TELE-ROBOTIC SURGERY OVER A PUBLIC DATA NETWORK

Project Title

TELE-ROBOTIC SURGERY OVER A PUBLIC DATA NETWORK

Project Area of Specialization RoboticsProject Summary

Tele-Robotic Surgery is a rising and innovative  surgical system that utilizes IP data network with robotics which enable surgeons remotely connected to the patients to perform surgery. This system overcomes today’s shortage of surgeons, geographical inconvenience of immediate and high-quality surgical care, potential human error complications, and long-distance travel. This technology not only provide safety to surgeons but also assures technical accuracy.

The System comprises of master and Slave part which are remotely placed and connected to each other through high speed, efficient and secured public data network assuring major aspects (Low Latency, almost zero packet loss and less jitter).

Master part consists of the hardware i.e. computer system, joysticks/keyboard, and microphone which are directly controlled by the surgeon. Slave part consists of the hardware i.e. remote computer system, video camera and microphone, microcontroller and the most important one i.e. Robotic arm which is controlled by master console over IP data network. Public Data Network must ensure high quality of service on both ends for fast, secured and efficient transfer of control information and audio/video streaming. Moreover, for network establishment between both ends, different type of network protocols can be implemented and analyzed in-terms of their performance based on jitter, latency and packet loss. Different network protocols provide different quality of service.

Project Objectives

The goal of robotic tele-surgery is to design a prototype which can perform medical surgery remotely without the presence of main doctor. To design a prototype having desired characteristics i.e. low latency, minimum jitter and least possible packet loss. To provide comprehensive performance analysis of this hardware over different networks. The robotic arm will move over the cartesian axis, that are x, y and z. Control Instruction will be sent on public data network Performance of different networks will be monitored such as wireless and wired. Either a site to site VPN or MPLS VPN.

• The goal of robotic tele-surgery is to design a prototype which can perform medical surgery remotely without the presence of main doctor.
• To design a prototype having desired characteristics i.e. low latency, minimum jitter and least possible packet loss.
• To provide comprehensive performance analysis of this hardware over different networks.
• The robotic arm will move over the cartesian axis, that are x, y and z.
• Control Instruction will be sent on public data network
• Performance of different networks will be monitored such as wireless and wired.
• Either a site to site VPN or MPLS VPN.

Project Implementation Method

Tools

• Arduino IDE
• Raspbian
• VLC
• SSH
• Port Forwarding

Development Stage

In order to work effectively project is divided into different stages defined as following:

Setting up of raspberry pi 3:

First of all Raspbian OS installed in raspberry pi 3 b+ using Noobs. All the basic setup methods were followed. After successful configuration, Raspberry pi was configured with basic software used.

Installation of Arduino IDE:

After that Arduino IDE was installed on raspberry pi and Arduino Leonarda was interfaced with it.

Setting up SSH and XRDP servers:

As remote access was primarily required for this project, Secure shell and XRDP servers were enabled using configurations menu. Windows secure shell will be used for getting remote access of raspberry pi over the master console computer.

Port forwarding for different networks:

As slave console and master console both are going to be connected over different networks so port forwarding will be done over the network routers so that the IP addresses off both computers can be accessed easily by the routers.

Interfacing of Pi camera:

Pi camera was interfaced with the raspberry pi so that video communication can be made effective. This was done using the configurations menu. 

Sending control information:

Control information was sent and received using the pi camera. Delay of few seconds was observed.

Development Stage 1 & 2

Our next target will be interfacing robotic arm with Arduino Leonardo as there is large variation of peak voltages and we do not get smooth movement of robotic arm. Servo motors will be used for efficient movement of robotic arm. After that, the target will be to reduce delay and jitter in the network. Different networks will be established the analyze the performance of the system in terms network parameters.

Benefits of the Project

• Tele-robotic surgery operates through robotic surgical systems,
• It also takes advantage of all the existing benefits of general Robotic Surgery.
• These benefits include increased dexterity, more natural hand-eye movement than traditional laparoscopic surgery, filtering of hand tremors, customisable sensitivity settings, and high-quality visualisation.
• It promises to allow the expertise of specialised surgeons to be available to patients worldwide, especially underserved areas, without the need for patients to travel beyond their local hospital. This is particularly beneficial in situations where transfer has its own risks and time delay in transfer can be counterproductive.
• Providing specialised surgical care to inaccessible units in space and on ships can be brought about through utilisation of advancement in tele-robotic technology.
• Feasibility studies to operate in space have already been carried out by National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). Major limitation remains the time latency due to long distances.
• Surgeons present at the site of operation can get benefit from the expertise of the remote surgeon. Various degrees of interaction are possible between remote surgeon and the surgeon on site. In its least form, tele-mentoring can be in the form of instructions only by the proctor from the remote location who is watching the real-time video of the operation being performed.

On the other hand, with the help of distant robotic arms, TS can be either demonstrated or assisted. This can potentially improve surgical training in remote areas, ultimately improving surgical care.

Technical Details of Final Deliverable

• Robotic arms and joysticks will be assembled and tested.
• Network will be established between master console and slave console, working of robotic arm will also be checked over the public data network.
• Audio/video streaming over available public data network channel will be established.

Jitter, latency and packet loss will be measured after performing the commands several times in terms of response and precision.

Final Deliverable of the Project Hardware SystemCore Industry MedicalOther Industries Telecommunication Core Technology RoboticsOther TechnologiesSustainable Development Goals Good Health and Well-Being for PeopleRequired Resources

Elapsed time in (days or weeks or month or quarter) since start of the project	Milestone	Deliverable
Month 1	Literature Review	Gathering of information
Month 2	Initial Presentation	Teacher was convinced
Month 3	Selecting the required equipment	Search and purchase the equipment
Month 4	Literature review continues	Finding a suitable hardware
Month 5	Establishing End to End Network for control, voice and audio transmission.	Hardware Implementation for robotic arms and joysticks
Month 6	Testing of the network.	Finding the best suitable network
Month 7	Working on Progress Report	Creating the progress report
Month 8	Testing and Debugging	Resolving issues
Month 9	Preparation of Final Presentation	Delivering the project