MTB Europe – Robotic surgery guided by 3-D ultrasound scanner: “Surgery
Robotic surgery guided by 3-D ultrasound scanner
7 November 2006
Durham, N.C. USA. Duke University engineers have shown that a three-dimensional ultrasound scanner they developed can successfully guide a surgical robot.”
I discussed how the daVinci robotic system is a master-slave system several months ago.
Researches at Duke have used the most advanced ultrasound to help guide biopsies. I can see this technology one day helping me perform robotic partial nephrectomies, when I am trying to remove part of a kidney with a small margin of healthy tissue around it. It can also help guide biopsies. I am not sure it will help that much with prostates, as the accuracy is within 1.5 mm and my nearest surgical margin is often closer than that.