Robot Arm Makes Surgeons Superhuman

Promising to "revolutionize neurosurgery and other branches of operative medicine by liberating them from the constraints of the human hand," University of Calgary scientists have unveiled the NeuroArm, a remote-controlled surgical robot. (And no, it's not a creepy worm-bot.)

Many of our microsurgical techniques evolved in the 1960s, and have pushed surgeons to the limits of their precision, accuracy, dexterity and stamina,” says Dr. Sutherland, professor of neurosurgery, University of Calgary Faculty of Medicine and the Calgary Health Region. “NeuroArm dramatically enhances the spatial resolution at which surgeons operate, and shifts surgery from the organ towards the cell level.”

Designed to be controlled by a surgeon from a computer workstation, neuroArm operates in conjunction with real-time MR imaging, providing surgeons unprecedented detail and control, enabling them to manipulate tools at a microscopic scale.

World's first image-guided surgical robot to enhance accuracy and safety of brain surgery [press release]