Progresses of medical robotics and computer assisted surgery (MRCAS)

In this paper, the research and application of medical robotics and computer assisted surgery (MRCAS) was reviewed in terms of computer assisted surgery, medical robotics and tele-surgery. Firstly according to the modalities of medical imaging, the computer assisted surgery was explained from aspects of the CT/MRI-based navigation, the fluoroscopy-based navigation, the image-free navigation and some other navigation modes. Secondly according to the development history of medical robotics, three stages were introduced in sequences of the industrial platform-based medical robot, the customized medical robot and the miniature/compact modularized medical robot. Then the application of tele-operation techniques in surgery was shown in terms of local tele-surgery and remote tele-surgery. At last the future of MRCAS was discussed.