Microsurgery Robotic System for the Deep Complicated Procedures: Progress and Future

Objective: Microsurgical robotic system (MM-1) developed in our Medico-Engineering Laboratory showed satisfactory accuracy and maneuverability in the moderate-sized surgical field. However, size of the manipulator (5 mm) and obliteration of the visual field made it difficult to perform the task in the narrow deep corridor. To overcome such mechanical difficulty and to increase safety, we have modified our system. In this session, we will present our newly designed slave-master type robotic system and initial task results in animal and cadaveric models.

Material and Method: We have developed Microsurgical Master-Slave Micromanipulator System. The Prototype I was presented previously. We have now developed a thinner (2.5 mm) micromanipulator system with the mechanism preventing visual field obliteration. Using this model, we have performed anastomosis of small arteries and brain surgery in large animals and simulated surgical procedures in the cadaveric models. Also, to demonstrate the steep learning curve of robotic surgery, we asked five volunteers (not experienced with any microsurgery) to perform microanastomosis of the vessels using our system.

Results: Our new system showed satisfactory maneuverability in the deep surgical field and no obliteration of the surgical view is experienced. Our system was very sturdy in the consecutive manipulation of 120 hours. Also, we have shown the sterility of the tip of manipulator after 2 hours of manipulation. No alarming motion or mechanical failure was experienced during the experiment of more than 300 hours. Using our system plateau of learning, the curve occurred within 1 hour for the beginners to learn microanastomosis.

Conclusion: Our new micromanipulator showed satisfactory maneuverability in the narrow surgical corridor and performed complicated tasks. And safety and sterility of our system was demonstrated. Such performance of our system and the steep learning curve in microsurgery using our system showed a promising future of the role of robotic systems in the field of routine and complicated microsurgery.