Mapping of an insufflated peritoneal cavity

A study at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in conjunction with the University of Nebraska Medical Center aimed to map the location of organs in an insufflated human abdominal cavity. The goal was to be able to give the location of organs and the abdominal wall in a coordinate system by specifying two angles and a depth. The surgeons assembled two sets of measurements from eight cadavers, four male and four female. One set of measurements mapped the insufflated abdominals walls, while the other set of measurements mapped important landmarks found within the abdominal cavity such as the pancreas and stomach. By using common statistical methods to analyze the end result, we were able to identify average locations of organs during insufflations. A better knowledge of the peritoneal cavity when insufflated can help us when designing miniature robots. Size will be of particular importance, since they are inserted completely into the peritoneal cavity.