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At least 1,261 records · Page 70Linked to original sources

PubMed2004

[A gearing mechanism with 4 degrees of freedom for robotic applications in medicine].

Applications in robot-aided surgery are currently based on modifications of manipulators used in industrial manufacturing processes. In this paper we describe novel rotatory kinematics for a manipulator, specially developed for deployment in robot-aided surgery. The construction of the gearing mechanism used for the positioning and orientation of a linkage point is described. Forward and inverse kinematics were calculated, and a constructive solution proposed. The gearing mechanism is based on two disk systems, each of which consists of two opposing rotatable discs. The construction was designed in such a way that the linkage point can be positioned freely anywhere within the mechanism's range of motion. The kinematics thus permits an x-y-positioning via rotating movements only. The spatial arrangement of two of such disc systems permits movements in four degrees of freedom (DOF). The construction is compact, but can be further miniaturized, is flexible and manufacturing costs are low. On the basis of this mechanical concept a new, small automated manipulator for surgical application will be developed.

Computer-Aided Design↗

PubMed2002

[Osseous processes of the skull--analysis of requirements for robot-assisted surgery].

To design a roboter-assisted trepanation setting of the cranium, an evaluation was done to classify patients with osseous lesions according to pathologies, dimensions and localisations. Emphasis was laid on dimensions and localisation of the pathology to gain information on future configurations of work spaces for robotics in the neurosurgical operation room. All patients with surgery of osseous lesions of the cranium in the years 1993-2001 were evaluated retrospectively. Localisations, dimensions of trepanation and histologic results were evaluated.

Adult↗

PubMed2002

[Development of a compact, semi-robotic platform for an electronic surgical microscope].

In the context of the development of a new, electronic microscope for surgical interventions a semirobotic motion platform for the spatial placement and fixation of a stereoscopic camera is currently being developed. Based on an inquiry about the medical, technical and user-requirements, different phases and characteristics concerning frequency, workspace, speed and accuracy of camera movement during an intervention have been specified. To meet these requirements, a differentiated concept for the platform has been developed including a serial structure for manual pre-positioning, a parallel robot for motor-movement during surgical work and different user-interfaces for suitable robot-control.

Equipment Design↗

PubMed2003

[Development of a robotic walking simulator for gait rehabilitation].

Restoration of gait is a major concern of rehabilitation after stroke or spinal cord injury. Modern concepts of motor learning favour a task-specific repetitive approach, i.e. "whoever wants to learn to walk again must walk." However, the physical demands this places on the therapist, is a limiting factor in the clinical routine setting. This article describes a robotic walking simulator for gait training that enables wheelchair-bound subjects to freely carry out repetitive practicing of an individually adapted gait pattern under simulation of the manual guidance of an experienced therapist. The technical principle applied makes use of programmable footplates with permanent foot/machine contact in combination with compliance control. The solution chosen comprises a planar parallel-serial hybrid kinematic system with three degrees of freedom that moves the feet in the sagittal plane. Gait analysis while floor walking and stair climbing, clinical practicability and safety aspects were the basis for the design. A variable compliance control enables man-machine interaction, ranging from purely position controlled movement to full compliance during swing phase above a virtual ground profile. In full compliance mode the robotic walking simulator behaves like a haptic device. The concept presented offers new prospects for individualized gait rehabilitation.

Artificial Intelligence↗

PubMed2005

Optimization of vessel orientation for robotic coronary artery bypass grafting.

The availability of telemanipulation robots has not yet resulted in the emergence of a reliable endoscopic coronary bypass procedure. A major challenge in performing a closed-chest coronary operation is creating a high-quality anastomosis in a reasonable period of time. In this experimental study, the impact of distal vessel orientation on the speed and accuracy of anastomosis was quantifed. We found that vessel orientation and the relative angle of the surgical plane influence anastomosis speed, the trauma to the vessel, the accuracy of stitch placement, and the eventual achievement of hemostasis. Our results suggest that the speed and accuracy of a robotically performed anastomosis of a vessel graft to a coronary artery can be improved by making small changes in vessel orientation. Vessels should be positioned between the horizontal and diagonal orientation and inclined between the horizontal and +45 degrees . Because the 6-o'clock stitch is particularly challenging, surgeons may benefit from an orientation that moves the heel or the toe of the anastomosis away from this critical position.

Anastomosis, Surgical↗

PubMed2006

Robotic-assisted left atrial ligation for stroke reduction in chronic atrial fibrillation: a case report.

Patients with atrial fibrillation are at significant risk for sustaining a thromboembolic stroke. More than 90% of thromboemboli form in the left atrial appendage. Ligation of the left atrial appendage to reduce the risk of stroke is often performed in connection with other cardiac surgical procedures. As a stand-alone procedure, however, left atrial ligation has generally been deemed too invasive and has gained little support as an alternative therapeutic option. We report a case of port-access robotic-assisted left atrial ligation as a stand-alone procedure in a patient with chronic atrial fibrillation in whom anticoagulation was a contraindication. To our knowledge, this is the first reported case of stand-alone robotic-assisted left atrial ligation in the literature.

Aged↗

PubMed2006

Robotic cardiovascular surgery.

Cardiovascular surgery has traditionally been performed through a median sternotomy, allowing the surgeon generous access to the heart and surrounding great vessels. Recently, less invasive methods have been developed to allow the surgeon the same amount of dexterity and accessibility to the heart, thus resulting in a paradigm shift in cardiac surgery. Originally, long instruments without pivot points were used, however; with the application of robotic telemanipulation systems that allow for improved dexterity, the surgeon is able to perform cardiac surgery from a distance not previously possible. In this rapidly evolving field, this article reviews the recent history and clinical results of robotics in cardiovascular surgery.

Animals↗

PubMed2003

Robotic cardiac surgery.

Traditionally, cardiac surgery has been performed by median sternotomy. However, a renaissance is occurring. Cardiac operations are being performed through smaller and alternative incisions with enhanced technological assistance. Both coronary artery bypass grafting and valve surgery can be accomplished with this novel methodology. Specifically, minimally invasive mitral valve surgery has become standard for many surgeons. At our institution, we have developed a robotic mitral surgery program with the da VinciTM telemanipulation system. This system allows the surgeon to perform complex mitral valve operations through small port sites rather than a traditional median sternotomy. Our techniques and initial results are reported, as is a brief overview of the evolution of robotic cardiac surgery.

Cardiac Surgical Procedures↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Response to upper-limb robotics and functional neuromuscular stimulation following stroke.

Twelve moderately to severely involved chronic stroke survivors (>12 mo) were randomized to one of two treatments: robotics and motor learning (ROB-ML) or functional neuromuscular stimulation and motor learning (FNS-ML). Treatment was 5 h/d, 5 d/wk for 12 wk. ROB-ML group had 1.5 h per session devoted to robotics shoulder and elbow (S/E) training. FNS-ML had 1.5 h per session devoted to functional neuromuscular stimulation (surface electrodes) for wrist and hand (W/H) flexors/extensors. The primary outcome measure was the functional measure Arm Motor Ability Test (AMAT). Secondary measures were AMAT-S/E and AMAT-W/H, Fugl-Meyer (FM) upper-limb coordination, and the motor control measures of target accuracy (TA) and smoothness of movement (SM). ROB-ML produced significant gains in AMAT, AMAT-S/E, FM upper-limb coordination, TA, and SM. FNS-ML produced significant gains in AMAT-W/H and FM upper-limb coordination.

Activities of Daily Living↗

PubMed2002

Robotic high-throughput assay for isolating apoptosis-inducing genes.

The need to assign functions to genes will increase in upcoming years because of the accumulation of sequence information from various organisms. Here we present a genetic screen for the systematic functional analysis of genes in mammalian cells. The screen is based on high-throughput, transient transfections of individual cDNAs by a robotic system. This construction uses a moveable pipetting head with a novel 96-channel parallel tube-pump array and an integrated de-lidding device. Because of the robot design, the processing speed can reach 2,000 transfections/h. We demonstrate the suitability of the screen to isolate apoptosis-inducing genes as a first read-out. This is achieved in combination with co-transfected reporter plasmids to produce a novel and convenient assay for apoptosis induction.

Alkaline Phosphatase↗

PubMed2002

Ligation-mediated PCR: robotic liquid handling for DNA damage and repair.

The investigation of in vivo DNA repair in mammalian cells at nucleotide resolution requires the quantification of break frequencies less than one per kilobase. By optimizing several parameters of the ligation-mediated PCR technique, we find that the required sensitivity can be achieved. We also report details of a one-day procedure that can be performed either with or without a robotic liquid handling workstation. The use of near-infrared fluorescent-labeled primers with detection by a LI-COR DNA sequencer provides for safe, nonradioactive detection, similar in sensitivity to the use of 32P-labeled primers but with the additional advantage that high-quality digitized data are obtained directly. Multiplexing can be performed; that is, more than one sequence can be analyzed in a single reaction, and multiple reactions can be processed robotically. Primer sets for exons 5-8 of the tumor suppressor gene, p53, were designed for simultaneous thermal cycling. The improved procedure with infrared detection was used to monitor low-frequency damage (<1 break/kb) and/or repair of UVB, UVC, and chemical methylation. Quantitative data on the linearity of response and reproducibility are described. The coefficient of variation for technical replicates was typically 10%. The methods described here will permit high sample throughput for the detection of DNA damage and repair as well as in vivo protein footprints.

Cells, Cultured↗

PubMed2001

Plume-tracking robots: a new application of chemical sensors.

Many animals have the ability to search for odor sources by tracking their plumes. Some of the key features of this search behavior have been successfully transferred to robot platforms, although the capabilities of animals are still beyond the current level of sensor technologies. The examples described in this paper are (1) incorporating into a wheeled robot the upwind surges and casting used by moths in tracking pheromone plumes, (2) extracting useful information from the response patterns of a chemical sensor array patterned after the spatially distributed chemoreceptors of some animals, and (3) mimicking the fanning behavior of silkworm moths to enhance the reception of chemical signals by drawing molecules from one direction. The achievements so far and current efforts are reviewed to illustrate the steps to be taken toward future development of this technology.

Animals↗

PubMed1994

A review of probes and robots: implementing new technologies in meat evaluation.

Changes in function from fat-depth measurement to meat quality measurement, and vice versa, have occurred in the history of electrical and optical meat probes. In the future, robotic systems might use ultrasonics to measure subcutaneous fat depth while at the same time positioning a fiber-optic probe relative to the skeleton to measure meat quality. There is a major distinction between probes that make a measurement at a single site within the carcass and those that produce a vector of measurements as they move through the carcass. Vector measurements were introduced to find subcutaneous fat thickness, but they may be used for meat quality measurements to deal with intra- and intermuscular variation. Replacement of hand-held probes by robots is in progress and could change meat distribution and marketing, perhaps replacing conventional meat grading by lowering the unit cost of grading and improving reliability for consumers. The feasibility of using ultrasonics to find probe measuring sites in the thoraco-lumbar region of pork carcasses has been proven. This requires new types of carcass morphometry data, such as rib angles and curvatures, and intercostal dimensions.

Abattoirs↗

PubMedDate not supplied

An electric wheelchair mounted robotic arm--a survey of potential users.

This paper describes the results of a survey which investigated and evaluated the needs and abilities of electric wheelchair users. The results of this survey will be used to develop a low-cost electric wheelchair-mounted robotic arm for use by physically disabled people to facilitate rehabilitation. The survey was undertaken by the author together with staff and students from occupational therapist training colleges, using a four-page questionnaire containing over 110 questions. The questionnaire was developed by the author together with Dr Robin Platts (Director of Orthotics), Mr Ian Bayley (Director of the London Spinal Unit) and senior occupational therapists at the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital, Stanmore, Middlesex. After a successful trial the questionnaire was used with 50 severely disabled people from various backgrounds and social circumstances. The results of this survey show that the average electric wheelchair user is 40 years old, single (68%), living at home (58%) with family support (69%) and without any paid employment (79%). The most prevalent disability is spinal cord injury (24%) followed by multiple sclerosis (16%). The survey has identified several tasks which electric wheelchair users find impossible to do, and some of these will form part of the design specification. Finally 84% of the survey subjects would consider buying such a robotic aid.

Activities of Daily Living↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Improving accuracy of bone resections using robotics tool holder and a high speed milling cutting tool.

The use of non-cemented prosthetic components in implant surgery is demanding a high quality of bone beds in order to allow for a good level of osseointegration. Two parameters are significant in the evaluation of the quality of the host bone: roughness, which reports on the presence of gaps and peeks, and flatness, which reports on the total percentage of bone which lies in a given interval from the prosthesis. Robot assisted cutting of 32 pig femours and tibiae was performed using various techniques and options. This paper demonstrates roughness and flatness can be taken of the order of the limits necessary for osseointegration, by using a milling cutting tool mounted on a strong support, in this case a robot arm, improving on the results obtained by similar studies referred to hand sawed bones by 10 times.

Analysis of Variance↗

PubMed1993

A method for radioligand binding assays using a robotic workstation.

Radioligand binding assays provide a powerful tool for screening drug candidates at many receptors. We present a method utilizing a robotic workstation, the Biomek 1000, which automates the tedious and repetitive tasks of these assays. First, the robot handles the serial dilution of up to 8 drugs with 11 concentrations per drug. The sequential addition of diluting buffer, non-radioactively labeled ligand, radioactive ligand, and finally the tissue homogenate or membrane preparation, is fully automated. A novel rack design allows the use of tubes with a maximum capacity of 2 ml, providing a total assay volume of 1 ml. Final filtration on a Brandel cell harvester outfitted with a uniquely designed head allows for processing of 48 samples simultaneously from the rack holder. We have employed this method for the determination of equilibrium dissociation constants (Kds) for drugs at the 5 human muscarinic acetylcholine receptor subtypes expressed in cultured cells, as well as histamine H1, dopamine D2, serotonin 5HT1A, alpha 1- and alpha 2-adrenergic receptors in human brain tissue homogenates. Our results compare favorably with manual methods reported for these receptors, and exhibit a very high degree of reproducibility and throughput, with a minimum of operator input.

Animals↗

PubMed2005

Today's state of the art in surgical robotics*.

OBJECTIVE: This paper describes the current level of development of robots for surgery. MATERIAL AND METHODS: This paper is based on a literature search in Pubmed, IEEExplore, CiteSeer and the abstract volumes of the MICCAI 2002, 2003 and 2004, CARS 2003 and 2004, CAOS 2003 and 2004, CURAC 2003 and 2004 and MRNV 2004 meetings. RESULTS: Divided into different disciplines (imaging, abdominal and thoracic surgery, ENT, OMS, neurosurgery, orthopaedic surgery, radiosurgery, trauma surgery, urology), 159 robot systems are introduced. Their functionality, deployment, origin and mechanical set-up are described. Additional contacts and internet links are listed. CONCLUSIONS: The systems perform diverse tasks such as milling cavities in bone, harvesting skin, screwing pedicles or irradiating tumors. From a technical perspective the strong specialization of the systems stands out. Most of the systems are being developed in Germany, the United States, Japan or France.

Clinical Competence↗

PubMed2005

A spine frame for intra-operative fixation to increase accuracy in spinal navigation and robotics.

OBJECTIVE: Intra-operative movements due to mechanical ventilation or manipulations are a limiting factor for accurate spinal navigation or robotic-assisted spinal surgery. The purpose of this study was to assess the accuracy of an intra-operative spinal fixation device in an experimental setup. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We developed a fixation device, attached to the operating table, that combines soft tissue retraction with spinal process fixation. Using a lumbar spine cadaver, tightness of fixation was evaluated using two measurement systems. Accuracy measurements using changes in spatial co-ordinates of implanted reference markers were performed in three segments, following different manipulations of the spine. In addition, for intra-operative movements of the spine during mechanical ventilation, the range of motion was determined in 10 patients during lumbar interbody fusion. RESULTS: The spine frame was easy to use and did not restrict screw insertion. Mean deviations of the markers' in all segments were measured at between 0.35 and 0.8 mm, following pedicle screw insertion and lateral traction. Intra-operative range of motion of the spine was measured with a mean value of 8.7 +/- 3.3 mm. CONCLUSION: Using our spine frame, a rigid fixation following manipulation of the spine was demonstrated. By overcoming the intra-operative movement-dependent inaccuracy, safety in navigated spine surgery and robotic-assisted procedures might be improved.

Analysis of Variance↗