Brain surgery can be an intricate and challenging procedure due to the complex and delicate nature of the brain’s vasculature.
However, researchers at Johns Hopkins University and the University of Maryland are making strides in simplifying these procedures through the development of a soft robotic tool and control system.
Their innovative approach, outlined in a recent study published in the International Journal of Computer Assisted Radiology and Surgery, offers neurosurgeons a level of maneuverability within the brain that was previously unattainable.
This advancement holds the potential to enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of minimally invasive surgeries for life-threatening brain conditions, such as aneurysms.
Current Brain Surgery Challenges
One common method for treating brain aneurysms, weakened blood vessels that bulge and fill with blood, involves threading a plastic tube, called a catheter, through an artery, usually in the groin, to reach and seal off the aneurysm.
Neurosurgeons encounter significant difficulties navigating the twists and turns of the brain’s vasculature, as traditional catheters cannot be readily bent in different directions once inserted.
This limitation poses a challenge when attempting to reach complex or hard-to-access aneurysms.
The Robotic Solution
Recognizing the need for improved maneuverability, the researchers designed a steerable robotic tool—a catheter tip operated using air pressure.
This soft, flexible catheter tip, 3D printed from a resin, includes two hollow channels that run along its length. When these channels are pressurized individually, they cause the tip to bend either to the left or the right.
Innovative Control System
In addition to the robotic catheter tip, the research team developed a user-friendly control system that aligns with the existing clinical workflow.
This control system features a hand dial that allows physicians to make precise adjustments to the tip’s position, offering more control than rotating a pre-bent tip.
Furthermore, the dial provides haptic feedback, indicating when the tip has achieved the desired angle.
This innovation empowers surgeons to simultaneously advance the catheter with one hand while adjusting the tip’s angle with the other.
Performance Assessment
To evaluate the robotic tool’s performance, the researchers conducted tests in which users, including a skilled neurosurgeon and an individual with no surgical experience, manipulated the robotic tip’s position to target an array of small cylindrical targets spaced less than 2 millimeters apart.
Through 80 trials each, both users effectively controlled the catheters for sub-millimeter precision, surpassing the typical size of brain vessels and aneurysm openings.
Future Directions
Encouraged by the study’s promising results, the researchers plan to further refine the robotic tool. They aim to reduce its size for clinical relevance and conduct tests in more anatomically accurate environments.
Additionally, future iterations may feature multiple tips in series, enabling the device to bend into more intricate shapes and navigate complex vascular environments.
This innovative soft robotic tool holds significant potential for advancing the field of endovascular surgery and improving patient outcomes.
The development of a soft robotic tool and control system for brain surgery represents a significant leap forward in surgical precision and maneuverability.
By addressing the challenges of navigating the brain’s vasculature, this technology has the potential to enhance the safety and effectiveness of brain surgeries, particularly those involving aneurysms.
While further development and testing are needed, this innovative approach offers hope for improved patient care and outcomes in the field of neurosurgery.
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The research findings can be found in the International Journal of Computer Assisted Radiology and Surgery.
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