State of the art in medical robotics in Poland: development of the Robin Heart and other robots

Abstract

The first Polish project in medical robotics began in 2000. Now, a decade later, the Robin Heart surgical telemanipulator has the potential to become widely used in many branches of surgery. The original robot and mechatronic tools have successfully completed the required laboratory tests and animal studies. The Foundation of Cardiac Surgery Development in Zabrze, Poland, has launched a series of large-scale educational and awareness-raising activities aiming to promote medical robotics in Poland. At present, works on a rehabilitation robot are in progress in two centers. This article is an attempt to summarize the advances in medical robotics in Poland, to present the most interesting achievements to date and to discuss the prospects for further development.