The integration of an articulated probe and a waterjet cutting tool for spinal surgical robots

Spinal surgery procedure is often necessary to remove cancerous tissue within or surrounding the spinal cord and spinal column. This procedure, however, is restricted by the incapability of rigid hand-held drills and cutting tools to reach the target tissue in complex anatomical pathways. Previously, we introduced the surgical robotic platform with a novel concentric connector joint and developed a haptic control system that integrates an active constraint controller into a surgical robot platform. This study introduces the design and experimental testing of a new articulated surgical tool that can navigate around the spinal column using a water jet cutting system for safer removal of tumorous tissue. This innovative approach allows the removal of cancerous tissue on both the anterior and posterior sides of the spinal column without high-speed rotating equipment. A water jet cutting system integrated with an articulated distal tip (ADT) has been developed and successfully tested. A mock surgical procedure on the lower lumbar vertebrae has been used to test the accuracy and performance of the prototype. Results show promise for combining waterjet cutting and an ADT for surgical spinal procedures. The articulated surgical water jet tool removed 82% of mock cancerous tissue compared to 16% of tissue removed by the rigid tool.