Study of Robot-Assisted Cochlear Implant Insertion and Active Bending Electrode Arrays

本提案的具体目的是通过使用机器人插入模块来研究和改进耳蜗电极阵列的插入。我们将探索新型主动转向电极的使用，以减少耳蜗结构的创伤。人工人工耳蜗植入的非创伤性深度植入率低，目前阻碍了外科医生治疗仍有一些残余听力的老年性耳聋患者。这些人通常年龄较大，由于他们的病情，由于手术的创伤性，不能从助听器或目前的人工耳蜗植入中受益。提出的工作为新的机器人辅助人工耳蜗手术方法提供了关键的使能技术。假设主动转向电极阵列与力控制机器人插入装置相结合可以显著减少插入力和对鼓膜的创伤。提出的机器人插入模块还将提供一个稳定和可重复的实验装置，以评估被动和主动弯曲电极阵列的性能。所提出的研究也可能适用于不同的手术领域，如深部脑电极刺激放置、肺、肝等多种器官内肿瘤的微创切除、安全探索脊髓的脑膜空间，用于显微内窥镜手术和所有其他应用，需要一个灵活的蛇形装置来导航狭窄的通道，与通道壁的接触最小，同时由有限数量的比任务所施加的约束更小的驱动器驱动。

CBET-0651649 Simaan The specific aim of this proposal is to study and improve cochlear electrode array insertion through the use of a robotic insertion module. The use of novel active-steering electrodes will be explored to reduce trauma to the structure of the cochlea. The low rate of atraumatic deep insertions of cochlear implants using manual insertions currently prevent surgeons from treating individuals with presbycusis who still have some residual hearing. These individuals are usually older, and due to their conditions, can not benefit from hearing aids or from the current cochlear implants due to the traumatic nature of the surgery. The proposed work provides a crucial enabling technology for new robot-assisted surgical approaches to cochlear implant surgery. It is hypothesized that active steering electrode arrays combined with a force controlled robotic insertion device can significantly reduce the insertion forces and trauma to the scala tympani. The proposed robotic insertion module will also provide a stable and repeatable experimental setup to assess the performance of both passive and active-bending electrode arrays.The proposed research may also be applicable to different areas of surgery such as deep brain electrode stimulation placement, minimally invasive resection of tumors inside a variety of organs such as the lungs and liver, safe exploration of the meningeal space of the spinal cord for micro-endoscopic surgery and all other applications requiring a flexible snake-like device to navigate tight channels with minimum contact with the walls of the channels while actuated by a limited number of actuators smaller then the constraints imposed by the task.