Week 2: Anuj

 The robotic surgeries performed this week by Dr. Scherr included three prostatectomies and a ureter reconstruction. The robotic surgery involves several biomedical engineering tools integrated medicine. Here are a few features of the whole system that I noticed this week. There is an endoscope camera inserted into one of the ports within the body which helps surgeons visualize the internal tissues, and this is the way in which they maneuver the robotic arms (tweezers, forceps, blades, cauterizing forceps) through the tissues/organs. These cameras are equipped with air suction on the surface, to remove vapor on the camera lens that can arise from tissue cauterizing. Similarly, the surgeon’s chair with the VR view, actually has a 3D projection of the camera, therefore making it easier to perform the surgery and mimic the motions using the robot.

The non-robotic surgery included one pelvic tumor mass removal. This surgery was performed with two vascular surgeons present because of the complexities involved with mass tumor’s angiogenesis and integration with the surrounding tissue, which must be carefully dissected during the mass removal. The mass was approximately 4 cm in diameter, but was only attached to few vessels, which made the surgery easier. Besides surgery, I reviewed several existing papers and patents on wide-view cystoscopes and camera integrated catheters for my other project.