Preliminary design and evaluation of a generic surgical scope adapter

Abstract

Background: Robotic scope assistant systems are used to visualise and navigate the operative field during a laparoscopic surgery. The objective of this work is to design a surgical scope adapter that enables control of different scope types (zero-degree, angulated, and articulated), and can be connected to any six degree-of-freedom robotic manipulator for usage as a robotic scope assistant system. Methods: A surgical scope adapter compatible with different camera heads and scope types was designed and prototyped. The technical performance of the scope adapter was evaluated and a user study was conducted to assess the human-in-the-loop control. Results: All the subjects were able to navigate the simulated operative field. The scope adapter permits continuous motion to explore the operative field as well as intermittent motion to accurately focus on the targeted anatomical landmarks. Conclusion: The modular and generic nature of the surgical scope adapter may enable its usage across different minimally invasive surgeries.