Robotic devices in surgery

Robotic devices are defined wich can be used as an aid to surgery. A classification system is proposed that reflects the manner of use and the safety of the systems. Typical benefits and problems of using robots are discussed, and a number of applications are reviewed. These cover "autonomous" systems, that involve no intervention from the surgeon-, "hands-on" systems, that require the direct involvement of the surgeon-, and "Master/Slave" (or Telemanipulator) systems, that are somewhere between these two and involve some degree of indirect surgeon activity. A number of predictions for the future of medical robotics are provided.