Endonasal Skull Base Tumor Removal Using Concentric Tube Continuum Robots: A Phantom Study

Area of Science:

• Robotics in Medicine
• Surgical Innovation
• Neurosurgery

Background:

• Traditional surgical tools for skull base tumor removal are often rigid and straight, limiting dexterity.
• Endonasal approaches offer minimally invasive access but require specialized instrumentation.
• Continuum robots present a novel solution for enhanced maneuverability in confined surgical spaces.

Purpose of the Study:

• To experimentally evaluate the efficacy of concentric tube continuum robots for endonasal skull base tumor resection.
• To assess the advantages of these robots over conventional rigid surgical instruments.
• To determine the feasibility of using this robotic system in simulated surgical conditions.

Main Methods:

• A concentric tube continuum robot was utilized for tumor removal in a simulated skull base environment.
• Experienced skull base surgeons teleoperated the robotic system.
• Simulated pituitary tumors were resected from a skull phantom, with resection percentage measured by weight and procedure duration timed.

Main Results:

• An average tumor resection percentage of 79.8% (±5.9%) was achieved.
• The average procedure duration was 12.5 minutes (±4.1 minutes) across 20 procedures.
• The robotic system demonstrated effective tumor material removal in the phantom model.

Conclusions:

• The evaluated concentric tube continuum robot system shows significant promise for endonasal skull base surgery.
• This robotic approach offers improved dexterity, tool motion, and end effector capabilities compared to rigid instruments.
• The system proved effective for tumor resection, highlighting its potential to enhance surgical outcomes.