Surgical Robot that Offers Tactile Feedback to Surgeons
Although a surgery assisted by machines is steadier, more accurate and less invasive, one of its main disadvantages is that the controls of the robot don't provide a sense of touch, thus the surgeon is unable to feel any of the resistance put up by the tissues of the patient.
In order to solve the issue, Linda van den Bedem from Eindhoven University of Technology decided to create a surgical robot that offers tactile feedback. The researcher's latest invention is called Sofie, which stands for Surgeon's Operating Force-feedback Interface Eindhoven.
The machine can be controlled with the help of joysticks found on the control panel. It would be interesting to note that the joysticks are harder or easier to move depending on the level of pressure applied by the robot's surgical instruments against the tissues.
It is worth mentioning that such an invention could be used for several tasks such as making stitches, informs Gizmag.
In addition, Van den Bedem's latest invention is more compact if compared to other surgical machines used today. It can be mounted on the operating table, thus if the table is moved the robot moves with it.
In five years the researcher hopes to start commercializing her latest invention.
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