Manipulators Make Minimally Invasive Surgery Easier

Are medical manipulators just wishful thinking by engineers or a real benefit to minimally invasive surgery? Based on an analysis of current practise in minimally invasive surgery, this paper will argue the case for medical manipulators. Three critical components are discussed in detail: the design of the endoscopes and surgical instruments, the man-machine interface and the actual manipulator itself. Also, a suitable calibration technique is proposed. On the basis of first evaluation results for a virtual prototype of the system the paper concludes that the first question should be answered with yes.