Robotic Replacement for Surgical Scrub Technician

摘要

The concept of reduction in logistical footprint can be applied not only to fighting forces but also to mobile surgical facilities that are co- deployed. At the beginning of this contract, we had completed preliminary work in constructing a prototype robotic surgical device that can perform, on a very limited basis, the essential job functions of the surgical scrub technician in the operating room. This machine could potentially reduce the personnel needed in the surgical facility. The work done under this contract was to improve the capabilities of the machine so that it comes closer to being able to replace a human scrub technician. The two specific goals in the statement of work were 1) to improve the robot's vision capabilities so that it can correctly recognize twelve instruments with 98% accuracy and 2) to make the robot 98% reliable in retrieving the instruments that it has recognized. We were entirely successful in meeting the first goal, and came close to meeting the second goal. Combined with additional work that was done concurrently, the contract work has the result that the robot's development has progressed such that we are on track for clinical deployment in the year of 2005.