Pre-clinical R&D of ALIS (Automated Laparoscopic Instrument Stabiliser) to deliver “solo” keyhole surgery and more cost-effective medical procedures.

先进的微创手术（MIS）技术正在妇科、心脏外科、骨科和普通外科中得到应用。MIS一般手术被称为腹腔镜手术，通常需要两到三个手术助理来执行。然而，医疗保健系统可以显著降低成本，提高资源效率和安全性，通过减少执行腹腔镜手术所需助理的数量。需要外科医生单独进行常规腹腔镜手术。腹腔镜手术的主要工具是通过微小的切口插入患者体内的照相机或腹腔镜，以提供内部视图。不幸的是，由于腹腔镜的大小，重量和形状，摄影助理操作腹腔镜。腹腔镜需要精细的调整才能正确瞄准手术视野。摄像助理有时会根据外科医生的指示操作腹腔镜。然而，摄像助理必须使用他们的判断来操作腹腔镜，以了解外科医生的意图，根据手术的进展来移动它。摄影助理对腹腔镜的操作要求和外科医生一样熟练。由于摄像助手在使用腹腔镜方面不够熟练，手术被中断的情况并不罕见。为了克服这个问题，许多公司开发了大型的、高度工程化的机械臂，为外科医生提供了所需的“第三只手”。然而，这些机器人系统非常复杂，使用速度慢，而且非常昂贵。同样，医院通常需要专门的手术室和训练有素的工作人员来操作这些机器人，因此它们没有被广泛使用。为了解决这个问题，智能外科器械有限公司开发了一种自动腹腔镜仪器稳定器（ALIS）或摄像机器人，它可以握住并定位腹腔镜，而不是人工摄像助手。这是世界上第一个病人安装的小型机器人，它允许外科医生通过一个足部控制器来控制腹腔镜，而不需要专业设施或训练有素的工作人员。ALIS被粘在病人身上，类似于伤口敷料，提供了一种紧凑而经济的方式来单独提供MIS。一个工程原型已经成功开发，并在模拟MIS过程中与腹腔镜外科医生进行了测试。研究团队正在寻求资金支持，以推进ALIS的开发，关键是使外科医生能够在活体动物手术中测试ALIS，为转移到生产、监管批准和人体手术的准备工作提供必要的改进。

Advanced minimally invasive surgery (MIS) techniques are being performed in gynaecology, cardiac surgery, orthopaedic surgery, and general surgery. MIS general surgery is called laparoscopic surgery and usually requires two to three surgical assistants to perform. However, the healthcare system can significantly reduce costs and improve resource efficiency and safety by reducing the number of assistants required to perform laparoscopic surgery. There is a need for surgeons to perform routine laparoscopic procedures solo. The primary instrument in laparoscopic surgery is a camera or laparoscope inserted in the patient's body through tiny incisions to provide a view inside. Unfortunately, due to the laparoscope's size, weight, and shape, a camera assistant operates the laparoscope.Laparoscopes need fine adjustment for the correct aiming at the surgical field. Camera assistants sometimes operate the laparoscope according to a surgeon's instructions. However, camera assistants must operate the laparoscope using their judgement to understand the surgeon's intentions to move it according to how the surgery progresses. The operation of a laparoscope by a camera assistant requires as much proficiency as that of surgeons. It is not unusual for surgery to be interrupted due to a camera assistant not being sufficiently proficient in using the laparoscope.To overcome this problem, many companies have developed large, highly engineered robotic arms that provide a surgeon with the required "third hand". However, these robotic systems are very complex, slow to use, and extremely expensive. Equally, hospitals often need dedicated operating theatres and trained staff to run these robots, so they are not widely used.To solve this problem, Smart Surgical Appliances Ltd has developed an automated laparoscopic instrument stabiliser (ALIS) or camera robot that can hold and position a laparoscope instead of a human camera assistant.It is the world's first patient-mounted, small form factor robot that allows the surgeon to control the laparoscope hands-free via a foot controller with no specialist facilities or trained staff required. ALIS is stuck onto the patient, similar to a wound dressing providing a compact and cost-effective way of delivering solo MIS.An engineering prototype has been successfully developed and tested in simulated MIS procedures with laparoscopic surgeons. Grant funding is sought to enable the team to advance ALIS's development and crucially enable surgeons to test ALIS in live animal surgery, facilitating essential refinements in preparation for transfer to manufacture, regulatory approval, and human surgery.