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‘medical robotics’

Hand-held robot points to less invasive prostate surgery

Jul. 18, 2019—Vanderbilt collaborators focused on minimally invasive prostate surgery are developing an endoscopic robotic system with two-handed dexterity at a much smaller scale than existing options. A key part of the design – telescoping, curved, concentric tubes – received U.S. patent protection in March 2019, the same month the principal investigators secured a $2.1 million R01...

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Webster named Richard A. Schroeder Chair in Mechanical Engineering

Feb. 28, 2019—Robert J. Webster III, whose work has led to tools and methods for surgeries that require little or no incision, has been named the Richard A. Schroeder Chair in Mechanical Engineering. He is among Vanderbilt University’s newest endowed chair holders. In all, eight recipients were celebrated for their path-breaking scholarship and research by family members,...

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VISE hosts annual symposium Dec. 12 as new space opens for collaboration

Dec. 4, 2018—The Vanderbilt Institute for Surgery and Engineering hosts it 7th Annual Symposium Dec. 12 with invited speakers from Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Johns Hopkins University and the Chinese Academy of Sciences. The 2018 Surgery, Intervention, and Engineering Symposium opens with lunch and a poster session at noon in the Light Hall...

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VISE team wins $1.4 million NIH grant to reboot robotic surgery system

Oct. 17, 2017—A Vanderbilt Institute for Surgery and Engineering (VISE) team is developing an image guidance interface for the da Vinci robotic surgery system to make partial kidney removal a less invasive “gold standard” when small tumors are involved. In such cases, removing part of a kidney with minimally invasive robotic surgery is often best for a...

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Two ME undergrads from same lab named Goldwater Scholars

Apr. 11, 2017—Lauren Branscombe and Joshua Fleck have much in common. Both are juniors in mechanical engineering, focused on medical robotics. Both work in Biomedical and Assistive Technology (BAT) lab with Karl Zelik, assistant professor of mechanical engineering, physical medicine and rehabilitation, and biomedical engineering. Both plan to pursue a Ph.D. in mechanical engineering, continue research and improve the...

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Robot uses steerable needles to treat brain clots

Aug. 8, 2013—Professor Robert Webster and his team have developed a new image-guided surgical system that uses steerable needles to essentially suck out clots. Watch a video demo of the system in action and read the full story.

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Medical robotics expert to discuss pediatric surgery advances

Jan. 14, 2013—Kevin Cleary, Ph.D., an expert in medical robotics at Children’s National Medical Center in Washington, D.C., will describe advances in pediatric surgery on Friday, Jan. 18, at the Vanderbilt University School of Engineering. His talk, entitled “Robotics, Navigation and Image Guidance for Minimally Invasive Pediatric Interventions,” will begin at 2 p.m. in the “Jacobs Believed...

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VU a leader in creating next generation of robots

Aug. 12, 2010—Though the da Vinci Surgical System seems like cutting-edge technology, most surgeons are quick to admit that it a first-generation device — the model T Ford of its kind. Strong collaborations exist between Vanderbilt University Medical Center surgeons and School of Engineering engineers, allowing development of the next generation of surgical technology. “There are a...

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