SoftReach_Minimally-Invasive Soft-Robot-Assisted Deep-Brain Localized Therapeutics Delivery for Neurological Disorders

机器人和成像可以通过克服现有实践的局限性并实现新兴治疗的临床转化来彻底改变医疗保健。沿着这一方向，SoftReach专注于改善神经系统疾病（ND）的治疗，这是一项尚未解决的重大医疗挑战。尽管ND对数百万人造成了毁灭性的影响，但现有的治疗方法疗效不佳。SoftReach旨在通过在参与ND病理生理学的脑深部区域提供局部治疗来从根本上改善治疗。所提出的平台可以通过绕过全身递送的限制来增强药物治疗的功效，并提供实施有前景的细胞疗法的手段。我们的范式转变雄心将通过两项重大创新实现：1）亚毫米软增长可操纵机器人平台，这是同类产品中的第一个，它将利用实时MRI反馈来导航通过脊柱蛛网膜下腔和心室系统（VS），在那里它将在特定位置连接μ l大小的有效载荷（治疗载体）。2)新型μ l大小的组织构建有效载荷（TCP），围绕精确微制造的可展开多孔支架构建，以便它们可以稳定地附着在VS壁上，并将治疗因子输送到相邻的大脑区域。该平台将通过两个平行的努力来展示。1)软生长机器人通过VS延伸并在实时MRI反馈下安全递送TCP的能力将在人类VS的高保真幻影中得到证明。2）通过VS的TCP介导的治疗（化合物、细胞）的局部递送将在小鼠中立体定向地得到证明。通过提供对现有手术无法触及的具有重要临床意义的脑深部区域的微创访问，SoftReach可以彻底改变ND治疗的临床实践，并提供可以影响基因治疗，神经外科和肿瘤学等多个领域的破坏性工具。

Robotics and imaging can revolutionize healthcare by overcoming limitations of existing practice and enabling the clinical translation of emerging treatments. Along this direction, SoftReach focuses on improving the treatment of neurological disorders (NDs), a major unmet healthcare challenge. Despite the devastating impact of NDs to millions, existing treatments have poor efficacy. SoftReach aims to radically improve treatments by providing localized delivery of therapeutics in deep-brain regions involved in ND pathophysiology. The proposed platform can enhance the efficacy of pharmaceutical treatments by bypassing limitations of systemic delivery, and provide means to implement promising cell therapies. Our paradigm-shifting ambition will be realised through two major innovations: 1) a submillimeter soft-growing steerable robotic platform, the first of its kind, which will utilize real-time MRI feedback to navigate through the spine subarachnoid space and the Ventricular System (VS), where it will attach µl-sized payloads (carriers of therapeutics) at specific locations. 2) Novel µl-sized tissue construct payloads (TCPs), built around precisely microfabricated deployable porous scaffolds so that they can attach stably on VS walls and deliver therapeutic factors to adjacent brain regions. The platform will be demonstrated via two parallel efforts. 1) The ability of the soft-growing robot to extend via the VS and safely deliver TCPs under real-time MRI feedback will be demonstrated in high-fidelity phantoms of the human VS. 2) TCP-mediated localised delivery of treatments (compounds, cells) via the VS will be demonstrated stereotactically in mice. By providing minimally-invasive access to deep-brain regions of major clinical importance that lie beyond the reach of existing procedures, SoftReach can revolutionize the clinical practice of ND treatments and provide disrupting tools that can impact multiple fields such as gene therapy, neurosurgery and oncology