title: Development and first patient trial of a surgical robot for complex trajectory milling.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Today's surgical robots normally perform "simple" trajectories, e.g., assisting as tool-holding devices in neurosurgery, or milling linear paths for cavities in total hip replacement. From a clinical point of view, it is still a complex undertaking to implement robots in the operating room. Until now, robot systems have not been used in patient trials to mill "complex" trajectories, which involve many positional and orientation changes and are often necessary in cranio-maxillofacial (CMF) surgery. This paper presents the RobaCKa surgical robot system, which allows more precise execution of surgical interventions and milling of "complex" trajectories.
  
  
  METHODS
  The main components of the RobaCKa system are a (former) CASPAR robot system, a POLARIS system, and a force-torque sensor.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In the first patient trial (April 2003) the planned trajectory was executed with an error of 0.66 +/- 0.2 mm.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The use of former industrial robots for surgical applications is possible but complex. The advantages are improved precision and quality and the possibility of documentation. The use of such systems is normally limited to research institutions or large clinics, because it is hardly possible to implement the necessary technical and logistic efforts in routine surgical work.
authors.affiliation: Department of Maxillofacial and Craniofacial Surgery, Ruprecht-Karls-University Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany. Werner_korb@med.uni-heidelberg.de
authors.forename: Werner
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Korb
authors.forename: Dirk
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Engel
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Boesecke
authors.forename: Georg
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Eggers
authors.forename: Bibiana
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Kotrikova
authors.forename: Rüdiger
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Marmulla
authors.forename: Jörg
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Raczkowsky
authors.forename: Heinz
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wörn
authors.forename: Joachim
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Mühling
authors.forename: Stefan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hassfeld
mesh_terms: D003399:Craniotomy / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D012371:Robotics; D025321:Surgery, Computer-Assisted / Q000295:instrumentation*