Autonomous pick-and-place using the dVRK

Abstract

Purpose Robotic-assisted partial nephrectomy (RAPN) is a tissue-preserving approach to treating renal cancer, where ultrasound (US) imaging is used for intra-operative identification of tumour margins and localisation of blood vessels. With the da Vinci Surgical System (Sunnyvale, CA), the US probe is inserted through an auxiliary access port, grasped by the robotic tool and moved over the surface of the kidney. Images from US probe are displayed separately to the surgical site video within the surgical console leaving the surgeon to interpret and co-registers information which is challenging and complicates the procedural workflow. Methods We introduce a novel software architecture to support a hardware soft robotic rail designed to automate intra-operative US acquisition. As a preliminary step towards complete task automation, we automatically grasp the rail and position it on the tissue surface so that the surgeon is then able to manipulate manually the US probe along it. Results A preliminary clinical study, involving five surgeons, was carried out to evaluate the potential performance of the system. Results indicate that the proposed semi-autonomous approach reduced the time needed to complete a US scan compared to manual tele-operation. Conclusion Procedural automation can be an important workflow enhancement functionality in future robotic surgery systems. We have shown a preliminary study on semi-autonomous US imaging, and this could support more efficient data acquisition.

Learning intraoperative organ manipulation with context-based reinforcement learning

“…The PAF rail, shown in Fig. 1, can be of great help for the surgeon when performing the aforementioned procedures [6,7]. The PAF rail uses a series of vacuum-actuated suction cups to pair with the targeted organ/tissue providing a flexible interface that enables safe manipulation.…”

Deep Reinforcement Learning for Concentric Tube Robot Path Following

“…The main application of these unique robots is that of minimally invasive surgery (MIS), where most of the developments for CTRs have been focused. MIS has trended towards semi-autonomous and autonomous robotic surgery to improve surgical outcomes [2], [3]. Due to the confined workspaces and resulting extended learning times for surgeons in MIS, dexterous, compliant continuum robots such as CTRs have been under development in preference to the mechanically rigid and limited degreesof-freedom (DOF) robots used in interventional medicine This work was supported by the Wellcome/EPSRC Centre for Interventional and Surgical Sciences (WEISS) at UCL (203145Z/16/Z), EPSRC (EP/P027938/1, EP/R004080/1).…”