Medical Robotics for Cellular and Molecular Imaging

The quest for providing real-time cellular and molecular characterization during endoscopy and minimally invasive surgery (MIS) has motivated the development of new in vivo , in-situ high-resolution microscopic imaging tools. These techniques have shown promise for cancer therapies with the potential for accurate margin definition during MIS procedures. However, the practical use of these imaging tools is faced with a number of technical difficulties. These include the handling of in vivo tissue deformation and maintenance of consistent tissue contact and probe movement to ensure large area surveillance. Existing results have shown problems associated with manual handling of these imaging probes during intervention and called for the development of smart surgical instruments or the use of robotic assistance. It is increasingly evident that robotics has now an established foothold in medicine as an enabling technology for MIS. This chapter outlines some of the promising clinical applications of confocal endomicroscopy in neoplasia detection and how robotic technologies can be used in the near future to overcome some of the challenges in endoluminal and intra-abdominal imaging.