NETWORK: Advanced Microtechnologies for Microsurgery

显微手术和细胞手术需要组织和工具之间的精确相互作用，其规模低于临床操作者的灵巧性和感知阈值。目前，操作人员依靠显微镜、手动和千分尺工具来完成工艺。鉴于最低限度获取程序的当前益处，并且随着需要操作细胞组织的生物技术过程的益处被理解，这种规模的过程的频率正在增加。临床程序，被称为微创程序，涉及例如腹腔镜检查和内窥镜检查，已经用机器人工具进行了探索，并且已经显示出一些成功。微制造、纳米科学和生物纳米技术的技术进步为微传感、微机械和微致动器带来了更多的机会，这些技术为显微外科和细胞外科应用中的手术和诊断工具提供了新的潜力。该网络将确定短期和长期战略，以推动该技术在该应用领域的发展，使英国受益。网络成员是来自工程，科学，医学，医疗保健，生物学和商业等多学科的领导者。他们将共同通过一系列研讨会来推动和指导这项研究，这些研讨会将解决未来和当前的临床需求，最近新解决方案技术的潜力，应用类别和影响，从而改变医疗保健服务，伦理和进一步的技术需求。

Microsurgery and cell surgery require precise interaction between tissues and tools at a scale that is below the dexterity and perception thresholds of clinical operators. Currently operators rely on microscopes, manual and micrometer tools to accomplish processes. The frequency of processes at this scale is increasing in the light of current benefits of minimal access procedures and as the benefits of biotechnology processes requiring the manipulation of cellular tissue are understood. Clinical procedures, known as minimally invasive procedures, involving for example laparoscopy and endoscopy, have been explored with robotic tools and have shown some success. The advance in technologies in terms of micro-fabrication, nanoscience and bionanotechnology have introduced further opportunities for micro-sensing, micro-mechanisms and micro-actuators that offer new potential for surgical and diagnostic tools in microsurgery and cell surgery applications.The Network will define short and longer-term strategies to advance this technology for this application field towards the benefit of the UK. Network members are leaders from the multi-disciplines of engineering, science, medicine, healthcare, biology and business. Collectively they will contribute and steer this research study through a programme of workshops addressing future and current clinical needs, the potential of recent new solution technologies, application categories and impact, resulting changes in healthcare delivery, ethics and further technological needs.