Classification, Design and Evaluation of Endoscope Robots

Abstract

With development of endoscopic surgery and medical robotics, surgery using robots has become a representative of robotic surgery. This chapter describes classification, design methods and evaluation methods of robots. Expectations for a minimally invasive surgery have increased year by year with the dramatic advancement of image diagnosis technology, including CT and MRI. A camera (endoscope) and surgical instruments are inserted into tiny holes made in the patients’ abdomen or chest region for surgical procedures. Compared to abdominal or open chest surgery, endoscopic surgery has less pain and has a greater advantage in cosmetic appearance as well as the economic advantages, resulting in its growing popularity. The most distinctive feature of endoscopic surgery is that the surgical field is observed through images taken by an endoscope, rather than the naked eye. The most important element to surgical safety and efficient operating is how well an reveals the field of view during surgery. Generally, a camera operates the endoscope. The operation of the needs fine adjustment for the angle of the field of view and the distance of the surgical area as well as correct aiming of the at the surgical field. Camera assistants sometimes operate the according to instructions of a surgeon; however, camera assistants need to operate the using their judgment in understanding the surgeon’s intentions so that they can move the according to how the surgery is progressing moment to moment. The operation of an by camera assistants requires as much proficiency as that of surgeons. There are not many surgeons who have sufficient proficiency in endoscopic surgery, which requires special techniques. In fact, it is not unusual for surgery to be interrupted due to a camera not being sufficiently proficient in using the and is unable to obtain the exact field of surgery required. To solve this problem, endoscope robots that can hold and position an instead of a human camera assistant (Fig. 1) have been developed. Fig. 1(a) shows a usual endoscopic