UK scientists shrink size of robots for keyhole ops

A BRITISH company hopes to revolutionise keyhole surgery with a small robot arm.

Cambridge Medical Robotics (CMR) says its surgeon-controlled device will carry out hernia repairs, prostate surgery and ear, nose and throat ops.

Existing robots are about three times bigger than its 2ft by 2ft arm, called Versius – the world’s smallest. And CMR says it will cost half the price.

Chief executive Martin Frost told The Observer: ‘Having robots in the operating theatre is not a new idea. The problem at the moment is that they are phenomenally expensive – not only do they cost £2 million each but every procedure costs an extra £3,000 using the robot – and they are very large.’

The surgeon operates the four joints with buttons and a screen providing a 3D image of the ‘keyhole’. The technology, launching in Spring 2018, could also be used for telesurgery – operations carried out by a surgeon remotely.

Robot arms can have a greater range of movement than a human arm, and of course, they do not tire. The first surgical robot was used in 1985.