Robot Assisted Object Manipulation for Minimally Invasive Surgery

Robotic systems have an increasingly important role in facilitating minimally invasive surgical treatments. In robot-assisted minimally invasive surgery, surgeons remotely control instruments from a console to perform operations inside the patient. However, despite the advanced technological status of surgical robots, fully autonomous systems, with decision-making capabilities, are not yet available. In 2017, a structure to classify the research efforts toward autonomy achievable with surgical robots was proposed by Yang et al. Six different levels were identified: no autonomy, robot assistance, task autonomy, conditional autonomy, high autonomy, and full autonomy. All the commercially available platforms in robot-assisted surgery is still in level 0 (no autonomy). Despite increasing the level of autonomy remains an open challenge, its adoption could potentially introduce multiple benefits, such as decreasing surgeons’ workload and fatigue and pursuing a consistent quality of procedures. Ultimately, allowing the surgeons to interpret the ample and intelligent information from the system will enhance the surgical outcome and positively reflect both on patients and society. Three main aspects are required to introduce automation into surgery: the surgical robot must move with high precision, have motion planning capabilities and understand the surgical scene. Besides these main factors, depending on the type of surgery, there could be other aspects that might play a fundamental role, to name some compliance, stiffness, etc. This thesis addresses three technological challenges encountered when trying to achieve the aforementioned goals, in the specific case of robot-object interaction. First, how to overcome the inaccuracy of cable-driven systems when executing fine and precise movements. Second, planning different tasks in dynamically changing environments. Lastly, how the understanding of a surgical scene can be used to solve more than one manipulation task. To address the first challenge, a control scheme relying on accurate calibration is implemented to execute the pick-up of a surgical needle. Regarding the planning of surgical tasks, two approaches are explored: one is learning from demonstration to pick and place a surgical object, and the second is using a gradient-based approach to trigger a smoother object repositioning phase during intraoperative procedures. Finally, to improve scene understanding, this thesis focuses on developing a simulation environment where multiple tasks can be learned based on the surgical scene and then transferred to the real robot. Experiments proved that automation of the pick and place task of different surgical objects is possible. The robot was successfully able to autonomously pick up a suturing needle, position a surgical device for intraoperative ultrasound scanning and manipulate soft tissue for intraoperative organ retraction. Despite automation of surgical subtasks has been demonstrated in this work, several challenges remain open, such as the capabilities of the generated algorithm to generalise over different environment conditions and different patients

Highlights from the ARGO-YBJ experiment

The ARGO-YBJ experiment is in stable data taking since November 2007 at the YangBaJing Cosmic Ray Laboratory (Tibet, P.R. China, 4300m a.s.l., 606 g/cm2). The results from the first 3.5 years of operation are reviewed

Worker policing by egg eating in the ponerine ant Pachycondyla inversa

We investigated worker policing by egg eating in the ponerine ant Pachycondyla inversa, a species with morphologically distinct queens and workers. Colonies were split into one half with the queen and one half without. Workers in queenless colony fragments started laying unfertilized male eggs after three weeks. Worker-laid eggs and queen-laid eggs were introduced into five other queenright colonies with a single queen and three colonies with multiple queens, and their fate was observed for 30 min. Significantly more worker-laid eggs (range of 35–62%, mean of 46%) than queen-laid eggs (range of 5–31%, mean of 15%) were eaten by workers in single-queen colonies, and the same trend was seen in multiple-queen colonies. This seems to be the first well-documented study of ants with a distinct caste polymorphism to show that workers kill worker-laid eggs in preference to queen-laid eggs. Chemical analyses showed that the surfaces of queen-laid and worker-laid eggs have different chemical profiles as a result of different relative proportions of several hydrocarbons. Such differences might provide the information necessary for differential treatment of eggs. One particular alkane, 3,11-dimeC27, was significantly more abundant on the surfaces of queen-laid eggs. This substance is also the most abundant compound on the cuticles of egg layers

Automated pick-up of suturing needles for robotic surgical assistance

Robot-assisted laparoscopic prostatectomy (RALP) is a treatment for prostate cancer that involves complete or nerve sparing removal prostate tissue that contains cancer. After removal the bladder neck is successively sutured directly with the urethra. The procedure is called urethrovesical anastomosis and is one of the most dexterity demanding tasks during RALP. Two suturing instruments and a pair of needles are used in combination to perform a running stitch during urethrovesical anastomosis. While robotic instruments provide enhanced dexterity to perform the anastomosis, it is still highly challenging and difficult to learn. In this paper, we presents a vision-guided needle grasping method for automatically grasping the needle that has been inserted into the patient prior to anastomosis. We aim to automatically grasp the suturing needle in a position that avoids hand-offs and immediately enables the start of suturing. The full grasping process can be broken down into: a needle detection algorithm; an approach phase where the surgical tool moves closer to the needle based on visual feedback; and a grasping phase through path planning based on observed surgical practice. Our experimental results show examples of successful autonomous grasping that has the potential to simplify and decrease the operational time in RALP by assisting a small component of urethrovesical anastomosis

Clearance of human papillomavirus related anal condylomas after oral and endorectal multistrain probiotic supplementation in an HIV positive male: A case report.

Abstract Go to: Introduction: Here we present the case of a 56-year-old human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected man with multiple anal condylomas and positivity for human papilloma virus (HPV) 18 on anal brushing. Biopsies of the anal mucosa led to the diagnosis of Bowen's disease and a subsequent pelvic magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan evidenced multiple reactive lymphoadenopathies and large intra-anal condylomas. The patient was treated with a complete excision of Bowen's lesion and with a 4 months course of supplementation with a high concentration multistrain probiotic formulation administered orally and by rectal instillation with the purpose to reduce local inflammation and to enhance local mucosal immunity. Go to: Conclusion: An MRI performed at the end of the supplementation period evidenced the clearance of the anal condylomas previously described and no evidence of residual lymphadenopathies. Trials are therefore required to confirm this therapeutic possibility and for a better understanding of the mechanisms by which this specific probiotic formulation interacts with local epithelium when administered by the anal route

Larval learning affects adult nest-mate recognition in the ant Aphaenogaster senilis

Relatório de estágio do mestrado em Ensino da Educação Física nos Ensinos Básico e Secundário, apresentada à Faculdade de Ciências do Desporto e Educação Física da Universidade de CoimbraO Mestrado em Ensino da Educação Física nos Ensino Básico e Secundário da Faculdade de Ciências do Desporto e Educação Física da Universidade de Coimbra, engloba uma componente prática que permite a profissionalização, através do aprofundamento alargado dos conhecimentos de intervenção profissional na área de Educação Física. O presente documento denominado Relatório Final do Estágio Pedagógico, foi produzido com o propósito de descrever todo o processo de aprendizagem realizado ao longo da nossa intervenção pedagógica na Escola Básica 2,3/S Dr. Daniel de Matos - Vila Nova de Poiares, com a turma do 9º B no presente ano letivo. Deste modo, todo este documento contempla um conjunto de tarefas inerentes ao processo de ensino-aprendizagem que permite a organização, realização, avaliação e reflexão de todo o processo pedagógico. O relatório apresenta-se estruturado de acordo com as atividades desenvolvidas, iniciando com o primeiro capítulo, onde refletimos sobre Expectativas e Opções Iniciais em Relação ao Estágio. Seguimos com a Análise Reflexiva da Prática Pedagógica, mais precisamente no que respeita ao Planeamento; Realização e Avaliação. Passamos para a reflexão da Atitude Ético-Profissional, à Justificação das Opções Tomadas, e uma Síntese Conclusiva no âmbito de toda a nossa intervenção pedagógica. Por último e não menos importante, temos o segundo capítulo, referente ao tema problema - A influência das aulas de educação física no âmbito do programa “Toca a Mexer” na Coordenação Motora de crianças com NEE, que iremos tratar mais adiante. Palavras-chave: Reflexão. Docência. Competências. Pratica Pedagógica. Coordenação Motora. Abstract The Master of Education Physical Education in Elementary and Secondary Education of the Faculty of Sport Sciences and Physical Education, University of Coimbra, includes a practical component that enables professional, by deepening broadened the professional intervention of knowledge in Physical Education. This document called Final Report of the Teacher Training, was produced for the purpose of describing the whole process of learning done throughout our educational intervention in Primary School 2.3 / S Dr. Daniel de Matos - Vila Nova de Poiares, with 9th class B in this school year. Thus, throughout this document includes a set of tasks of teaching-learning process that allows the organization, implementation, evaluation and reflection of the entire educational process. The report is structured according to the activities, starting with the first chapter, where we reflect on expectations and Start Options in Relation to Stage. We follow with the Reflective Analysis of Teaching Practice, specifically with regard to planning; Achievement and Assessment. We passed to the reflection of Ethical and Professional Attitude, the justification of the options sockets, and a Conclusive Synthesis under all our pedagogical intervention. Last but not least, we have the second chapter, referring to the theme problem - The influence of physical education classes under the program "Play to Stir"on the Motor Coordination of children with SEN, which we will address later