Open-source project intends to advance robotic surgery

A couple of years ago, the Willow Garage robotics company gave ten of its PR2 robots away to deserving research groups. The idea behind the project was that these groups would use the PR2s for robotics research, then share their discoveries with each other, thus advancing the field farther than would be possible if they each had to build their own unique robots from scratch. Now, a similar but unrelated project is underway, and this time the robots are designed specifically to perform surgery.

Sourced & published by Henry Sapiecha

Gesture-controlled computers

and robotic nurses being

developed for operating rooms

Although surgeons need to frequently review medical images and records during surgery, they’re also in the difficult position of not being able to touch non-sterile objects such as keyboards, computer mice or touchscreens. Stepping away from the operating table to check a computer also adds time to a procedure. Researchers from Indiana’s Purdue University are addressing this situation by developing gesture-recognition systems for computers, so that surgeons can navigate through and manipulate screen content simply by moving their hands in the air. The system could additionally be used with robotic scrub nurses, also being developed at Purdue, to let the devices know what instruments the surgeon wants handed to them.

The system incorporates a Microsoft Kinect camera (yes, from the gaming system) and specialized algorithms to recognize hand gestures as instructions.

“One challenge will be to develop the proper shapes of hand poses and the proper hand trajectory movements to reflect and express certain medical functions,” said Juan Pablo Wachs, an assistant professor of industrial engineering. “You want to use intuitive and natural gestures for the surgeon, to express medical image navigation activities, but you also need to consider cultural and physical differences between surgeons. They may have different preferences regarding what gestures they may want to use.”

There are also other considerations that the researchers are taking into account in the design of the system. For instance, they don’t want surgeons to be required to wear special types of gloves or colors of clothing in order for their hands to be “read.” The system should also be able to recognize and respond to gestures quickly, and provide confirmation that it understands the request. At the same time, however, it should not accidentally respond to extraneous gestures, such as those made to colleagues in the room.

The Purdue team also want the system to be relatively inexpensive, and to be quickly and easily adaptable to different operating rooms, lighting conditions, and other variables.

The system could be particularly effective when combined with the robotic scrub nurses, although they wouldn’t be intended to replace human nurses in all situations. “While it will be very difficult using a robot to achieve the same level of performance as an experienced nurse who has been working with the same surgeon for years, often scrub nurses have had very limited experience with a particular surgeon, maximizing the chances for misunderstandings, delays and sometimes mistakes in the operating room,” Wachs said. “In that case, a robotic scrub nurse could be better.”

While other groups have also researched the use of robotic scrub nurses, Wachs claims that his is the first to look into the incorporation of gesture – instead of voice – recognition. The Purdue system is also apparently unique in that it uses advanced algorithms to predict where the surgeon’s hands will be next, or what screen images will next be requested.

Sourcd & published by Henry Sapiecha

New ‘hand’ may alleviate phantom pain

JENA, Germany (UPI) — Amputees suffering from “phantom pain” may get relief from a modified prosthetic that can convince the brain the body part still exists, researchers say.

Scientists at the University of Jena in Germany say phantom pain often lasts for years, and sometimes for a lifetime, often putting amputees at risk of mediation addiction from high dosages of painkillers, a university release said Friday.

Researchers say they’ve produced a modified prosthetic hand than can reduce phantom pain following amputation by using a stimulation unit in the hand’s cuff connected to the remaining part of the upper arm.

Modern prosthetic hands have pressure sensors meant to regulate the strength of grip of the artificial hand depending on what the wearer is trying to pick up, such as a raw egg or a hammer.

The stimulation unit in the modified hand takes feedback from the sensors and “talks” to the wearer’s brain, Dr. Gunther Hofmann of the Jena Department for Trauma, Hand and Reconstructive Surgery says.

“Our system is now able to transmit this sensory information from the hand to the upper arm,” Hofmann says.

Brain structures responsible for processing sensory information coming from the lost body part are “out of work” following an amputation and try to reorganize themselves, often leading to sensations of pain in a “phantom” hand, the Jena researchers say. By giving the appropriate brain structure sensory input from the “hand” it is meant to control, the reorganization can be prevented or reversed, thus eliminated phantom pain, they say.

Copyright 2010 by United Press International

Sourced & published by Henry Sapiecha

Cell reprogramming breakthrough could mend broken hearts

Heart disease remains one the biggest killers in the Western world. When a heart attack or heart failure occurs, permanent damage often results, destroying live cells and leaving the patient with irreversible scarring. Now scientists at the Gladstone Institute of Cardiovascular Disease (GICD) have discovered a new technique to create healthy beating heart cells from structural cells, opening up the possibility of regenerating damaged hearts. Read More

Received & published by Henry Sapiecha

New therapy found for erectile dysfunction

CHICAGO (UPI) — U.S. researchers say they’ve discovered a therapy that might be able to preserve erectile function following prostate cancer surgery.

Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine scientists say up to 80 percent of men undergoing the procedure will lose the ability to have an erection because of damage to a critical nerve that runs along the prostate. But the new study suggests the damaged nerve can be regenerated more quickly with a protein called sonic hedgehog, delivered via a nanofiber gel.

The study, conducted with rats, showed the protein regenerated the damaged nerve twice as quickly as it would have regenerated on its own, the researchers said, noting speeding the nerve healing is essential in order to prevent cell death in the penis and to preserve erectile function.

“This discovery about sonic hedgehog could be applicable not only to erectile dysfunction after prostate surgery, but also when the cavernous nerve is damaged by diabetes, which also causes erectile dysfunction,” said Assistant Professor Carol Podlasek, who led the study. She said the finding might also apply to damaged sciatic or facial nerves.

The name sonic hedgehog is taken from a popular video game. The protein is a vital building block in the body that promotes nerve regeneration,

The findings were presented recently in San Francisco during the annual meeting of the American Urological Association.

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Man with dysfunctional penile implant will take the money.

HE SAYS IT WON’T GO DOWN – SO HE SUED AND GOT $400,000

NOW HE HAS THE BEST OF BOTH WORLDS

PROVIDENCE — Charles “Chick” Lennon, the retired handyman who sued over a penile implant that won’t remain in the down position, is going to receive a $400,000 judgment after all, according to a state Supreme Court order issued today.

Lennon, 68, of North Providence, is expected to get a total of $950,000, with interest included, because of the Dura-II penile implant that he says has been causing him pain and embarrassment for a decade.

“I’m just glad it’s over. It’s been a pain,” Lennon said of the legal battle with the implant manufacturer, Dacomed Corp., and its insurance company.

For a while, it had appeared Lennon was not going to get a dime despite a jury’s decision to award him $750,000.

Superior Court Judge Edward C. Clifton had lowered the jury award to $400,000. And after both sides appealed, the Supreme Court had given Lennon 20 days to accept the $400,000 or to have a new trial on damages. Lennon decided to take the money.

HE FOUND A CURE FOR HIS ”STIFF’‘ JOINT > MONEY…!

Sourced 20th Feb 2010 and published by Henry Sapiecha