Development of a robotic laser surgical tool with an integrated video endoscope

Integration of new surgical devices with surgery assisting robots is required by surgeons. We have developed a novel robotic laser coagulator with a charge coupled device (CCD) video endoscope and a bending joint. The endoscope visualizes the detail of the target, and bending joint realizes the irradiation in a selected direction. We adopted two laser diodes for this purpose: an infrared semiconductor laser (λ = 980 nm) for coagulation, and a visible wavelength laser (λ = 635 nm) acting as a pointer for the target. The technical originality of this work is the mounting of a laser module on the forceps without using an optical fiber or mirror guide. This reduces the danger of laser leakage at the bending joint, and realizes miniaturization in the multiarticular robot. The clinical significance is the precise positioning and intuitive operation of the laser coagulator through future integration of this tool with a master-slave robotic system. An in vivo study achieved necrosis of liver tissue, and demonstrated the feasibility of the robotic laser coagulator using a CCD video endoscope.