Автономна хірургічна система SRT-H/Juo-Tung Chen/PA
American researchers from the Johns Hopkins University, Stanford University, and Columbia University have presented an autonomous AI-guided surgeon robot capable of performing surgeries on its own complex surgical operations.
For more than 2 decades, robotic surgical systems have been helping real surgeons perform surgeries. They are capable of cutting, suturing, and probing with extreme precision. However, all this usually happens under the supervision of real doctors. However, the AI-guided robotic surgical system created by American researchers is able to think, adjust, and perform the necessary surgical intervention.
«We were able to perform the surgery with a very high degree of autonomy. What we have done is actually a full-fledged» operation», — notes the researcher from Department of Mechanical Engineering at Johns Hopkins University Axel Krieger.
It is noted that the SRT-H robotic system under the guidance of AI has successfully removed gallbladders from pig cadavers during 8 separate operations. Each operation was performed with 100% accuracy without human intervention. The SRT-H recognized arteries and ducts by carefully cutting them and separating them with surgical scissors.
Gallbladder removal is one of the most common minimally invasive surgeries in the world. In the United States alone, up to 700 thousand such operations are performed annually. During the operation, surgeons have to find the bile duct and artery and to squeeze them in certain places. Then, incisions must be made to remove the organ. Mistakes can lead to bile spillage and damage to internal tissues.
The SRT-H system accomplished this task using a combination of language learning with simulation and two-layer artificial intelligence. The high-level planner instructed using normal language. The low-level controller transformed instructions into real actions.
«This achievement allows us to move away from robots that can perform specific surgical tasks and towards systems that truly understand surgical procedures», — Axel Krieger emphasized.
In each of the 8 surgical interventions The SRT-H completed all 17 stages without any errors, including gripping, clipping, cutting, tool change, and self-correction. The robotic system was trained on relevant databases. The researchers provided it with more than 16 thousand demonstration surgeries on dozens of porcine gallbladders.
Cameras mounted on the robot’s wrists and an endoscope on the top of its head captured close-ups of the interaction of the instruments with the tissue. Unlike other systems, SRT-H learned from what it saw. This allowed a high-level instructor to make the necessary recommendations later. The robot understood when it needed a new clamp. It even asked for a tool change.
The robotic system performed the operation more slowly than human surgeons, but more accurately. The SRT-H made less jerky movements and had a shorter tool path. SRT-H is a high-level autonomy system under human control. Full autonomy means that all operations, from incision to wound closure, are performed without human intervention.
At the same time, the researchers admit that their robotic system is still being practiced by removing organs from dead pigs. This avoids the unpredictable moments associated with real surgical operations, including bleeding, breathing, various anatomical features, and camera lens fogging.
More research is needed before we can move on to human surgery. For now The SRT-H uses rather bulky cameras that would not fit through laparoscopic ports. And while the SRT-H could require tool changes, it still needed a person to reload clips and change tools.
The researchers are currently exploring ways to improve the safety of their system. They plan to extend the system’s assessment of a number of uncertainties that will signal a possible error and allow real surgeons to intervene. The SRT-H can already be switched off using voice or touchscreen commands.
The results are published in Science Robotics
Source: ZMEScience