The SAFROS project is a EU 7th framework programme collaborative project. Its objective is to analyze the complete chain of diagnosis/planning/execution in surgical robotics, from the point of view of patient safety.

The project will then:

1. Clearly define patient safety metrics for two specific surgical procedures (a pancreatic enucleation/pancreatectomy and the removal of an aneurysm of the abdominal aorta);

2. Develop methods that abide such safety requirements;

3. Apply such methods to two surgical scenarios carried on by two distinct surgical robots;

4. Verify that it has improved patient safety.

The definition of "safety" is developed as follows:

· Safety in 3D reconstruction of pre- and intra-operative models;

· Safety in the simulation of organs and deformable models;

· Safety in surgical planning;

· Safety in the execution of the surgery (through sensing of the operating room environment);

· Safety in the simulation of a surgical robot

· Safety in the definition and usability of a User Interface for surgical robots (through stereo- and 3D vision)

· Safety in training into the use of new technologies

Each of the above definitions is assigned to a Work Package (called "WP" hereinafter).