Usability of a robotic surgical microscope

During surgical procedures, various medical systems (e.g. microscope or C-arm) are used. Their precise and repeatable manual positioning can be very cumbersome and interrupts the surgeon´s workflow. Robotized systems can assist the surgeon but they require suitable kinematics and control. However, positioning must be fast, flexible and intuitive. We describe a fully motorized surgical microscope. Hardware components like motors, encoders and controllers as well as implemented applications are specified. Our microscope combines fast manual handling with accurate, automatic positioning. Intuitive control is provided by a small remote control mounted to one of the surgical instruments. Positioning accuracy and repeatability are less than 1mm and vibrations caused by automatic movements fade away in about one second.