The robotics and medical industry recently exhibited one of its newest innovations to cater to surgical operations. In the new study, a team of experts from Johns Hopkins University collaborated to develop a machine that could operate by itself.
It may seem early for AI-powered robots to take place as surgical specialists. However, the new research was able to make the robotic arm up and running, allowing the machine to complete a painstaking operation in the form of keyhole surgery on pigs. The authors noted how successful the operation was. In the paper, they said that the performance of the robotic surgeon was 'substantially better' compared to the human surgeons.
Smart Tissue Autonomous Robot
The robotic arm project developed by Johns Hopkins University is called the Smart Tissue Autonomous Robot or STAR. According to a report by Interesting Engineering, the machine was able to perform laparoscopic surgery to attach two ends of the intestine in four pig subjects.
The surgical operation may seem simple, but joining intestinal organs in the industry is challenging, even for the tenured experts in the field. This type of surgery requires a highly accurate suture repetition to perfectly adhere each part together. The STAR machine has successfully carried out the procedure according to the findings while meeting the authors' expectations. The process exhibited by the robot was truly exceptional, as minor inconsistencies could lead to leaks and other consequences for the surgical patients.
Mechanical engineering, computational sensing, and robotics expert Axel Krieger, who also authored the study, said in a Johns Hopkins University report that the findings allowed their team to automate the most delicate and challenging surgical operations in the industry.
Krieger explained that two parts of intestinal organs were reconnected by STAR. The machine subsequently performed the same operation in four various pig subjects. The expert said the results were stunning and surpassed the scores carried out by human specialists performing the same operation.
Machine Successful on Operating Complex Surgery
STAR was intentionally constructed to relay surgical service, specifically on suturing soft tissues. Building the machine is a big leap for its developers, as the difficulty of the mentioned operation could lead to unpredictable results. The first testing of the same concept was first presented in 2016 when a pig intestine was repaired with the help of human experts.
Johns Hopkins notched up the innovation by equipping the machine with specialized technologies contributing additional functions during surgery. Some of the notable materials provided to the robot are imaging devices and high-end suturing tools, which contributed to the surgical accuracy and autonomy of the machine.
A machine-learning algorithm was also embedded in the system of the STAR robot, along with a structural light-based 3D endoscope. Unlike other AI-powered robots, the surgical machine could operate independently and learn throughout the process for future reference.
First author Hamed Saeidi said that the main goal of STAR development is to adapt to a surgical plan of soft tissue treatment without guidance from surgical experts or any other types of human intervention.
The study was published in ScienceRobotics, titled "Autonomous robotic laparoscopic surgery for intestinal anastomosis."
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