Evolutions and Future Directions of Surgical Robotics: A Review

Abstract

Although the robotics firstly appeared as an entertainment form, its capabilities have continuously advanced from the world’s first industrial robot to the surgical robotic systems which are today capable of performing many surgical maneuvers unaided. However, these surgical robots are not autonomous systems; they are designed to complete a surgeon’s abilities and converting surgeon’s movements into incredibly steady and accurate robotic movements that finally manipulate surgical instruments to assist delicate operations. This novel type of surgery is carried out in the form of minimally invasive surgical procedure and has offered valuable alternatives to enhance traditional open surgery approach. Although the surgical robotic systems began as external robots, technological progresses are directing the surgical robotic systems to endoluminal robots which consist of doing surgical maneuvers by navigating of robot through lumens of human body. Here, we will briefly review different applications of robotic systems in various fields of medicine. Then, we will discuss minimally invasive surgical systems and their role in progressing of minimally invasive surgery as a modern surgery method. By thoroughly investigating a considerable amount of published materials about the minimally invasive surgical technologies, we will study the recent research activities and commercially available samples of surgical robotic systems.