.png)
At SDSC’s August Data Science Roundtable, Kevin Cleary, PhD – Engineering Lead at the Sheikh Zayed Institute for Pediatric Surgical Innovation at Children’s National Hospital in Washington, DC – shared two fascinating talks on minimally invasive interventions and semi-autonomous robotic surgery.
The first presentation traced the history of robotics in minimally invasive surgery, including the transition from open procedures to laparoscopic and robotic systems like Intuitive Surgical’s da Vinci robot. Cleary highlighted emerging classes of medical robotics (tele-operated, cooperative, and pre-programmed) and the role of image-guided navigation. He described several MRI-compatible robotic platforms currently under development, including systems for shoulder arthrography, bone biopsy, and intracerebral hemorrhage. These platforms leverage the superior soft-tissue discrimination MRI provides, while eliminating radiation exposure and overcoming the technical challenges of operating inside an MRI bore. Looking ahead, Cleary emphasized how robotics, AI, and digital surgical planning could be integral to reducing trauma, enhancing precision, and improving the ergonomics of surgery.
The second presentation focused on a one-year ARPA-H funded project on semi-autonomous robotically-assisted partial nephrectomy. The team developed phantom kidney models and applied video annotation and image fusion techniques to assist with tumor resection. Their demonstration showed how partial task autonomy could support kidney-sparing surgery by balancing surgical margin precision with preservation of healthy tissue.
The discussions underscored that surgical data science, robots, and AI are converging rapidly. With careful validation and close collaboration between clinicians and engineers, these technologies hold the promise of enabling safer, more precise, and less invasive interventions for patients.
.png)
