Robot ontologies for sensor- and Image-guided surgery

Robots and robotics are becoming more com- plex and flexible, due to technological advancement, improved sensing capabilities and machine intelligence. Service robots target a wide range of applications, relying on advanced Human–Robot Interaction. Medical robotics is becoming a leading application area within, and the number of surgical, rehabilitation and hospital assistance robots is rising rapidly. However, the complexity of the medical environment has been a major barrier, preventing a wider use of robotic technology, thus mostly teleoperated, human-in-the-loop control solutions emerged so far. Providing smarter and better medical robots requires a systematic approach in describing and translating human processes for the robots. It is believed that ontologies can bridge human cognitive understanding and robotic reasoning (machine intelligence). Besides, ontologies serve as a tool and method to assess the added value robotic technology brings into the medical environment. The purpose of this paper is to identify relevant ontology research in medical robotics, and to review the state-of-the art. It focuses on the surgical domain, fundamental terminology and interactions are described for two example applications in neurosurgery and orthopaedics

Risk management prioritization in medical device SMEs based on AHP analysis

Purpose - Risk management is crucial for the longevity of companies and it is also required by many standards and regulations, such as ISO 9001 and ISO 13485. Particularly for the medical device industry the standards are stricter, due to the level of risk that products can represent. However, each standard is particular on its requirements and establishing the risk management process can be challenging, namely for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). This research aims to identify and prioritize the key features for the risk management of medical device SMEs. Design/methodology/approach - The Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) was applied as follows: from the literature review and the above-mentioned standards the authors defined the problem, objectives, alternatives and identified 5 evaluation criteria and 8 evaluation subcriteria, organized in the hierarchical structuring of four matrices, which were the basis for data collection and analysis. Five experts from Brazilian and Portuguese companies operating in the sector were interviewed and asked to evaluate each of the matrices, establishing the relative importance among the criteria, for the calculation of local priorities. Findings - The results led to the involvement of employees as the most important criterion for risk management, followed by employees training and qualification. Organizational culture was listed as the least important criterion, with four of the five evaluators considering training and qualification as a way to work towards a cultural change and encourage risk-based thinking. Originality/value - Recent researches highlight the need for methodological and scientific support on risk management for the companies. This paper provides discussion regarding whether the literature reflects the reality of organizations and how the process is considered by them.CAPES - Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior(undefined

From Concept to Market: Surgical Robot Development

Surgical robotics and supporting technologies have really become a prime example of modern applied information technology infiltrating our everyday lives. The development of these systems spans across four decades, and only the last few years brought the market value and saw the rising customer base imagined already by the early developers. This chapter guides through the historical development of the most important systems, and provide references and lessons learnt for current engineers facing similar challenges. A special emphasis is put on system validation, assessment and clearance, as the most commonly cited barrier hindering the wider deployment of a system

Accelerating Surgical Robotics Research: A Review of 10 Years With the da Vinci Research Kit

Robotic-assisted surgery is now well-established in clinical practice and has become the gold standard clinical treatment option for several clinical indications. The field of robotic-assisted surgery is expected to grow substantially in the next decade with a range of new robotic devices emerging to address unmet clinical needs across different specialities. A vibrant surgical robotics research community is pivotal for conceptualizing such new systems as well as for developing and training the engineers and scientists to translate them into practice. The da Vinci Research Kit (dVRK), an academic and industry collaborative effort to re-purpose decommissioned da Vinci surgical systems (Intuitive Surgical Inc, CA, USA) as a research platform for surgical robotics research, has been a key initiative for addressing a barrier to entry for new research groups in surgical robotics. In this paper, we present an extensive review of the publications that have been facilitated by the dVRK over the past decade. We classify research efforts into different categories and outline some of the major challenges and needs for the robotics community to maintain this initiative and build upon it

Design-centric Method for an Augmented Reality Robotic Surgery

Master'sMASTER OF ENGINEERIN

Human error and interactions with technology in safety-critical workplaces: Learning from the aviation industry

Humans are intrinsically motivated to avoid making mistakes in the workplace, yet human errors continue to occur. This research considered the problem of human error in safety-critical workplaces that is often associated with damage to infrastructure, injuries or even death. The study began with a close look at prior research on established human error models, with particular attention given to a human error classification system that divides errors into skill-based, rule-based or knowledge-based errors. The review of the literature then examined the opposing organizational views of safety and how some humans are adapting or resisting the changes of the developments of the Fourth Industrial Revolution in their workplace, where nascent technologies fuse digital, biological and physical innovations. A research agenda delivered practical field research questions concerning human error and technology with a drive to uncover whether technologies help or hinder humans from making human errors in safety-critical workplaces. The qualitative methodology that guided the field research consisted of reading incident reports, observing pilots and engineers and listening to them talk about technology and relay human error events in the context of a General Aviation (GA) private air charter business that also operated a flight school and aircraft maintenance repair. By focusing on the interfaces between humans performing high-consequence tasks and technology, this research re-examined the conventional human error model of skill, rule and knowledge-based error and considered adding another element connected to the high-tech world of work that humans face in future innovative safety-critical workplaces

Análise do gerenciamento de riscos no setor de dispositivos médicos por meio do estudo de casos múltiplos

Considering its potential for innovation and the large number of micro and small businesses, the medical device sector has become a relevant object of study. Due to the characteristics of their activities, companies are subject to several standards and regulations, such as the ISO 13485 which defines the requirements for Quality Management Systems (QMS) and based on the standard ISO 9001, leaves implicit the need to manage risks. The adoption of risk management practices is considered a major challenge for small companies, and the need for scientific and methodological support for such organizations is evidenced in the literature. In this context, this research aims to propose a systematic approach to risk management, suitable for QMS of innovative companies in the medical device sector, and to compare the proposal with the practices performed by companies, in order to verify its suitability for medical devices SMEs (small and medium sized enterprises). The method applied was the Multiple Case Study, through the following steps: initially a systematic literature review was conducted in order to identify how companies have performed the risk management in the normative and practical contexts, establishing the basis of the proposal and also analyzing the aspects discussed in the literature about this issue; then 11 cases were selected, six Brazilian companies and five Portuguese companies; the case study protocol was elaborated and validated through a pilot test; finally, data collection and elaboration of individual and crossed case reports were performed. Some relations were identified among the cases, suggesting the existence of potential patterns. Among the results we highlight that the normative process in the national scenario is considered by companies as something bureaucratic, and meeting the requirements becomes subject to the auditors' interpretation, which ends up leading companies to opt for the use of FMEA (Failure Modes and Effects Analysis), which is not observed in the international scenario. The study shows that previous experience is always a requirement for risk management, no matter how it is implemented, and it can be a challenge for the companies. Regarding the systematic, it was verified that it can positively impact the guidance and preparation of the team to implement the process, although it may face resistance to change among companies with already structured risk management. The analyses suggest that the systematic may be more beneficial to SMEs that are at the beginning of the process of risk management implementation.O setor de dispositivos médicos possui grande parcela de micro e pequenos negócios com potencial de inovação. Devido às características de suas atividades, essas empresas são submetidas a diversas normas e regulamentos, como a ISO 13485, que define os requisitos para os Sistemas de Gestão da Qualidade (SGQ) e, tendo como base a norma ISO 9001, deixa implícita a necessidade de se gerenciar os riscos. Para pequenas empresas a adoção de práticas de gerenciamento de riscos é considerada um dos maiores desafios, sendo evidenciada na literatura a necessidade de suporte científico e metodológico para tais organizações. Nesse contexto, esta pesquisa objetiva propor uma sistemática para gerenciamento de riscos aplicável aos SGQ de startups do setor de dispositivos médicos, e confrontar a proposta com as práticas realizadas pelas empresas, de forma a verificar sua adequação e implementação para pequenas e médias empresas (PMEs) do setor. O método aplicado foi o Estudo de Casos Múltiplos, por meio das seguintes etapas: inicialmente foi conduzida uma revisão sistemática de literatura, de forma a identificar como as empresas têm realizado o gerenciamento de riscos nos contextos normativo e prático, estabelecendo a base da proposta e, ainda, analisando os aspectos discutidos na literatura acerca da problemática estabelecida; em seguida 11 casos foram selecionados, sendo seis empresas brasileiras e cinco empresas portuguesas; foi elaborado o protocolo do estudo de casos, validado por meio de teste piloto; e, em seguida, realizada a coleta de dados e elaboração dos relatórios de casos individuais e cruzados. Foram identificadas algumas relações entre os casos, que sugerem a existência de possíveis padrões. Dentre os resultados destaca-se que o processo normativo no cenário nacional é visto pelas empresas como algo burocrático, e o atendimento aos requisitos fica sujeito a interpretação dos auditores, o que acaba levando as empresas a optarem pelo uso da recomendada FMEA (Failure Modes and Effects Analysis); o que não é verificado no cenário internacional. O estudo evidencia que a experiência prévia sempre será um requisito para o gerenciamento de riscos, independentemente de como ele será implementado, podendo ser uma dificuldade para as empresas. Com relação a sistemática, verifica-se que ela pode impactar positivamente no direcionamento e preparação da equipe para a realização do processo, podendo enfrentar resistência a mudança em empresas com gerenciamento de riscos já estruturado. As análises sugerem que a sistemática pode ser mais benéfica para PMEs que estão no início do processo