RAVEN Eyes Around the Instrument from Modular Axis Sharing

One of the current limitations in MIS robotic surgery is the limited field of view due to the use of a sole rigid 3D–imaging camera. This study proposes a modular 2D flexible imaging probe that can be integrated to the teleoperated surgical robot, RAVEN, in order to provide visual access in real time to occluded surgical targets. The probe proposed in this work guides a state–of–the–art scanning fiber endoscope SFE with minimal actuation. It is based on a modular axis–shared conception that avoids interruptions in the surgical flow to connect or exchange the device. The viewpoint from the probe is adjusted by a surgeon from the robot master console with independent actuation, sensing and control from the robot system. A 2–Hz oscillating mock–up model of the abdominal cavity containing several points of interest occluded for the central camera is used to test the capabilities of the probe. Results show how the totality of these interest points are visualized using the flexible probe to improve the information at the surgeon site. Motion compensation with image stabilization techniques are incorporated to improve unfocused and blurred images as well as to maintain the field of view for the target during the manipulation. The experimental results in this case were compared to those of one of the conventional software solutions, and provided 45.9% less maximum error than the conventional software during the simple surgical procedure.