Evolution of autonomous and semi-autonomous robotic surgical systems: a review of the literature

Background: Autonomous control of surgical robotic platforms may offer enhancements such as higher precision, intelligent manoeuvres, tissue-damage avoidance, etc. Autonomous robotic systems in surgery are largely at the experimental level. However, they have also reached clinical application.

Methods: A literature review pertaining to commercial medical systems which incorporate autonomous and semi-autonomous features, as well as experimental work involving automation of various surgical procedures, is presented. Results are drawn from major databases, excluding papers not experimentally implemented on real robots.

Results: Our search yielded several experimental and clinical applications, describing progress in autonomous surgical manoeuvres, ultrasound guidance, optical coherence tomography guidance, cochlear implantation, motion compensation, orthopaedic, neurological and radiosurgery robots.

Conclusion: Autonomous and semi-autonomous systems are beginning to emerge in various interventions, automating important steps of the operation. These systems are expected to become standard modality and revolutionize the face of surgery.