5 Examples of application of AI in Surgical Robotics

The interaction between humans and robots is an area that enables surgeons to operate surgical robots through touchless manipulation.

This manipulation is possible through head or hand movements, speech, and voice recognition, or via the surgeon's gaze.

5 Examples of Applications of AI in Surgical Robotics

1. Face Mouse

Surgeons' head movements have been used to remotely control robotic laparoscopes.

Face Mouse monitors in real time the facial motions of the surgeon without any body-contact devices required. The motion of the laparoscope is simply and accurately controlled by the facial gestures of the surgeon, providing noninvasive and nonverbal cooperation between the human and the robot for various surgical procedures.

2. Microsure

In 2017, Maastricht University Medical Center in the Netherlands used an AI-driven robot in a microsurgery intervention.

The surgical robot was used to suture blood vessels between 0.03 and 0.08 millimeters in a patient affected by lymphedema.

The robot, used in the procedure, was manipulated by a human surgeon. His hand movements have been reduced to smaller and more accurate movements conducted by robot hands.

3. ARTAS® Robotic Hair Transplant

Robotic Hair transplant enables surgical robots to harvest hair follicles and graft them into precise areas of the scalp, with the help of AI.

The robot conducts automated MIS without requiring surgical removal of a donor area and eliminates the need for a hair transplant surgeon to manually extract one follicle at a time in a few hours-long procedure.

This method is FDA-approved for men with dark, straight hair.

4. Da Vinci cardio surgery

Da Vinci cardio surgery is robotic cardiac surgery conducted through very few incisions in the chest, cut with robot-manipulated tools and very small instruments.

5. Gestonurse

Gestonurse is a robotic scrub nurse that has been designed for handling surgical instruments for surgeons in the operating room.

The objective is to reduce the errors that may occur that would have a negative consequence on the outcome of the surgery.

Its efficiency and safe use have been proved during a mock surgical procedure performed at Purdue University, where Gestonurse used fingertip recognition and gesture deduction to manipulate the needed instruments.