Implicit Active Constraints for Robot-Assisted Arthroscopy.

This paper presents an control framework for robot-assisted minimally invasive surgery. It extends on current frameworks by prescribing the external constraints implicitly from the operator motion, forgoing the need for pre-operative imaging; the constraints are defined so as to avoid the use of invasive fiducial markers. A cooperatively-controlled robotic platform, comprising of a surgical instrument and a compliant manipulator, has been designed for an arthroscopic procedure.

Investigation of the use of Pulse Tube in cell cryopreservation systems.

In order to obtain an acceptable rate of survival of the frozen cells, they must be first cooled in programmable freezers, while controlling the cooling rate, and then stored in maintenance freezers. Different solutions are already used to preserve cells at cryogenic temperatures without liquid nitrogen, while this is not true for controlling the cooling rate. A Pulse Tube (PT) cryorefrigeration system type, can be used in the automatic freezing if combined with a system that monitors and "drives" the temperature generated on the cold part (cold head).