Insertable Imaging and Effector Platform for Surgery

描述（由申请人提供）：我们建议设计和建造小型，移动，多功能平台，可以放置在体腔内，以承担与最小通道手术相关的一些任务。由于目前腹腔镜成像设备的局限性，我们建议组建一个由临床最小接触外科医生和机器人研究人员组成的团队，他们将开发和测试一个初始微型机器人，该机器人将包括一个图像源（摄像头），而随后的微型机器人将是效应器（如手术工具、传感器）。该机器人将以现有的原型设备为基础。除了设计和构建平台之外，具体目标还包括在新开发的可插入传感器技术和效应器之间创建一个反馈回路，外科医生和计算机都处于信息处理/控制回路中。该技术有两个主要组成部分：一种新型、可插入、多自由度传感器/效应器平台的硬件开发，以及用于外科医生控制和用户界面的软件。这项工作的最初部分将需要开发这两个组成部分。硬件/软件/接口开发的验证将在手术模型环境中测试成像平台的所有组件。在确认功能后，动物试验将通过测量使用每种成像系统的手术技术和程序的结果，将该设备与标准腹腔镜的多个自由度（测量设备从不同角度和腹腔象限提供图像的能力）和3D图像质量进行比较。这些研究的结果参数将包括：每个任务的时间，每个受试者的总时间，由于可视化不良引起的并发症，以及外科医生的主观反应（成像平台的可视化与标准腹腔镜一样好，比标准腹腔镜好，还是比标准腹腔镜差？）该项目包括先后开发更先进的硬件和控制软件，然后在每次开发后进行动物试验。结果将进行统计分析和验证，以确定当前技术与拟议设备之间是否存在显着差异。这项新技术有可能在以下方面显著改善医疗保健：通过缩短学习曲线，增加最低限度手术的可用性；进一步减少侵入性，提高微创手术的安全性、精确性和可重复性；减少微创手术的成本。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): We are proposing to design and construct small, mobile, multi-function platforms that can be placed inside a body cavity to assume some of the tasks associated with minimal access surgery. Motivated by limitations of current laparoscopic imaging devices, we propose a team of clinical minimal access surgeons and robotics researchers who will develop and test an initial micro robot that would include an image source (camera), while subsequent ones would be effectors (e.g. surgical tools, sensors). The robot will be based upon an existing prototype device. In addition to designing and building the platforms, specific aims include the creation of a feedback loop between newly developed, insertable sensor technology and effectors, with both surgeons and computers in the information-processing/control loop. The technology has two main components: hardware development of a novel, insertable, multi-degree of freedom sensor/effector platform, and software for control and a user interface for the surgeon. The initial part of the work will require development of these two components. The validation of the hardware/software/interface development will test all components of the imaging platform in a surgical mock-up environment. After confirming functionality, animal testing will compare the multiple degrees of freedom (measuring the ability of the device to provide images from different angles and quadrants of the abdominal cavity) and 3D image quality of the device with a standard laparoscope by measuring the outcomes of surgical techniques and procedures using each imaging system. Outcome parameters for these studies will include: time of each task, total time for each subject, complications caused by poor visualization, and subjective response of surgeon (was visualization with the imaging platform as good as, better than, or worse than a standard laparoscope?). The project includes sequential development of more advanced hardware and control software followed by animal trials after each development. The results will be statistically analyzed and validated to determine if there exist significant differences between current technology and the proposed device. The new technology has the potential to significantly improve health care in the following ways: increase the availability of minimal access surgery by shortening the learning curve; further reduce the invasiveness, and increase the safety, precision, and reproducibility of minimal access surgery; and reduce the cost of minimal access surgery.