Collaborative Robotic Assistant Platform for Endonasal Surgery: Preliminary In-Vitro Trials.

Area of Science:

• Neurosurgery and Robotics
• Minimally Invasive Surgical Techniques
• Medical Device Development

Background:

• Endonasal surgery for pituitary tumors (sarcomas) demands high precision due to proximity to vital structures.
• Robotic assistance in surgery can improve accuracy and success rates.
• Existing research focuses on teleoperated robots for primary surgical tasks.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop an advanced robotic platform integrating teleoperated and autonomous robots for endonasal pituitary tumor resection.
• To reduce the surgeon's cognitive and physical workload by delegating secondary tasks to an autonomous robot.
• To enhance surgical precision and safety in a complex anatomical region.

Main Methods:

• Development of a novel navigation system to coordinate a teleoperated robot for primary surgical maneuvers and an autonomous robot for secondary tasks.
• Implementation of a force/position control scheme for integrated robot operation.
• Validation of the navigation and control system through in-vitro testing.

Main Results:

• Successful implementation of a coordinated robotic platform for endonasal surgery.
• Demonstration of effective navigation and control strategies for dual-robot operation.
• Validation of the system's feasibility and potential benefits in in-vitro settings.

Conclusions:

• The developed dual-robot system offers a promising approach to enhance precision and efficiency in endonasal pituitary tumor surgery.
• This integrated robotic solution has the potential to significantly reduce surgeon workload, allowing greater focus on critical surgical steps.
• Further research and clinical trials are warranted to fully evaluate the system's impact on patient outcomes.