Small robots developed by scientists at the University of Nebraska (USA) enable doctors on Earth to assist in performing surgeries for patients in space.
These tiny, wheeled robots are approximately 7.6 cm tall and as wide as a lipstick tube, allowing them to navigate through small incisions and be controlled via computer by surgeons from various locations.
Some of the robots are equipped with cameras and lights that can send clear images to surgeons in the operative area. Other robots are fitted with surgical instruments that can be operated remotely, which surgeons cannot achieve with their hands alone. Due to their small size, these robots also help reduce incision sizes and the number of unnecessary cuts, thereby decreasing surgery time.
“We believe these robots will gradually replace open surgeries,” said Dr. Dmitry Oleynikov, a computer-assisted surgery expert at the University of Nebraska Medical Center (Omaha), during a press conference yesterday. “With the assistance of these robots, we can perform better than our own hands,” Oleynikov stated.
Officials are hopeful that by next spring, NASA will guide astronauts on how to use these tiny robots to eventually perform surgeries right in space. Surgeons on Earth will instruct astronauts on positioning the robots in the surgical area and remotely controlling them.
On the battlefield, these robots could also allow surgeons to treat injured soldiers from distant locations. Researchers are currently awaiting approval from federal authorities. Oleynikov mentioned that animal trials have been quite successful, and human trials are set to begin next spring in the UK.
TUONG VY
