Development of a human machine interface for robotically assisted surgery optimized for laparoscopic workflows.

Introduction: In robotic-assisted surgery (RAS), the input device is the primary site for the flow of information between the user and the robot. Most RAS systems remove the surgeon's console from the sterile surgical site. Beneficial for performing lengthy procedures with complex systems, this ultimately lacks the flexibility that comes with the surgeon being able to remain at the sterile site.

Model-based individual life-spanning documentation in visceral surgery: a proof of concept.

Introduction: Surgical documentation has many implications. However, its primary function is to transfer information about surgical procedures to other medical professionals. Thereby, written reports describing procedures in detail are the current standard, impeding comprehensive understanding of patient-individual life-spanning surgical course, especially if surgeries are performed at a timely distance and in diverse facilities.

Audio-based event detection in the operating room.

Purpose: Even though workflow analysis in the operating room has come a long way, current systems are still limited to research. In the quest for a robust, universal setup, hardly any attention has been given to the dimension of audio despite its numerous advantages, such as low costs, location, and sight independence, or little required processing power.

Methodology: We present an approach for audio-based event detection that solely relies on two microphones capturing the sound in the operating room.

The sound of surgery-development of an acoustic trocar system enabling laparoscopic sound analysis.

Purpose: Acoustic information can contain viable information in medicine and specifically in surgery. While laparoscopy depends mainly on visual information, our goal is to develop the means to capture and process acoustic information during laparoscopic surgery.

Methods: To achieve this, we iteratively developed three prototypes that will overcome the abdominal wall as a sound barrier and can be used with standard trocars.

Toward telemedical diagnostics-clinical evaluation of a robotic examination system for emergency patients.

Introduction: The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has affected global public healthcare for several years. Numerous medical professionals have been infected since the outbreak in 2019, resulting in a shortage of healthcare providers. Since traditional personal protective wear was insufficient to eliminate the virus transmission reliably, new strategies to avoid cross-infection were imperative while enabling high-quality medical care.

Versatile end effector for laparoscopic robotic scrub nurse.

Purpose: Integrating robotic scrub nurses in the operating room has the potential to help overcome staff shortages and limited use of available operating capacities in hospitals. Existing approaches of robotic scrub nurses are mainly focused on open surgical procedures, neglecting laparoscopic procedures. Laparoscopic interventions offer great potential for the context-sensitive integration of robotic systems due to possible standardization.

Tactile Robotic Telemedicine for Safe Remote Diagnostics in Times of Corona: System Design, Feasibility and Usability Study.

The current crisis surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic demonstrates the amount of responsibility and the workload on our healthcare system and, above all, on the medical staff around the world. In this work, we propose a promising approach to overcome this problem using robot-assisted telediagnostics, which allows medical experts to examine patients from distance. The designed telediagnostic system consists of two robotic arms.

Robotic Endoscope Control - State of the Art of Voice Control and Other Options for Laparoscopic Camera Robot Guidance.

In video-based surgery (VBS), the surgeon is no longer the master of his or her view. Visualization of the surgical field is mediated by a video camera guided by an assistant. The separation of visualization and surgical activities leads to significant drawbacks.

Telemedical percussion: objectifying a fundamental clinical examination technique for telemedicine.

Purpose: While demand for telemedicine is increasing, patients are currently restricted to tele-consultation for the most part. Fundamental diagnostics like the percussion still require the in person expertize of a physician. To meet today's challenges, a transformation of the manual percussion into a standardized, digital version, ready for telemedical execution is required.

New Method for Surgical Diagnostics - a Robotic Telemedical Approach.

Apart from the tremendous increase in the demand for telemedicine during the COVID-19 pandemic, the use of telemedical technology offers many advantages, such as better coverage of rural areas and improved access to specialists. While current telediagnostic possibilities are often limited to a verbal consultation, the field of surgery has already made use of robotics for one of the most challenging areas of medicine: invasive procedures. Since comprehensive diagnostics are a prerequisite for each surgery, we built upon the knowledge gained in telesurgery and developed a telediagnostic system that allows for an extensive perioperative and emergency examination.

COVID-19 and beyond: development of a comprehensive telemedical diagnostic framework.

Purpose: During the COVID-19 pandemic, a threatening bottleneck of medical staff arose due to a shortage of trained caregivers, who became infected while working with infectious patients. While telemedicine is rapidly evolving in the fields of teleconsultation and telesurgery, proper telediagnostic systems are not yet available, although the demand for contactless patient-doctor interaction is increasing.

Methods: In this project, the current limitations were addressed by developing a comprehensive telediagnostic system.

Machine Learning in the OR: A Collaborative Environment for Surgical Interventions in Visceral Medicine.

Modern surgical methods are becoming increasingly sophisticated and the number of technical devices that are used during these interventions is increasing. However, the surgical operating room (OR) remains a mere conglomerate of unconnected medical devices. The increase in the complexity of device functionality, in addition to the demands of surgery, pushes human mental capacity to its limit.

Acoustic signal analysis of instrument-tissue interaction for minimally invasive interventions.

Purpose: Minimally invasive surgery (MIS) has become the standard for many surgical procedures as it minimizes trauma, reduces infection rates and shortens hospitalization. However, the manipulation of objects in the surgical workspace can be difficult due to the unintuitive handling of instruments and limited range of motion. Apart from the advantages of robot-assisted systems such as augmented view or improved dexterity, both robotic and MIS techniques introduce drawbacks such as limited haptic perception and their major reliance on visual perception.