Miniaturisation and Optimisation of Ultrasonic Scalpels for Robotic Surgery

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This project will explore both sensing and surgical procedures with robotic deployment. For sensing, it will first identify one or a small number of relevant potential medical procedures. It will then consider the operating frequency and ultrasonic transducer configurations that may be appropriate, taking into account realistic ultrasonic device capabilities, the parameters associated with robotic deployment, and the detailed workflow of the medical procedures. A viable prototype configuration will be designed and physical implementation and demonstration will follow. The sensing capabilities will also take into account the need for integration with ultrasonically-actuated surgical tools. Work in that area will begin with a review of tools for a range of procedures, focusing particularly on the potential of miniaturisation for intracorporeal robotic deployment, and the relationship with ultrasonic sensing. A small number of relevant potential medical procedures will be identified. One or a small number of ultrasonically-actuated surgical tools will be developed, using design and prototyping approaches established in other projects and exciting new piezoelectric materials with the potential to reduce size and weight and increase drive efficiency. These will be demonstrated with robotic deployment in realistic simulations using artificial materials and ex vivo tissue, including complete animal cadavers. The final key phase of the project will take the understanding and physical implementations for sensing and surgery and combine them into a single demonstration system, where the ultrasonically-actuated surgery will be monitored and controlled in a simple manner with information drawn from ultrasound sensing and other sources.