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Google is developing surgical robots

Anonymous
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Hi guys,

 

We often talk about the advancement of technology in fields such as medicine and I have found a piece of news that talks exactly about this. I thought you'd like to read.

 

"Verily Life Sciences -formerly known as Google Life Sciences - has partnered with Johnson & Johnson medical devices subsidiary Ethicon to form Verb Surgical Inc

 

While it's not entirely clear what Verb Surgical will be developing, there's some suggestion that the focus will be on robot-assisted technologies to be controlled by human doctors for delicate surgical procedures"

 

Source http://www.wired.co.uk/news/archive/2015-12/11/google-verily-johnson-and-johnson-surgical-robots

robot surgeon.jpg

 

 

What do you think guys, will the be a reality in the a few years time? Would you feel safe being treated by a robot? 

 

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Cleoriff
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It is an advancement @Meri though we have been using robotic devices to assist with minimally invasive surgery for years.

The daVinci device was researched and developed back in 2000 in the USA to help with pancreatic and cancer surgery. Primarily to hold instruments in place whilst the expert surgeon undertakes the actual procedure.

This Google project is pretty much the same with robots at the cutting edge of technical development into both autonomous and assistive devices for tasks such as replacing traditional surgical tools and human hands to hold them in position for extended periods, allowing expert surgeons to work remotely via telemanipulation, or giving doctors fine control over minimally-invasive machine-assisted procedures.

So all in all...the doctors will continue to do the surgery...using robots as scrub nurses or assistants

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Cleoriff
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PS...No idea why there is such a gap at the bottom of that post...I can't edit it to appear normal so hopefully one of the mods can? Thanks...

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Anonymous
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done. There was problem with the coding 😉

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Cleoriff
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@Anonymous wrote:

done. There was problem with the coding 😉


Thanks @Anonymous.

Just to add this article which shows robotics have been used in surgery as far back as 1985 (even before the daVinci system

http://allaboutroboticsurgery.com/surgicalrobots.html

Personally I think the cost will be very prohibitive to it's use in the UK, Certainly through the NHS.....

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jonsie
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It will come eventually as will all things. I don't think it will happen in my life time though....

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Cleoriff
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Until you can programme a robot to recognise everything they need to when undertaking complex surgery....then I wouldn't accept one taking total responsibilty for my health and wellbeing. Most surgical porcedures are routine. ...then you get the few that aren't.

I worked in theatres for years. Operating on a patient who has undergone major trauma reveals more and more complex problems than can ever be identified via xrays or scans etc. Trauma teams frequently call in neurosurgeons, urologists, cardiac specialists, orthopaedics etc etc when something occurs during this type of life saving surgery. Not sure any robot could be programmed to make that sort of call .....or undertake different specialist techniques...

 

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jonsie
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Personally I would be very worried unless there is some form of human presence....Ive seen the film wink

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Anonymous
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I've read the above  ^  ^  ^  with interest ... ... ... & imho, speaking only for myself ... ... ... robots can make eg cars ... ... ... but, as @Cleoriff has stated, I can understand a robot assisting in an operation ie holding of surgical instrument(s) for an extended period of time, but ... ... ... as @jonsie has stated, it won't be in my lifetime either, that robots take more of a lead than which I've said in this post 

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Cleoriff
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As you say Jane...robots can make cars. A routine procedure which can be programmed into the circuitry/memory. Nothing to it...clever but ......

Put a robot into a major trauma theatre with all the variables that can occur......and expect them to prioritise what to deal with first? ...No.... not yet...(if ever)....

 

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