Medical robotics are becoming a reality and are increasingly being used in a range of medical applications such as diagnostics, surgery, prosthetics and pharmacy. The editor and contributors provide a comprehensive coverage of this emerging and lucrative field. Beginning with an introduction to robot-assisted minimally invasive surgery (MIS), the contributors focus on the core technologies of the field, including localization and tracking technologies for medical robotics. They also discuss key applications of robotics in laparoscopy, neurology, cardiovascular interventions, urology, orthopedics and applications for ear, nose and throat (ENT) surgery, vitreoretinal surgery and natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery (NOTES). Chapters also explore micro-scale mobile robots for the circulatory system and meso-scale robots for the gastrointestinal tract, alongside MRI-based navigation for in vivo magnetic micro-robots. Finally, the book concludes with a discussion of ethical issues related to the use of robotics in surgery. needed for medical robotics and discuss current and future applications, such as neural, cardiovascular, orthopedic and ENT surgery. The conclusion discusses the ethical issues surrounding the use of the devices.
