title: The development of a surgeon robot for prostatectomies.
abstract: The removal of prostatic tissue through transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) is an operation that can require considerable skill from a surgeon as well as being a lengthy procedure. The potential for using robotic techniques was investigated in a preliminary feasibility study using a standard six axis 'Puma' robot. This led to the construction of a manually operated 'safety frame' which has been shown to be effective through clinical trials on 30 patients. A special-purpose robot, based on the design of the manual frame, has now been constructed. Some of the safety issues are discussed which make this procedure an ideal candidate for a robotic device.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Robotics and Automated Systems, Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine, London.
authors.forename: B L
authors.initials: BL
authors.lastname: Davies
authors.forename: R D
authors.initials: RD
authors.lastname: Hibberd
authors.forename: W S
authors.initials: WS
authors.lastname: Ng
authors.forename: A G
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Timoney
authors.forename: J E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Wickham
mesh_terms: D004867:Equipment Design; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011468:Prostatectomy / Q000295:instrumentation*; D012371:Robotics / Q000379:methods*