METHOD OF TRACKING A SURGICAL INSTRUMENT WITH A MONO OR STEREO LAPAROSCOPE

For tracking a mono- or stereo-laparoscope in connection with minimally invasive surgery, where the laparoscope is moved by a robot in respect to surgical instruments located in the operation area, surgical instruments are color-coded and are identified in images provided by the camera of the laparoscope. Signals for controlling the robot are derived from the position of the color-coded surgical instruments in images generated by both cameras. The robot automatically brings the laparoscope into such a position that the color-coded surgical instruments are continuously shown in the center area of the monitor device and hold the laparoscope distance to the surgical instrument in the case of stereo. To prevent interfering movements of an image when working with the surgical instruments, the laparoscope continuously tracks the color-coded surgical instruments in such a way that the tracking of the image is controlled relatively lightly in the central area of the monitor, but strongly in its edge area.