A team of researchers from Osaka Metropolitan University has developed a surgical field expansion plate for use in robot-assisted heart surgeries.

The researchers explained that the device was designed to help robot-assisted heart surgery, which typically requires the presence of an assistant at the operating table to help the surgeon insert the robot arm through a small incision, ensuring that the surgeon has room enough to operate via the robot arm. To improve the process, the team developed the plastic device that secures the surgical field.

Source: Osaka Metropolitan University

The surgical field expansion plate, which is composed of a type of plastic used for medical implants and the aerospace industry, was tested during actual heart surgery, wherein the polyether ether ketone plate is fastened into a circular shape, expanding to a specific size and retaining its shape, thereby securing the surgical field.

“This flexible yet rigid medical-grade device is simple to use and reusable,” the researchers explained. “This plate is expected to make it possible to perform robot-assisted heart surgery that is not dependent on the skill of the assistant, with further applications expected in fields such as oral surgery and otolaryngology.”

The findings appear in the article, “Self-Adjusting Atrial and Subvalvular Exposure System for Robotic Surgery,” which is published in the journal Innovations.