Confidence-based Robotic Surgery

Unmet Need              
Robotic surgery allows for numerous benefits over the traditional alternative. Robot assisted surgery causes fewer complications because it is more precise so fewer errors are made, and because it is easily sterilized and only used for operations, fewer infections occur. These fewer complications paired with more precision which means no unnecessary cuts means patients recover more quickly as well. It also causes less pain and less blood loss because of its precision. The precision in cutting also means the scars are smaller and less noticeable. Current products on the market such as da Vinci and MicroSurge work and are used in a wide range on procedures. These robotic systems include master-slave manual control strategy with a limited form of autonomy. This limits the ability of the robot which is prominent in its ability to be autonomous. There is a lack of robotic surgery alternatives which make better use of the autonomous abilities of the robots. It is when the robots are autonomous that they can operate with increased precision.
 
Technology Overview
The main objective of this invention is to further improve the efficiency and the outcomes of RAS systems by combining the best elements of automation with the complementary skills of a human surgeon. The invention will increase the superiority of automating procedures by leveraging greater accuracy and repeatability. Automation in complex surgical environments is not infallible so it allows human operators to control elements of riskier motions. The technology uses confidence-based algorithms that will make the autonomous system “self-aware” of the limitations of its automation capabilities. These algorithms will innovate by aiming to maximize the level of automation of the surgical robotic system that interacts with complex environments. The control algorithms will compare in real time the confidence and expected accuracy of both man and machine and will blend their control input to achieve superior results.
 
Stage of Development
The invention is currently being tested on phantom tissues and needs to be evaluated in animal tests in a preclinical setting before moving forward to clinical trials.
 
Publications
Chen Ching-Hui et al, Journal of Minimal Access Surgery, 2017

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