Prototype of robotic assistant for craniofacial osteotomies

Abstract

Requirements of accuracy, predictability and safety of contemporary and future surgical procedures makes essential the introduction of new technologies. Robotics have demonstrate in the manufacturing industry, aerospace and in many other fields those capabilities of accuracy and adaptability to fulfill this requirements. Even though everybody believe that robots will perform important tasks in future surgery many problems have to be solved to introduce this technology in the operating rooms. A prototype of robotic arm to help the surgeon to perform craniofacial osteotomies have been designed in cooperation with the Industrial Robotics Institute of the Polytechnic University of Barcelona.