In the previous application note ROMI: Design and Experimental Evaluation of a Linear Delta Robotic System for High-Precision Applications, the need for a high-precision system to achieve higher motion resolutions and its potential contribution to multiple research fields was addressed.
We presented an extraordinary work toward the evolution of robotic technology by the hand of The Robotics and Mechatronics System Research Group at Sussex University and their ROMI system: high-precision technology consisting of a linear delta robot based on parallel manipulator design, showing precision accuracies of <5 µm [Figure 1].
This time Prof. Rogrido Avilés-Espinosa shows its major impact on stereotactic neurosurgery; a field where traditional manual laparoscopic tools have been giving way to more sophisticated robot-assisted procedures [1]. These new procedures will help professionals in the surgical field when performing complicated interventions on delicate tissues such as the brain; providing high-motion precision, visualization of fine structures, and improving positioning accuracy.
ROMI System With an Application-specific Laser-based End-effector for Achieving High Precision Neurosurgery
When it comes to neurosurgery, a robotic system must integrate an end-effector design capable of providing a magnified view of the tissue under procedure and also deliver millimetric precision [1]. This represents a major challenge in the development of high-precision biomedical platforms with designs specific to neurosurgical procedures, and multiple researchers are trying to find the most suitable optomechanical end-effector design that can be used in combination with high-precision robotic systems [2, 3].
In this particular study, a new biomedical platform combined with a lab-built end-effector was created as a promising alternative to the commercial neurosurgery systems that have been developed up to date. Furthermore, experimental validation on fixed rat brain tissue samples in the simulation of neurosurgical tasks showed evidence that the robotic system presented improves the motion precision capabilities compared to the existing commercial apparatus.
The system presented accounted for the major aspects that affect a neurosurgical intervention: field of view and magnification of the imaging system, interaction force between system and tissue, and the high motion precision required during the procedure. This was done by choosing an imaging system based on a bright field microscope approach with a set of lenses and a tube slide to adjust the magnification and FOV, using a laser-based tool comprising FYLA’s Iceblink Supercontinuum Laser in combination with an adjustable aspheric focusing lens with the proper NA, and fabricating an end-effector tool with an FEA analysis which was then connected to the parallel delta geometry of the ROMI structure, respectively [Figure 2].
As mentioned before, the performance of the robotic system in a proof-of-concepts experiment in the lab was carried out. A predefined hexagonal trajectory in the simulation of laser-based tissue ablation surgery showed offset errors with a repeated pattern that could be diminished by applying compensation factors [Figure 3].
The final steps in such insightful research toward the development of robotic systems for neurosurgery consisted of a final trial with fixed rat cerebellum sections. Once again, the obtained results demonstrated the great potential of applying the presented biomedical platform in high-precision surgical procedures.
How the Iceblink can Enhance the Performance of your High-Precision Biomedical Robot
The need for minimally invasive surgery puts robotic technology in the spotlight. In this scope, laser-based techniques ensured force interactions between optical tools and the tissue undergoing the procedure.
In particular, supercontinuum lasers, with the ultra-broad emission covering the VIS and the NIR range open a new window for multiple biomedical applications. The Iceblink white light laser and its VIS part of the spectrum, with 150 mW of power, picosecond pulses, and great power stability allows for the development of high-contrast imaging systems, where multiple wavelengths are needed to illuminate the sample.
For even more versatility, the Iceblink, in combination with its Boreal tunable filter ensures a sharp selection of wavelengths between 450 to 750 nm, saving space in your optical bench and reducing the costs and complexity of your overall robotic system.