.

Autoanalysis↗

PubMed2026

Interhospital transfer and outcomes after robotic emergency general surgery: a national analysis.

The outcomes of patients transferred to receiving centers who subsequently undergo robotic EGS remain uncharacterized at a national level. We aimed to quantify the association between transfer and outcomes among adults undergoing robotic EGS. We performed a retrospective cohort study of the Nationwide Readmissions Database (2016-2019) including adult nonelective admissions undergoing robotic EGS. Interhospital transfer versus direct admission was the exposure. Survey-weighted logistic regression estimated adjusted odds ratios (aOR) for clinical outcomes; generalized linear models with gamma family and log link estimated adjusted mean ratios (aMR) for length of stay (LOS) and cost. Average marginal effects provided adjusted risks/means and absolute differences. Among 26,869 unweighted robotic EGS admissions, representing an estimated 46,517 admissions nationally, 246 unweighted admissions were interhospital transfers, representing an estimated 444 transfers (1.0%) nationally. Transfers were older, more comorbid, and more severely ill and were treated predominantly at large, teaching hospitals. After adjustment, transfer was associated with a higher risk of postprocedural complications (8.0% vs. 3.5%; aRR 2.26, 95% CI 1.25-3.27), non-home discharge (31.2% vs. 18.9%; aRR 1.65, 95% CI 1.38-1.92), longer LOS (11.49 vs. 5.53 days; AMR 2.08, 95% CI 1.78-2.42), and higher cost ($43,340 vs. $21,821; AMR 1.99, 95% CI 1.68-2.35). The association with postprocedural complications was attenuated after additional adjustment for APR-DRG Severity of Illness, whereas associations with non-home discharge, LOS, and cost persisted. Among patients undergoing robotic EGS, interhospital transfer is independently associated with higher complication burden and greater resource use. Transferred patients represent a small but distinctly high-risk subgroup whose worse outcomes may reflect drivers that extend beyond the choice of surgical approach.

Humans↗

PubMed2026

Robotic assistance in total hip arthroplasty: a systematic review and meta-analysis of leg length, cup orientation, and early outcomes.

This review examined whether robotic assistance alters postoperative leg-length discrepancy (LLD), acetabular cup orientation, or early hip-specific outcomes relative to conventional total hip arthroplasty (THA). We searched PubMed and Web of Science through May 2026 for comparative English-language reports. Study eligibility, data extraction, and methodological appraisal were undertaken independently by two reviewers. Mean differences (MDs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated in Review Manager 5.4. Model selection was based on the target estimand and anticipated clinical and methodological diversity; leave-one-out and alternative-model sensitivity analyses were undertaken for heterogeneous outcomes. The protocol is registered with PROSPERO (CRD420261454043). The review included seven studies and 968 participants. Compared with conventional THA, robot-assisted THA yielded a smaller postoperative LLD (MD = -2.02, 95% CI -3.46 to -0.58; P = 0.006) and a higher Harris Hip Score (MD = 2.96, 95% CI 1.12 to 4.80; P = 0.002). Mean cup anteversion was lower in the robotic group (MD = -1.52, 95% CI -2.29 to -0.76; P < 0.0001), whereas cup inclination did not differ (MD = -0.71, 95% CI -3.26 to 1.83; P = 0.58). The robotic group also had higher Forgotten Joint Score (MD = 14.68, 95% CI 5.02 to 24.33; P = 0.003) and Oxford Hip Score values (MD = 2.61, 95% CI 0.71 to 4.51; P = 0.007). Robotic assistance was linked to a modest improvement in leg-length restoration and to higher scores on several early functional measures. The limited number of studies, predominance of nonrandomized designs, and marked heterogeneity in some analyses temper the certainty of these findings.

Humans↗

PubMed2003

Robotics in general surgery: personal experience in a large community hospital.

HYPOTHESIS: Robotic technology is the most advanced development of minimally invasive surgery, but there are still some unresolved issues concerning its use in a clinical setting. DESIGN: The study describes the clinical experience of the Department of General Surgery, Misericordia Hospital, Grosseto, Italy, in robot-assisted surgery using the da Vinci Surgical System. RESULTS: Between October 2000 and November 2002, 193 patients underwent a minimally invasive robotic procedure (74 men and 119 women; mean age, 55.9 years [range, 16-91 years]). A total of 207 robotic surgical operations, including abdominal, thoracic and vascular procedures, were performed; 179 were single procedures, and 14 were double (2 operations on the same patient). There were 4 conversions to open surgery and 3 to conventional laparoscopy (conversion rate, 3.6%; 7 of 193 patients). The perioperative morbidity rate was 9.3% (18 of 193 patients), and 6 patients (3.1%) required a reoperation. The postoperative mortality rate was 1.5% (3 of 193 patients). CONCLUSIONS: Our preliminary experience at a large community hospital suggests that robotic surgery is feasible in a clinical setting. Its daily use is safe and easily managed, and it expands the applications of minimally invasive surgery. However, the best indications still have to be defined, and the cost-benefit ratio must be evaluated. This report could serve as a basis for a future prospective, randomized trial.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1995

Automated instrument tracking in robotically assisted laparoscopic surgery.

This paper describes a practical and reliable image analysis and tracking algorithm to achieve automated instrument localization and scope maneuvering in robotically assisted laparoscopic surgery. Laparoscopy is a minimally invasive surgical procedure that utilizes multiple small incisions on the patient's body through which the surgeon inserts tools and a videoscope in order to conduct an operation. The scope relays images of internal organs to a camera, and the images are displayed on a video screen. The surgeon performs the operation by viewing the scope images rather than performing the traditional "open" procedure, where a large incision is made on the patient's body for direct viewing. The current mode of laparoscopy employs an assistant to hold the scope and position it in response to the surgeon's verbal commands. However, this results in suboptimal visual feedback, because the scope is often aimed incorrectly and vibrates due to hand trembling. We have developed a robotic laparoscope positioner to replace the assistant. The surgeon commands the robotic positioner through a hand/foot controller interface. To further simplify the human-machine interface that controls the robotic scope positioner, we report here a novel scope-positioning scheme using automated image analysis and robotic visual servoing. The scheme enables the surgeon to control visual feedback and to perform surgery more efficiently without requiring additional use of the hands.

Algorithms↗

PubMed2004

Stereoscopic vision provides a significant advantage for precision robotic laparoscopy.

BACKGROUND: Current surgical robots provide no sense of touch and rely solely upon vision. This study evaluated the effect of new stereoscopic technology on the performance of robotic precision laparoscopy. METHODS: Eight experienced laparoscopists with no experience in robotics performed five tasks of increasing complexity using a laparoscopic robot. The tasks were as follows: rope pass, paper cut, needle capping, knot tying and needle threading. Each test was performed ten times under both stereoscopic and monoscopic conditions. Performance times and errors were recorded. RESULTS: Mean(s.e.m.) final performance times were calculated from the final five trial times for each test, and were as follows for monoscopic and stereoscopic conditions respectively: rope pass 112.8(4.2) and 97.0(3.7) s (P = 0.013), paper cut 117.1(6.0) and 98.4(9.8) s (P = 0.020), needle capping 144.5(12.7) and 99.7(6.8) s (P = 0.008), knot tying 138.7(14.3) and 70.3(6.0) s (P = 0.002), and needle threading 210.8(28.2) and 92.3(4.1) s (P = 0.002). The mean(s.e.m.) number of errors per candidate was 60.6(7.8) and 20.8(3.9) under monoscopic and stereoscopic conditions respectively (P = 0.004). CONCLUSION: Stereoscopic vision provided a significant advantage during robotic laparoscopy in situations that required a precise understanding of structural orientation.

Clinical Competence↗

PubMed2001

The first clinical application of a "hands-on" robotic knee surgery system.

The performance of a novel "hands-on" robotic system for total knee replacement (TKR) surgery is evaluated. An integrated robotic system for accurately machining the bone surfaces in TKR surgery is described. Details of the system, comprising an "active constraint" robot, called Acrobot, a "gross positioning" robot, and patient clamps, are provided. The intraoperative protocol and the preoperative, CT-based, planning system are also described. A number of anatomical registration and cutting trials, using plastic bones, are described, followed by results from two preliminary clinical trials, which demonstrate the accuracy achieved in the anatomical registration. Finally, the first clinical trial is described, in which the results of the anatomical registration and bone cutting are seen to be of high quality. The Acrobot system has been successfully used to accurately register and cut the knee bones in TKR surgery. This demonstrates the great potential of a "hands-on" robot for improving accuracy and increasing safety in surgery.

Arthroplasty, Replacement, Knee↗

PubMed2002

The application accuracy of the NeuroMate robot--A quantitative comparison with frameless and frame-based surgical localization systems.

The NeuroMatetrade mark robot system (Integrated Surgical Systems, Davis, CA) is a commercially available, image-guided, robotic-assisted system used for stereotactic procedures in neurosurgery. In this article, we present a quantitative comparison of the application accuracy of the NeuroMate with that of standard frame-based and frameless stereotactic techniques. The article discusses a five-way application accuracy comparison study. The variables of our comparison and their mean errors are as follows: (1) with the robot in a frame-based configuration, the RMS was 0.86 +/- 0.32 mm; (2) with the robot in the frameless configuration, the RMS was 1.95 +/- 0.44 mm; (3) in a standard stereotactic (ZD) frame-based approach, the RMS was 1.17 +/- 0.25 mm; (4) with an infrared tracking system using the frame for fiducial registration, the RMS was 1.47 +/- 0.45 mm; (5) with an infrared tracking system using screw markers for registration, the RMS was 0.68 +/- 0.26 mm. The study was performed with 2-mm sections of CT scans. These results show that the application accuracy of the frame-based NeuroMate robot is comparable to that of standard localizing systems, whether they are frame-based or infrared tracked.

Equipment Design↗

PubMed2005

Robotic assisted radio-frequency ablation of liver tumors--randomized patient study.

The minimally invasive treatment of liver tumors represents an alternative to the open surgery approach. Radio-frequency ablation destroys a tumor by delivering radio-frequency energy through a needle probe. Traditionally, the probe is placed manually using imaging feedback. New approaches use robotic devices to accurately place the instrument at the target. The authors developed an image-guided robotic system for percutaneous interventions using computed tomography. The paper presents a randomized patient study comparing the manual versus robotic needle placement for radio-frequency ablation procedures of liver tumors. The results of this study show that in our case robotic interventions were a very viable solution. Several treatment parameters such as radiation exposures and procedure-times were found to be significantly improved in the robotic case.

Algorithms↗