Integration of automated camera steering for robotic single-site surgery

Abstract

Modern surgical approaches favor minimal invasiveness in order to improve recovery time, cosmesis, and post-operative pain. One such technique for abdominal procedures, called robotic laparoendoscopic single-site surgery (R-LESS), uses a single incision to gain access to the abdominal cavity. In this process, as in standard laparoscopic surgery, the surgeon’s visualization of the surgical site depends on the performance of an assistant who maneuvers the camera. Variation in skill of the camera assistant at following commands from the surgeon contributes to the difficulty of the procedure. Moreover, giving camera instructions is an additional task for the surgeon and is essentially a distraction from the main task. To solve this problem and provide high-quality visualization to the surgeon, we present a self-guided robotic camera control to replace the camera assistant. The system automatically tracks the robotic tools and automatically manipulates the camera to achieve the best field of view.