Raven-II: an open platform for surgical robotics research.

The Raven-II is a platform for collaborative research on advances in surgical robotics. Seven universities have begun research using this platform. The Raven-II system has two 3-DOF spherical positioning mechanisms capable of attaching interchangeable four DOF instruments.

CIELab and sRGB color values of in vivo normal and grasped porcine liver.

Surgical simulators are excellent training tools for minimally invasive procedures but are currently lacking in realistic tissue rendering and tissue responses to manipulation. Accurate color representation of tissues may add realism to simulators and provide medically relevant information. The goal of this study was to determine feasible methods for measuring color of in vivo tissue, specifically liver, in a standardized color space.

Effects of systemic hypertension on ischemic and nonischemic regional left ventricular function in awake, unsedated dogs after experimental coronary occlusion.

Hypertension and atherosclerotic coronary arterial obstruction frequently coexist in patients. However, the effect of increased aortic pressure on ischemic segmental dysfunction is not well understood. We studied the effects of aortic pressure increases on segmental left ventricular function during myocardial ischemia.

Interrelationships between regional left ventricular function, coronary blood flow, and myocellular necrosis during the initial 24 hours and 1 week after experimental coronary occlusion in awake, unsedated dogs.

This study examined the relationships between the left ventricular (LV) regional function, regional myocardial blood flow (RMBF), and myocellular necrosis after sudden proximal occlusion of the left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD) in 36 awake, unsedated dogs. Net wall thickening during systole (NET) was used to assess regional LV function, was expressed as percent control, and was measured with chronically implanted ultrasonic crystals. RMBF was measured with 8- to 10-micrometer radioactive microspheres.