Steering and Harvesting Technology for Minimally Invasive Biopsy

Contemporary medical imaging technologies, such as computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging, play a pivotal role in medical diagnosis, allowing for a relatively fast and non-invasive examination of the human body. In the field of cancer surgery they allow for preoperative detection of tumorous tissue and aid the surgical planning....

Force-based assessment of tissue handling skills

In laparoscopic surgery, special instruments with long and slender shafts are inserted through small incisions in the abdominal wall. A laparoscope is used for a clear vision inside the inflated abdominal cavity while laparoscopic graspers and cutters are used for manipulation of tissue. The use of long instruments makes it difficult to “feel”...

Towards safer laparoscopic surgery: Training and assessment of surgical skills and equipment handling

The objective of this thesis is to improve laparoscopic surgical skills training and assessment with an emphasis on equipment-related safety and competence. A comparison was made between a hospital and a petrochemical company and showed that employees at the petrochemical company were trained and certified in equipment handling much more...