ROBOT JOINS TWO BOWEL SEGMENTS

To be able to suture very accurately, the robot must analyse the surface of the tissue and make an accurate plan of the needle’s way through two bowel segments.

1 ROBOT PLANS ...

Doctors mark reference points on the tissue, which are only visible to the robot’s near infrared camera. The robot’s software uses the reference points to discover slight tissue movement, adjusting the needle accordingly.

The plenoptic camera creates a 3D model including navigation points. The robot knows what an ideal suture is like, so it uses the camera to judge the thickness of the tissue to be sutured and the distance between stitches.

2 ... AND CARRIES OUT SUTURE

The robot begins to suture the “underside” of the bowel, using needle and thread. Based on the infrared markes, the cameras register, when the tissue changes shape and location. Software updates the plan accordingly.

Once the “underside” of the bowel has been sutured, bowel segments 1 and 2 are folded towards each other, so they can be joined. The robot plans the suture and starts where it left off. Finally, a knot is made.