A robotic surgery system (da Vinci) with image guided function--system architecture and cholecystectomy application.

We have developed a data fusion system for the robotics surgery system "da Vinci". The data fusion system is composed of an optical 3D location sensor and a digital video processing system. The 3D location sensor is attached to the da Vinci's laparoscope and measures its location and direction. The digital video processing system captures the laparoscope's view and superimposes 3D patient's organ models onto the captured view in real-time. We applied the system to "da Vinci" and examined this system during a cholecystectomy. In this experiment, the surgeon was able to observe the inner conditions of the organs with a stereo view.