Space Robotics to Robotic Surgery

Have you ever wondered what impact space exploration has on technological advancement in the field of medicine? Among the many ways, an amazing Canadian advancement is the neuroArm. Canadian engineering-company MacDonald, Dettwiler, and Associates (who developed and built Canada's biggest contributions to space exploration: the Canadarm, Canadarm2, Dextre, the Mobile Base, and all the related training and real-time support infrastructure) worked closely with physicians, nurses, and scientists at the University of Calgary to develop a robotic surgical device that is capable of operating in the high magnetic field environment of an MRI Scanner. The neuroArm is equipped with several safety features, and controlled by a neurosurgeon working from a computer station. Engineers working on the development of the neuroArm spent time in the operating room, observing surgeons, learning about the tools used, what types of movements are made, and what degree of motion there needs to be, all with the goal of biomimicring the surgeon to create an effective surgical tool. The neuroArm allows surgeons the opportunity to get real-time images during surgery to ensure surgical success, and improved accuracy and precision of the surgery. If you would like to learn more about the neuroArm, you can go to their website: http://www.neuroarm.org/