Surgical Robotics research in the EU

The EU has been sponsoring innovation in the field of surgical robotics through the FP grants for many years. At the ICRA2010 conference, a half day workshop is devoted to the overview of the different projects, enlisted below. A more detailed report will follow in May!

• FP6 – ARES Assembling Reconfigurable Endoluminal Surgical systems. The ARES project aims at developing an entirely new type of surgical tools, capable of entering the human body through natural orifices (by insertion, ingestion or inhalation) or very small incisions (injection), and configuring themselves in complex kinematic structures at the specific site of intervention.
• FP6 – ACCUROBAS Accurate robotic assistant. The main objective of the project is to develop an innovative and universal robotic assistant system to support a human in dextrous manipulation during surgical procedures on different levels of autonomy.
• FP6 – VECTOR Versatile Endoscopic Capsule for gastrointestinal TumOr Recognition and therapy. The project pursues the goal of realizing smart pill technologies and applications for gastrointestinal (GI) diagnosis and therapy.
• FP7 – ARAKNES Array of Robots Augmenting the KiNematics of Endoluminal Surgery. ARAKNES is focused on innovative robotic system for endoluminal surgery. The project aims at bringing inside the patient’s stomach a set of advanced bio-robotic and microsystem technologies for therapy and surgery.
• FP7 – ROBOCAST ROBOt and sensors integration for Computer Assisted Surgery and Therapy. The ROBOCAST project is providing the neurosurgeon with a robotic modular assistant for keyhole procedures. The system also features advanced planning possibilities and intra-operative sensing modalities.
• FP7 – SAFROS This proposal addresses the development of technologies for patient safety in robotic surgery. We aim at demonstrating that a properly controlled robotic surgery carried out in accordance to our safety criteria can improve the level of patient safety currently achievable by traditional surgery.
• FP7 – SCATh The additional complexity of less invasive surgical procedures entails unacceptable risks for the patient and hampers the development of superior interventional techniques. The goal of SCATh is to minimize these drawbacks specifically for a series of new and promising catheterization procedures dealing with cardiovascular disease, the main cause of death in the EU. In STREAM, a Marie-Curie Reintegration program, approaches are developed to design robust bilateral teleoperation controllers in order to enhance microsurgical procedures.
• FP7 – NANOMA The NANOMA project aims at the development of a drug delivery microrobotic system (consisting of nanoActuators and nanoSensors) for the propulsion and navigation of ferromagnetic microcapsules in the cardiovascular system through the induction of force from magnetic gradients generated by a clinical Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI).

A complete list of EU funded robotic projects at EURON's website.

Source: Advanced surgical service robotics in the European Union 6th and 7th Framework Programs Workshop site