Robotized system for the execution of a transurethral laser prostatectomy (TULP)

This paper describes a robotized auxiliary system for the removal of a prostatic adenoma by transurethral means. The system consists of a personal computer with a supervision function, an ultrasound for location of the lesion and a robot for removal of the adenoma. The operating procedure includes the following phases: reconstruction of a three dimensional model of the prostrate starting from some ultrasound images obtained by means of a transrectal probe; identification of the volume to be removed; and removal of this by means of a laser system suitably manipulated by a robot. This system was entirely developed and tested in the laboratory using a prostatic compressed polystyrene model and a robot with 6 degrees of freedom. This article also describes a robot project expressly dedicated to surgical application.