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

这个I-Corps项目的更广泛影响是开发一种用于眼和耳专门手术的微创机器人手术设备。可以更准确地导航到视网膜下空间的递送系统具有在眼睛中更安全和有效地递送和准确地定位干细胞片（或其他治疗介质）的潜力。准确和安全的输送可以改善视网膜退行性疾病（影响全球4亿多人），使手术更简单，更快速。该装置还具有改善耳蜗植入物或其他治疗剂进入耳蜗以恢复听力损失的潜力。理想的设备将成为世界各地微创手术操纵的手术工具。这个I-Corps项目利用体验式学习加上对行业生态系统的第一手调查来评估该技术的翻译潜力。该解决方案是基于开发一种微创设备，该设备由用于通过解剖结构转向的一次性连续操纵器和可以握住或安装的手柄组成。已经在各种体模介质中构建和测试了各种原型，例如凝胶和复制的三维打印解剖结构。该设备也被安装在其他机器人手臂上，在这些测试中用作末端执行器操纵器。该设备正在动物尸体模型上进行测试，进一步的开发正在进行中，以完善和改进转向特性。该奖项反映了NSF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.