Magnetically actuated multimaterial fiberbot for precise minimally invasive knee laser surgery.

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Surgical Robotics
• Minimally Invasive Surgery

Background:

• Conventional knee surgery methods face limitations in tool flexibility for complex lesions.
• Robotic advancements have improved surgical precision but lack flexible tools for knee lesion resection.
• There is a need for minimally invasive, flexible surgical instruments for knee disease treatment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce a novel flexible fiberbot for minimally invasive knee surgery.
• To demonstrate the fiberbot's capabilities in precise navigation, steering, and laser ablation.
• To evaluate the potential of this robotic system in future knee surgical applications.

Main Methods:

• Development of a flexible fiberbot with an internal multicore structure for midinfrared laser delivery.
• Integration of an external magnetic elastomer for precise magnetic field-controlled navigation and steering.
• In vitro testing in a spherical model and pig knee joint, followed by in vivo laser ablation on rat leg bones.

Main Results:

• The fiberbot successfully performed precise navigation and steering in both in vitro models.
• Demonstrated steerable midinfrared laser ablation capabilities in an in vivo animal model.
• The device exhibited compact design, safe actuation, and rapid manipulation.

Conclusions:

• The developed flexible fiberbot integrates steerable laser ablation and active navigation for enhanced knee surgery.
• This robotic system offers a promising solution for overcoming the limitations of current minimally invasive knee surgical tools.
• The fiberbot's design and demonstrated capabilities suggest a significant potential for advancing future knee surgical procedures.