Development and clinical translation of intelligent assistive devices for minimally invasive thoracic surgery
- VernacularTitle:胸外科微创手术智能辅助装置研发与转化
- Author:
Jiwei ZHU
1
;
Honghai MA
1
;
Chunlin ZHOU
2
;
Zhehao HE
1
;
Tong SHEN
3
;
Haojie YU
4
;
Luming WANG
1
;
Jian HU
1
,
5
Author Information
1. Department of Thoracic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310003, P. R. China
2. College of Control Science and Engineering of Zhejiang University, Huzhou Research Institute of Zhejiang University, Huzhou, 310003, Zhejiang, P. R. China
3. Yibowan Medical Technology (Shanghai) Co., Ltd., Shanghai, 200120, P. R. China
4. State Key Laboratory of Chemical Engineering, College of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310027, P. R. China
5. Key Laboratory of Clinical Evaluation Technology for Medical Device of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, 310003, P. R. China
- Publication Type:Journal Article
- Keywords:
Video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery;
assistive arms;
snake-shaped endoscope;
artificial intelligence;
visual servoing
- From:
Chinese Journal of Clinical Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery
2026;33(07):1013-1022
- CountryChina
- Language:Chinese
-
Abstract:
Although video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) offers clear advantages, including minimal trauma and rapid recovery, stable intraoperative visualization still depends heavily on the camera assistant. Traditional manual endoscope holding is therefore susceptible to several limitations, including image instability, assistant fatigue, and poor coordination with the primary surgeon. Operating in complex and confined anatomical spaces with a rigid thoracoscope further increases the demands on hand-eye coordination. Thoracoscopic camera-holding technology has progressively evolved from passive support systems to active camera holders and robot-assisted thoracic surgery (RATS) platforms, and is now advancing toward artificial intelligence-driven tracking and intelligent control. Based on this, a series of devices, including multifunctional intelligent assistant arms and active camera-holding arms for thoracic surgery, have been developed and have attracted increasing attention. This article reviews the development of intelligent camera-holding assistant arms and discusses related advances and future directions in the field.
