• Skip to main content
  • Skip to header right navigation
  • Skip to site footer

Log in
  • Search
    • Search All SAGES Content
    • Search SAGES Guidelines
    • Search the Video Library
    • Search the Image Library
    • Search the Abstracts Archive
www.sages.org

SAGES

Reimagining surgical care for a healthier world

  • Home
    • Search
    • SAGES Home
    • SAGES Foundation Home
  • About
    • Awards
    • Who Is SAGES?
    • Leadership
    • Our Mission
    • Advocacy
    • Committees
      • SAGES Board of Governors
      • Officers and Representatives of the Society
      • Committee Chairs and Co-Chairs
      • Committee Rosters
      • SAGES Past Presidents
  • Meetings
    • SAGES NBT Innovation Weekend
    • SAGES Annual Meeting
      • 2026 Scientific Session Call for Abstracts
      • 2026 Emerging Technology Call for Abstracts
    • CME Claim Form
    • SAGES Past, Present, Future, and Related Meeting Information
    • SAGES Related Meetings & Events Calendar
  • Join SAGES!
    • Membership Application
    • Membership Benefits
    • Membership Types
      • Requirements and Applications for Active Membership in SAGES
      • Requirements and Applications for Affiliate Membership in SAGES
      • Requirements and Applications for Associate Active Membership in SAGES
      • Requirements and Applications for Candidate Membership in SAGES
      • Requirements and Applications for International Membership in SAGES
      • Requirements for Medical Student Membership
    • Member Spotlight
    • Give the Gift of SAGES Membership
  • Patients
    • Join the SAGES Patient Partner Network (PPN)
    • Patient Information Brochures
    • Healthy Sooner – Patient Information for Minimally Invasive Surgery
    • Choosing Wisely – An Initiative of the ABIM Foundation
    • All in the Recovery: Colorectal Cancer Alliance
    • Find A SAGES Surgeon
  • Publications
    • Sustainability in Surgical Practice
    • SAGES Stories Podcast
    • Patient Information Brochures
    • Patient Information From SAGES
    • TAVAC – Technology and Value Assessments
    • Surgical Endoscopy and Other Journal Information
    • SAGES Manuals
    • MesSAGES – The SAGES Newsletter
    • COVID-19 Archive
    • Troubleshooting Guides
  • Education
    • Wellness Resources – You Are Not Alone
    • Avoid Opiates After Surgery
    • SAGES Subscription Catalog
    • SAGES TV: Home of SAGES Surgical Videos
    • The SAGES Safe Cholecystectomy Program
    • Masters Program
    • Resident and Fellow Opportunities
      • MIS Fellows Course
      • SAGES Robotics Residents and Fellows Courses
      • SAGES Free Resident Webinar Series
      • Fluorescence-Guided Surgery Course for Fellows
      • Fellows’ Career Development Course
    • SAGES S.M.A.R.T. Enhanced Recovery Program
    • SAGES @ Cine-Med Products
      • SAGES Top 21 Minimally Invasive Procedures Every Practicing Surgeon Should Know
      • SAGES Pearls Step-by-Step
      • SAGES Flexible Endoscopy 101
    • SAGES OR SAFETY Video Activity
  • Opportunities
    • Fellowship Recognition Opportunities
    • SAGES Advanced Flexible Endoscopy Area of Concentrated Training (ACT) SEAL
    • Multi-Society Foregut Fellowship Certification
    • Research Opportunities
    • FLS
    • FES
    • FUSE
    • Jobs Board
    • SAGES Go Global: Global Affairs and Humanitarian Efforts
  • OWLS/FLS
You are here: Home / Abstracts / Multi-functional Robot for Laparoendoscopic Single-site Surgery

Multi-functional Robot for Laparoendoscopic Single-site Surgery

Introduction: This study demonstrates the effectiveness of using a multi-functional miniature in vivo robot to perform complex tasks, such as intracorporeal suturing, through a single incision. Existing technologies for Laparoendoscopic Single-Site Surgery (LESS), such as articulating, bent, and flexible instrumentation, are limited in visualization and tissue manipulation capabilities by multiple tools working through a single access point. A robotic platform that is completely inserted into the peritoneal cavity through a single incision mitigates these constraints and provides a more intuitive approach than standard LESS methods.

Methods: A robotic platform consisting of a miniature in vivo robot and a remote surgeon interface has been designed and built. The basic robot design consists of two arms each connected to a central body. The body of the robot contains a mounting assembly and a maneuverable camera pair that provides images to the remote surgeon interface. The robot arms have two degree-of freedom rotational shoulder and elbow joints. Each forearm is fitted with specialized grasper or cautery end effectors. These end effector tools can be interchanged depending on the particular task being performed. For example, when performing a cholecystectomy, the robot forearms are fitted with standard cautery and grasper end effectors. Then, for performing intracorporeal suturing, laparoscopic needle holders are used in place of the cautery and grasper end effectors. The surgeon interface, located remotely within the operating room, consists of a monitor, a foot pedal for locking and clutching, and two PHANTOM Omni® (SensAble, Woburn, MA) devices for manipulation of the robot arms.

Results: This robot has been demonstrated in multiple non-survival procedures in a porcine model, including three cholecystectomies. All procedures were performed at the University of Nebraska Medical Center with experimental protocols approved by the institutional review committee. For each procedure, the robot was inserted and then mated with a mounting rod that was advanced through the insertion incision. This rod was used with an external supporting assembly mounted to the rails of the operating table. The surgeon at the user interface manipulated the robot to perform the cholecystectomy, with stapling of the cystic duct and supplementary retraction being performed with standard laparoscopic tools that were advanced into the peritoneal cavity through the incision. At completion of the cholecystectomy, the robot was removed from the peritoneal cavity and then fitted with needle holder end effectors. The robot was then reintroduced into the peritoneal cavity to successfully perform intracorporeal suturing of the bowel. Also, students performed benchtop tasks using both the robot platform and standard LESS. The results showed that the tasks were performed faster and more accurately using the robot.

Conclusions: The widespread adoption of NOTES and LESS for complex surgeries is dependent on the development of devices that provide a stable multi-tasking platform. A multi-functional robot provides a completely insertable platform that addresses the triangulation and visualization limitations of existing instrumentation for LESS. The two degree-of-freedom rotational elbow joint enhanced surgical dexterity and enabled the performance of the complex surgical task of intracorporeal suturing with access through a single incision.


Session: Podium Presentation

Program Number: S053

226

Share this:

  • Click to share on X (Opens in new window) X
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window) LinkedIn
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window) Pinterest
  • Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window) WhatsApp
  • Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window) Reddit
  • Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window) Pocket
  • Click to share on Mastodon (Opens in new window) Mastodon
  • Click to share on Threads (Opens in new window) Threads
  • Click to share on Bluesky (Opens in new window) Bluesky

Related


sages_adbutler_leaderboard

Hours & Info

11300 West Olympic Blvd, Suite 600
Los Angeles, CA 90064

1-310-437-0544

[email protected]

Monday – Friday
8am to 5pm Pacific Time

Find Us Around the Web!

  • Bluesky
  • X
  • Instagram
  • Facebook
  • YouTube

Copyright © 2025 · SAGES · All Rights Reserved

Important Links

Healthy Sooner: Patient Information

SAGES Guidelines, Statements, & Standards of Practice

SAGES Manuals