Pose optimization and port placement for robot-assisted minimally invasive surgery in cholecystectomy

Background: Pose optimization and port placement are critical issues for preoperative preparation in robot-assisted minimally invasive surgery (RMIS), and affect the robot performance and surgery quality. Methods: This paper proposes a method for pose optimization and port placement for RMIS in cholecystectomy that considers both the robot and surgery requirements. The robot pose optimization was divided into optimization of the positioning joint configuration and optimization of the end effector configuration. To determine the optimal location for the trocar port placement, the operational workspace was defined as the evaluation index. The port area was divided into many sub-areas, and that with the maximum operational workspace was selected as the location for the port placement. Results: Considering the left robotic arm as an example, the location for the port placement and joints angles for robotic arm configuration were discussed and simulated using the proposed method. Conclusion: This research can provide guidelines for surgeons in preoperative preparation.