Design and Performance of a Surgical Tool Tracking System for Minimally Invasive Surgery

Abstract

Abstract Minimally invasive surgery (MIS) is a technique introduced in the mid-1980s in which a few small incisions are made to allow for insertion of surgical tools and a camera through gasketed ports. Smaller incisions speed patient recovery times and lessen the chance of infection. They also introduce new interfaces as compared to more traditional open surgical techniques. These interfaces impose motion constraints and forces on the tool(s) and hand(s). These interfaces are not well characterized, yet surgical simulators and surgical robots are being developed without this vital information.