KUKA Laboratories Sponsors CURAC Best Paper Award

Munich, 11 September 2014 – KUKA Laboratories GmbH is sponsoring the CURAC Best Paper Award for the fourth time running and featuring as the Platinum Sponsor of the CURAC annual conference. That is not all, however: this year, KUKA is demonstrating the LBR Med lightweight robot as a “Medical Assistant” in a knee operation.

This year, the annual conference of the German Society for Computer- and Robot-Assisted Surgery (CURAC) is being held in Munich from 11 to 13 September with the slogan “Synergy through interdisciplinarity” – and KUKA Laboratories is taking part as a sponsor. At the conference, the CURAC Best Paper Award will be presented in recognition of the best research contributions in this field. Just like last year, Dr. Cyrill von Tiesenhausen, Business Development Manager at KUKA Laboratories, will once again be spoilt for choice as a member of the panel of judges: last year, more than 100 research contributions were submitted.

The “Medical Assistant” will also be there
To demonstrate the company’s expertise in the field of medical technology, KUKA is bringing an exhibit to this year’s conference: the “Medical Assistant”. In this application, the KUKA LBR Med lightweight robot shows how, in direct collaboration with a surgeon, it could assist in the replacement of knee joints – a procedure which is performed across the globe approximately two million times each year. In this procedure, a piece of both the femur and tibia is removed using a saw so that the artificial joint can be fitted in the next step. Equipped with a surgical instrument, the saw, the LBR Med is guided by the surgeon. The experience of the surgeon and the accuracy of the robot thus optimally complement each other.
The entire procedure is monitored by a special camera and displayed on a screen in 3D. With the aid of optical markings on both the bone and the LBR Med, the camera can recognize the positions of the bone and the robot with minute accuracy. Funnel-shaped virtual walls which move with the bone limit the surgeon’s workspace. In this way, the surgeon is led precisely to the sawing point without relinquishing control over this part of the operation. The goal here is to improve accuracy in the placement of the implant.

Interdisciplinary exchange
KUKA has been cooperating closely with the world of science and research for many years. The CURAC annual conference serves as an ideal platform for the regular exchange of expertise with institutes and universities in the field of medicine. The German Society for Computer- and Robot-Assisted Surgery acts as an interdisciplinary society, bringing together the realms of clinical practice, engineering and fundamental research. It promotes scientific work and its practical implementation in the field of computer- and robot-assisted surgery. The current research results of German, Swiss and Austrian institutes in this field are presented at the CURAC annual conference, and new areas of research and objectives are discussed and defined.

About KUKA Laboratories GmbH
KUKA Laboratories GmbH, based in Augsburg, is a globally active subsidiary of the KUKA Group. The company’s core competencies are in service robotics and medical robotics. Today, KUKA already ranks among the leading providers of professional service robotics and robotics for leading manufacturers of medical products in Europe. KUKA is a supplier of robotic components for medical products. KUKA Laboratories GmbH is engaged in research and development cooperation with renowned customers, institutes and universities around the world. The company develops base technologies for the entire KUKA Group.

SOURCE: KUKA