Clinical Engineering and Surgical Robotics

This module provides an introduction to clinical engineering and surgical robotics. Initial sessions will introduce you to the module and an overview of minimally invasive surgery (often referred to as keyhole surgery). This will help you to understand the current state of the art and the areas in which technological improvements are needed (and feasible). 

You will then learn about a number of technologies for clinical interventions (both surgical and diagnostic) through a series of interactive seminars. These seminars will cover four key areas: (i) surgical robotics; (ii) surgical imaging; (iii) computer vision and image-guided intervention; (iv) sensing and diagnostics for surgery and intervention monitoring. During these interactive seminars, you will be assigned your first assessed task – a programming exercise to be undertaken in your groups. 

You will further experience clinical engineering and surgical robotics in practice through a detailed laboratory tour of the Hamlyn Centre, in which you will have the opportunity to see a series of clinical/surgical technologies in practice, ranging from prototype systems through to clinically approved, commercially available devices. 

Further seminars will be dedicated to the task of understanding and critically assessing clinical and surgical technologies. You will be provided with a suite of materials with information on a number of new but commercially available surgical/diagnostic technologies. You will discuss and explore the various technologies, participating in group activities to identify key strengths and weaknesses. Later, you will learn how to write an effective lay summary (a summary of a scientific/engineering principle suitable for non-experts), again through group-based activities. These sessions will introduce the second and third assessed tasks in which you will prepare a written summary (suitable for a non-expert audience) and a scientific presentation summarizing one of the discussed technologies.  

Finally, the last session of the module will be dedicated to project presentations. In your groups, you will present summaries of your assigned clinical/surgical technology to your peers and to the module lecturers. 

At the beginning of the module, you will be assigned into multidisciplinary groups, selected by the module lead to ensure a good mix of expertise and backgrounds. You will be taught through a series of interactive seminars involving lectures and group activities. Seminars will be led by the module lead and module lecturers as well as by guest lecturers where appropriate. Much of the learning will take place through group-based interdisciplinary activities, which will take part both within and outside of the scheduled sessions, providing an element of peer-learning. You will also be encouraged to read around the subjects for some of your assessments, thereby improving your understanding through self-study and group study. 

Feedback will be provided throughout the module in the course of the interactive seminars. This will be from the module lecturers, teaching assistants and peers (i.e. feedback from other group members). Formal feedback will also be provided after each assessment.