Abstract: A control assembly for manipulating the movement of an endoscopic instrument includes an endoscopic instrument mounting arrangement adapted to receive an endoscopic instrument, three driving arrangements, and three independent control elements. The mounting arrangement offers only three independent degrees of freedom of movement of an endoscopic instrument received by the arrangement, each degree of freedom of movement being about or along a respective axis. Each of the three driving arrangements are configured to drive the endoscopic instrument in only one of the degrees of freedom of movement. The three independent control elements are configured to receive user input, such that the actuation of each of the three independent control elements regulates one of three corresponding control signals, each control being a respective one of the driving arrangements independent of the other two driving arrangements in accordance with the user input.

Abstract: A device for supporting a patient, the device comprising first and second support members adapted to support respective first and second parts of a patient's body and being operable to move between a first configuration and a second configuration, wherein when a patient is supported by the device and the device is in the first configuration, the patient is in a first bodily position and is supported by the first support member, with little or none of the patient's weight being supported by the second support member, and when a patient is supported by the device and the device is in the second configuration, the patient is in a second bodily position and is supported by the second support member, with little or none of the patient's weight being supported by the first support member.

Abstract: A surgical tool for use as an ablation device in a surgical operation including: an ablation module output configured to ablate a volume of material at a surgical site to form an ablated volume; a control module arranged to receive information indicative of the position of the surgical site; and a fluid output adapted to deliver fluid to the surgical site during a surgical operation such that at least part of the ablated volume is filled with fluid and the fluid is in direct contact with at least part of the surgical site. The control module is operable to control the flow rate of fluid delivered by the fluid output in response to the received information in order to control the position of the surgical site.

Abstract: A surgical tool support device includes an arm. The arm includes a flexible tubular main body; and a plurality of beads contained within the tubular main body. In a first configuration, a fluid at least partially surrounds the plurality of beads. In a second configuration, at least some of the fluid is evacuated such that the rigidity of the arm is increased.

Abstract: A control assembly for manipulating the movement of an endoscopic instrument includes an endoscopic instrument mounting arrangement adapted to receive an endoscopic instrument, three driving arrangements, and three independent control elements. The mounting arrangement offers only three independent degrees of freedom of movement of an endoscopic instrument received by the arrangement, each degree of freedom of movement being about or along a respective axis. Each of the three driving arrangements are configured to drive the endoscopic instrument in only one of the degrees of freedom of movement. The three independent control elements are configured to receive user input, such that the actuation of each of the three independent control elements regulates one of three corresponding control signals, each control being a respective one of the driving arrangements independent of the other two driving arrangements in accordance with the user input.

Abstract: A robot has a controllable arm which carries an instrument or tool. The robot is provided with a camera to obtain an image of a work piece, including images of markers and an indicator present on the work piece. The robot processes the images to determine the position of the markers within a spatial frame of reference. The robot is controlled to effect predetermined movements of the instrument or tool relative to the work piece. The processor is further configured to determine the position of the indicator and to respond to movement of the indicator within the spatial frame of reference of the robot when the markers are concealed to determine a new position of the indicator and thus the new position of the work piece. Subsequently, the robot is controlled, relative to the new position of the work piece, to effect predetermined movements relative to the work piece.

Abstract: In order to register a robot, the operative parts of the robot are placed in a first condition. An image acquiring arrangement carried by the robot is directed towards an item, and the image of that item is acquired and stored. Subsequently the component parts of the robot are moved so that the image acquiring arrangement can acquire a second different image of the item. The process is repeated to acquire data including a plurality of images and, for each image, data concerning the position of the component parts of the robot when the image was acquired.