Summary of Evaluation of (Shared) Autonomy in Robotic Vitreoretinal Surgery Using a Surgical Model
The article titled “Evaluation of (Shared) Autonomy in Robot Vitreoretinal Surgery Using a Surgical Model” explores the advancements in robotic vitreoretinal surgery. The authors, led by Murilo M. Marinho and including a team from various prestigious institutions, focus on the development and assessment of a novel one-hand teleoperation system that enhances surgical precision while reducing the workload for novice users.
The introduction highlights the challenges faced in delicate ophthalmic procedures, particularly the manipulation of thin membranes and small blood vessels, where human hand tremors can significantly affect performance. The authors emphasize the need for robotic systems that can assist in these tasks without compromising the speed and efficiency of surgery. They reference previous robotic systems that have been developed, noting both their successes and limitations, particularly in terms of time efficiency and the learning curves for novice surgeons.
The Robotic Vitreoretinal Surgery study systematically evaluates several surgical approaches using a realistic eye model, comparing manual surgery, conventional two-hand teleoperation, the new one-hand teleoperation, and fully autonomous positioning. The results indicate that the one-hand teleoperation significantly improves the positioning accuracy for expert surgeons and accelerates the learning curve for novices, allowing them to achieve consistent accuracy more quickly and with less workload compared to manual methods. The autonomous positioning method also matched the accuracy of expert surgeons, demonstrating the potential of task autonomy in complex surgical environments.
The Robotic Vitreoretinal Surgery article then discusses the methodology used in the experiments, detailing the SmartArm surgical robotic system utilized for the evaluations. The system consists of an operator side with input interfaces controlled by the surgeon and a patient side with robotic arms equipped with surgical instruments. The authors describe their control strategies across three levels of autonomy: teleoperation, shared autonomy, and full autonomy, which allow for varying degrees of human control and robot assistance during procedures.
User studies were conducted to evaluate the performance of expert surgeons and the learning curves of novices. The findings revealed that while expert surgeons had a slight preference for the shared autonomy setup due to improved accuracy, novices benefited greatly from the one-hand teleoperation system, indicating its potential as a training tool in surgical education. The study employed various metrics to assess performance, including positioning accuracy, workload measured by the NASA-TLX, force applied, and task duration.
In the discussion, the authors reflect on the implications of their findings, noting that despite the advantages of robotic assistance, there remains a tension between precision and operational speed. The results suggest that while shared autonomy can enhance accuracy, it may not always reduce the time taken for surgical tasks. The article concludes by acknowledging the need for further research to explore the benefits of task autonomy in more complex surgical scenarios, as well as the necessity for user interface improvements and online calibration strategies to enhance system performance.
Overall, this research provides a significant contribution to the field of robotic-assisted surgery, illustrating the potential for improved surgical outcomes through innovative technology and highlighting areas for future exploration and development.
READ MORE: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/rcs.70040
