The objective of this program is to develop a novel wireless surgical camera system to enhance and improve surgical procedures for single incision laparoscopic surgery. The camera system can be inserted into a body cavity via an incision or a natural orifice for the operation instruments, which eliminates the need for dedicated incisions for laparoscopic cameras and the shared use of an incision for surgical instruments. The key innovation of the insertable camera is the design of a semi-spherical driving unit driven externally by a specially designed magnetic stator with varying thickness of tissue insulation. The design addresses the challenges in anchoring and manipulating single or multiple camera systems inside body cavities during surgical operations by elegantly coupling manipulation and navigation functions into the semi-spherical driving unit.
The intellectual merit is the technological and theoretical bases for a new class of wireless laparoscopic cameras that consist of an in vivo rotor and an ex vivo stator for single incision laparoscopic surgery. The innovative design enables precise translational and rotational control of laparoscopic cameras, and the estimation of critical depth information of the surgical scene and instruments for hand eye coordination.
The broader impacts are the societal benefits to patients by reducing unnecessary muscle cuts and scars, blood loss, hospital stay duration, post-operative pain, and recovery time. This project also provides education and outreach activities to undergraduate and graduate students by innovative teaching and project design modules, and demonstration activities at local K-12 schools and youth summer camps.
