Operative Orthopedic Surgical Robots: How Do They Achieve Minimally Invasive Surgery?Despite significant advancements in orthopedic surgical robot technology, there remains a clinical challenge of “heavy navigation, light operation.”
For example, while navigation-based robots can precisely guide the surgical instrument path, the surgeon still needs to manually complete many tasks during the procedure, such as establishing minimally invasive bone channels or shaping the bone, which requires considerable effort from the surgeon.
The next-generation operative orthopedic surgical robot systems, through a combination of imaging navigation, minimally invasive operations, and intelligent perception technologies, can autonomously perform a range of spinal minimally invasive operations, such as needle placement and pedicle screw fixation. This system, developed in collaboration between Perlove Medical, clinical expert teams, and Nanjing Medical University, has officially entered the market.
How Do Operative Orthopedic Surgical Robots Achieve Minimally Invasive Operations?
To address the sliding risks in spinal surgery, the new generation of operative orthopedic surgical robots incorporates the consideration of the cutting interaction between instruments and tissues, providing key tips to the surgeon before surgery. These tips can indicate which path directions may lead to slippage or high risks, allowing surgeons to adjust strategies in advance. During the operation, the system monitors slippage and errors in real-time and notifies the surgeon for timely adjustments.
To achieve precise navigation, the new generation of operative orthopedic surgical robots adds a tracking device to the bone, allowing the robot’s tracking system to accurately locate the anatomical structure of the bone in the robot system. This process, from the anatomical structure of the bone to the tracking device, then to the robot’s visual system, and finally to the robot’s manipulator, forms the foundation for accurately reaching the surgical site in minimally invasive procedures.
In surgery, if the robot lacks the ability to perceive, it could easily damage the patient’s nerves or blood vessels. To prevent this, the new generation of operative orthopedic surgical robots is equipped with an end-effector sensing system, allowing the robot to perceive resistance and changes during surgery, much like a surgeon’s hand. This ensures that the surgical instruments precisely reach the intended area.
“Surgeons Think, Robots Execute”
This is the core development goal of operative orthopedic surgical robots. As technology continues to advance, robots will play an increasingly important role in orthopedic surgery, helping surgeons improve precision, reduce risks, and achieve true minimally invasive treatments.
