Medical Applications of Robots

The focus of our work is on the applications of robotics to minimally invasive medical diagnosis and therapy. Minimally invasive medical techniques are aimed at reducing the amount of extraneous tissue which must be damaged during diagnostic or surgical procedures, thereby reducing patient recovery time, discomfort, and deleterious side effects. Arthroscopic knee surgery is one of the most widely known example.

We are currently developing, in collaboration with Dr. Warren Grundfest at Cedars Sinai Hospital, a miniature "snake-like" robot for minimally invasive traversal of the human gastro-intestinal system. A television camera will allow the physician to visually inspect the intestinal lining. Additional diagnostic measurements, such as temperature, pressure, and acidity, can be made with a variety of on-board micro-sensors. In addition to diagnostic applications, the device may ultimately be capable assisting in therapeutic procedures as well

We also have recently initiated a collaboration with Dr. Michael Levy of Children's Hospital (Los Angeles) to develop a new generation of articulated endoscopes for brain surgery.

Students that work in this area:

Selected Papers

A picture of a medical robot prototype