Key points from article :
Surgeons struggle to precisely remove cancerous tumors while preserving healthy tissue.
Robotic surgeon, the Autonomous System for Tumor Resection (ASTR), can remove tumors from the tongue with high accuracy.
ASTR removes tumors and 5mm of healthy tissue, ensuring affected cells are removed.
“The physician can supervise the robot and give pre-surgery inputs, then the robot does it step by step,” said Axel Krieger, team leader.
Technology developed from Smart Tissue Autonomous Robot (STAR), the first fully autonomous laparoscopic surgery robot.
ASTR is the first robot to perform a complete tumor resection.
Future research aims to use ASTR for internal tumors requiring internal access.
Pairing ASTR’s precision surgery with precision imaging could be the ultimate game-changer in tumor resection treatment.
Research by JHU, appeared in IEEE Robotic and Automation Letters.
