2A1-A02 Automatic positioning of laparoscope by preoperative workspace planning and intraoperative 3D instrument tracking

Abstract

This paper presents a robotic assistant system which holds a laparoscope to provide precise positioning of the laparoscope and stable image without the support of the human camera assistant. Using a 3D optical tracking system, we realize automatic positioning of a laparoscope by preoperative workspace planning and intraoperative 3D instrument tracking. In the preoperative planning stage, the surgeon can decide several workspaces and appropriate scales of magnification for operating in the workspace. In operating, if the tip of the surgical instrument is within the workspace decided in the preoperative planning stage, the manipulator automatically moves such that the workspace is centered in the laparoscope image and magnified with the appropriate scale. To evaluate validity of the proposed system, we conducted a laparoscopic cholecystectomy simulation. In conclusion, our system has a possibility of reducing the surgeon's mental/physical stress and will enable smooth surgical operation.