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Project

RAMIFY, towards Robot-Assisted Multi-Arm Vocal Fold Surgery

Minimally invasive surgery (MIS) is an increasingly popular surgical technique that reduces tissue damage and patient trauma, and shortens recovery time. Slender instruments are inserted through a small incision (keyhole) rather than through large open cuts common for conventional open surgery. Natural Orifice Surgery (NOS), a branch of MIS, is even less invasive as instruments are inserted through natural body orifices. Ear, nose, and throat surgery, and especially vocal fold surgery is an interesting but difficult example of NOS. Surgeons need to bring the patient’s neck in hyperextension and maneuver their instruments deep in a tortuous and confined anatomy. Deep down they somehow need to deliver sub-millimeter surgical precision. Robotic systems have a great potential to alleviate these complexities. However, today’s robots are too large. There is no commercially available platform that can effectively reach and operate on the vocal folds. RAMIFY will develop a novel miniature flexible robotic multi-arm platform featuring advanced sensing and guidance features. Aside from force and shape sensing, it will embed optical imaging that provides improved real-time cancer detection. Through augmented reality visual overlay the surgeon will be able to maneuver his/her instruments intuitively and will be able to deliver enhanced precision for critical vocal fold surgical interventions.

Date:11 Feb 2021 →  Today
Keywords:Transoral robotic surgery, Vocal fold, Minimally Invasive Surgery, Robot-Assisted Surgery, Flexible robot
Disciplines:Robot manipulation and interfaces, Robot structures, Sensing, estimation and actuating
Project type:PhD project