Clinical researchers from the Children’s National Health System in Washington, D.C. and Johns Hopkins University have been testing a new automated suturing robot the technology within which may soon be used on a daily basis. The Smart Tissue Autonomous Robot (STAR) includes fluorescent imaging and a light field camera for 3D capture in addition to the suturing component. Special algorithms have been written modeled on actual techniques that human surgeons employ to create a plan and execute a set of mechanical movements to suture soft tissues together.
According to the scientists in the study published in Science Translational Medicine, in laboratory tests on living pigs, the robot was “superior to surgery performed by expert surgeons.”
Here’s a short video report showing the robot along with a discussion with some of the principal scientists behind the project:
Study in Science Translational Medicine: Supervised autonomous robotic soft tissue surgery…