Individual topical review paper outline

Specific Innovation of Interest

Medical Robots

Rationale for Selecting this Innovation

1)      Healthcare is vital in the world today

2)      Health = wealth

3)      Ill health = barriers to sustainable economic development

4)      Disruptive (revolutionary) innovation

Proposed Approach to Development of Paper:

Executive Summary

Introduction/Background

Definition: Robotic surgery- the use of robotic systems to aid in surgical procedures. Robotically-assisted surgery was developed to overcome the limitations of minimally invasive surgery.


Application

Robotics is now used in the fields of:

• Urology
• General Surgery
• Cardiac surgery
• Gynaecology
• Head & Neck surgery

For urology, the da Vinci robot can be used in surgery for:

• Prostate Cancer
• Kidney Cancer
• Kidney pelvis obstruction
• Ureter stricture
• Bladder cancer
• Bladder-Vagina Fistula 

Issues/Challenges/Opportunities

Pros:

1)      Reduction of hospital stay: Robotic surgery has been shown to improve patient’s recovery because of:

• Less pain
• Less blood loss
• Less scarring
• Less damage to surrounding structures
• Fewer complications

As a result, hospital stay is shorter and return to regular activities faster.

2)      Welfare of patient

3)      Minimization of errors

Incisions for open compared to robotic method

Cons:

1)      Absence of human presence

2)      Fault consequences

3)      Non-generic task

4)      Steep learning curve

5)      Cost of device

6)      Safety?

Key Observations/Historical Perspective

1)      Consider the life before robotics

2)      Difficulties and shortcomings

3)      Efficiency, pain and survival rate

Discussion and Analysis

1)      The da Vinci Surgical System performed the first robotically assisted heart bypass at the Leipzig Heart Centre in Germay.

2)      Consider the fallibility of technology

3)      Repairing costs involved

4)      Economical, social and ethical issues

Taking things forward

1)      Sustainability

2)      Feasibility in Long Run VS Short Run

Conclusion

References

The robotic arm mimics human wrist movements

Surgeon console

Robotic arms in position

3-dimensional vision camera system