Design, Modeling, and Control of Minimally Invasive Robotic Surgical Systems with Integrated Sensing

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Thursday, April 4, 2024 - 9:00am to 10:00am

Presenter

Nancy Deaton

The manual manipulation of passive surgical tools to access locations deep within the body can present numerous clinical challenges. These interventions require navigation through complex anatomy irrespective of whether the procedure needs to be performed within organs or vasculature. The need to visualize the device in real-time and to prevent injury to critical anatomical structures or perforation of the vessel during endovascular interventions, further complicates the development of robotic solutions. This seminar will focus on the design, modeling, and control of robotic surgical systems to address some of these clinically challenging problems. The first part of the seminar will focus on developing a robotically steerable needle system for high-dose rate brachytherapy (HDR BT). This is a crucial radiotherapy treatment with proven success in multiple cancers such as prostate cancer, which is the most commonly diagnosed male malignancy. Precise needle placement is vital to achieve optimal radiation dose distribution, minimize the number of needles implanted, and avoid damaging critical surrounding anatomy. This seminar will present the development and control of a robotically steerable system for accurate HDR BT needle placement along varied paths. The second part of the seminar will focus on robotically steerable guidewires. Guidewires are routinely used in several endovascular interventions. One key challenge in using this device to navigate tortuous vessels is the lack of steerability of the distal tip. Peripheral artery disease (PAD) in particular, is one of the most prevalent cardiovascular diseases worldwide. Procedural complexity in navigating the small tortuous vasculature encountered in the treatment of PAD and cerebral aneurysms are attributed to multiple causes. Furthermore, this navigation must be accomplished without harming these small vessels. This seminar will present the development of a robotically steerable guidewire with integrated shape and force sensing as a potential solution to this challenging clinical problem. Finally, the seminar outlines potential avenues for future research, highlighting the ongoing evolution of robotic tools and their potential to advance minimally invasive surgery beyond current capabilities