I-Corps: Translation Potential of a Minimally Invasive Continuum Surgical Robot for the Eye/Ear

I-Corps项目更广泛的影响是开发一种微创的机器人手术设备，用于眼科和耳科的专门手术。一种能够更准确地导航到视网膜下空间的递送系统，有可能更安全、更有效地递送和准确定位眼睛中的干细胞片（或其他治疗介质）。准确和安全的交付可以改善视网膜退行性疾病（影响全球超过4亿人），使手术更简单，更快捷。该装置还具有改善人工耳蜗植入或其他治疗方法进入耳蜗以恢复听力损失的潜力。理想的装置将成为世界范围内微创外科手术操作的手术工具。这个I-Corps项目利用体验式学习和对行业生态系统的第一手调查来评估该技术的翻译潜力。该解决方案是基于一种微创设备的开发，该设备由一个一次性连续机械臂和一个可以握住或安装的手柄组成。各种原型已经在各种虚幻介质中构建和测试，例如凝胶和复制的三维打印解剖结构。在一些测试中，该装置也被安装在其他机械臂上，用作末端执行器操纵器。该装置正在动物尸体模型中进行测试，并正在进一步开发以改进和改进转向特性。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

The broader impact of this I-Corps project is the development of a minimally invasive, robotic, surgical device for specialized procedures in the eye and ear. A delivery system that can more accurately navigate to the subretinal space has the potential to more safely and efficiently deliver and accurately position a stem cell sheet (or other therapeutic medium) in the eye. Accurate and safe delivery could lead to improvements in retinal degenerative diseases (which affect over 400 million people worldwide) making the procedure simpler and faster. The device also holds the potential for improved steering of cochlear implants or other therapeutics into the cochlea for restoring hearing loss. The ideal device would become a surgical tool for minimally invasive surgical steering maneuvers around the world. This I-Corps project utilizes experiential learning coupled with a first-hand investigation of the industry ecosystem to assess the translation potential of the technology. The solution is based on the development of a minimally invasive device made up of a disposable continuum manipulator for steering through anatomy, and a handle which can be either held or mounted. Various prototypes have been constructed and tested in various phantom mediums, such as gels and replicated three-dimensional printed anatomy. The device has also been mounted on other robotic arms for use as an end-effector manipulator in some of these tests. The device is being tested in animal cadaver models and further development is underway for refinement and improved steering characterization.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.