FLEXFET - robotic FLEXible FEToscopy and breakthroughs towards synergistic surgical technique

The advent of minimal invasive surgery (MIS) has significantly reduced patient trauma, rendering surgery feasible for patients who would otherwise be considered to possess overly large peri-operative risks. Traditionally, long, slender, but `rigid’ instruments are used in MIS. FLEXFET will progress `flexible’ MIS instruments. Through adopting flexible instrumentation lower levels of invasiveness and patient trauma come into scope. Nevertheless the clinical constraints require addressing major challenges in terms of instrument design, control and handling. Within the demanding domain of fetal surgery, FLEXFET will establish the said key breakthroughs demonstrating the feasibility of flexible fetoscopy and of single-port robotic fetoscopic surgery across a selection of critical fetal interventions. Advances in mechanical design, sensing and control are needed as well as advances in intra-operative modeling of this complex environment. To ensure intuitive and reliable operation of these instruments a strong emphasis on usability is essential. FLEXFET envisions breakthrough developments in assistive technology under the form of sophisticated shared control operating schemes and Augmented Reality empowered visual guidance.

Keywords:Flexible Instruments, Flexible Fetoscopy, Single Port Access Surgery, Robotic Surgery, Shared Control, Fetal Surgery, Spina Bifida

Disciplines:Mechatronics and robotics not elsewhere classified, Biomedical instrumentation, Biomedical image processing, Human-computer interaction, Image-guided interventions, Paediatric and infant surgery