Advances and Key Techniques of Transurethral Surgical Robot

Due to the narrow anatomy of the urethra and the limited field of the view (FOV) of the resectoscope, the transurethral surgical outcomes highly depend on the technical ability and experience of surgeon, and have more complications. Robotics must be introduced to improve the quality of surgery, reduce complications, and shorten the learning curve of operation. In order to promote the research and development of transurethral surgical robots in China, the research status of transurethral surgical robots at home and abroad is reviewed, and the typical transurethral surgery and relevant researches in robot mechanism design, force feedback technology, precise motion control, and surgical navigation are discussed and analyzed. Based on the summary results and key technologies analysis, the trend and challenges of transurethral surgery robot are proposed as well.