Teleoperation and Virtual Reality Technology for Micro Surgery

在本研究中，我们开发了用于显微外科手术的立体内窥镜。研究了微手术系统的视觉、触觉和听觉虚拟现实技术。视觉信息在人类活动中起着至关重要的作用。其中，立体技术是构建虚拟现实空间的关键技术。在此基础上，我们研制了超细成像纤维立体内窥镜，并对立体系统的微型化进行了研究。在大多数普通外科手术中，视觉信息在手术过程中也起着重要的作用。然而，触觉信息也会影响对情境的理解。操作者将这些信息整合起来，顺利地进行外科手术。在我们的系统中，采用了从显微手术设备的操作到操作者触觉的反馈机制。这种反馈机制增强了虚拟现实感和临场感。在普通的外科手术中，听觉在决定手术过程中起着很小的作用。然而，在虚拟现实空间的构建中，听觉可以作为其他感官的补充。在我们的系统中，人工声音被附加为操纵响应。本项目所开发的微外科手术机械臂的规模仍然较大，这是因为机械臂微型执行机构的开发存在很多困难。我们继续对执行器和手术机械臂的小型化进行研究。

In this study, we developed the stereoscopic endoscope for microsurgery. The virtual reality technology with visual, tactile and auditory senses for the micro surgery system also was studied. Visual information plays the most important role on human activity. Among others, stereoscopy is the Key technology for the construction of the virtual reality space. In this viewpoint, we developed the stereoscopic endoscope with ultra fine image fibers and studied on miniaturization of the stereoscopic system.In the most of ordinary surgical operations, visual information also plays an important role on surgical procedures. However, tactile information also influences comprehension of the situation. Operators integrate these information to perform surgical operations smoothly. In our system, the feedback mechanism from manipulations of the micro surgery equipment to the operator's tactile sense was employed. This feedback mechanism enhanced the virtual reality sense and the Presence.In ordinary surgical operations, an auditory sense performs a small part on the decision of procedures. However, the auditory sense can be utilized to complement other senses on constrution of the virtual reality space. In our system, artificial sound was attached as the manipulation response.In this project, the developed surgical manipulator for micro surgery was still large in its scale, because of many difficulties on the developement of miniature actuators for manipulator. We continues the study on miniaturization of actuators and the surgical manipulator.