This article reviews on modular interoperability of the software that is used for these types of systems. One key point is that while hierarchical multi-rate control may be suitable for the master and slave robots, there is also a requirement to handle the video and ultrasound images. This article presented an overview of surgical robot systems, with the recognition that these systems are not just robots, but integrated systems that include robots, databases, and real-time sensors such as video and other medical imaging devices. Common research platforms, such as the da Vinci Research Kit and Raven II, have recently become available. This has underscored the need for modular software interoperability, so that researchers can share software modules and more easily integrate other robots and devices. Standardization and interoperability are most applicable at the higher software layers, and can benefit from the availability of widely-adopted middleware such as ROS. Other interface protocols, such as OpenIGTLink, can be useful due to their wide support within the medical imaging and image-guided intervention domains.
Medical Imaging and Image-Guided Interventions