1. Field
Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a surgical robot capable of efficiently separating surgical tools from a background image acquired by a camera and a method of controlling the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
Minimally invasive surgery generally refers to surgery capable of minimizing incision size and recovery time. Minimally invasive surgery is different from laparotomy, which uses relatively large surgical incisions through a part of the human body (e.g., the abdomen). In minimally invasive surgery, after forming at least one small incision hole (or invasive hole) of 0.5 cm to 1.5 cm through the abdominal wall, an operator inserts an endoscope and surgical tools through the incision hole, to perform surgery while viewing images provided by the endoscope.
In comparison with laparotomy, minimally invasive surgery causes less post-operative pain, faster recovery of bowel movement, earlier restoration of ability to eat, shorter hospitalization, faster return to daily life, and better cosmetic effects owing to the small incision size. Due to these properties, minimally invasive surgery is used for cholecystectomy, prostatic carcinoma surgery, hernia repair, hysterectomy, and the like, and applications thereof continue to grow.
In general, a surgical robot used in minimally invasive surgery includes a master device and a slave device. The master device generates a control signal in accordance with manipulation performed by a doctor and transmits the control signal to the slave device. The slave device receives the control signal from the master device and performs manipulation required for surgery on a patient. The master device and the slave device may be integrated, or may be separately arranged in an operating room.
The slave device includes at least one robot arm. A surgical tool is mounted on an end of the robot arm and inserted into a human body to perform a surgical operation at a surgical region in a patient in accordance with a control signal received from the master device. Thus, in such minimally invasive surgery and laparoscopic surgery using a surgical robot, the position of the surgical tool inserted into the patient needs to be accurately detected to control the operation of the surgical tool.