On the Feasibility of a Moving Support for Surgery on the Beating Heart

Abstract. In this paper the use of a heart-tracking hand support is proposed to allow coronary artery bypass grafting surgery to take place on the beating heart. This method eliminates the tissue damage associated with the use of physical heart stabilizers. To evaluate whether tasks can be performed on a moving target while the operator's hands are moved with it, a moving platform was designed. Twenty six subjects performed a task that simulates suture placement, using di erent vision systems. Accuracy and task completion time were measured. The experimental results demonstrate that it is possible to perform accurate tasks while the hand is moving in synchrony with the workspace. The decrease in accuracy that results from a moving target was reduced up to 40 when using the support. With the use of the support, the task completion time increased 50 less than when the support wasnot used. The use of mono or stereo vision systems to provide a steady image of the workspace reduced t...

• Type: Conference
• Year: 1999
• Where: MICCAI
• Authors: Ana Luisa Trejos, S. E. Salcudean, F. Sassani, Samuel Victor Lichtenstein
• Keywords: Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting, Medical Imaging, MICCAI 1999, Task Completion Time, Vision Systems