Researchers at the Korea Institute of Science and Technology in South Korea have succeeded in developing a surgical robot for brain and spinal cord procedures, which are difficult to access with existing surgical robots, according to a Business Korea report.
Here are five things to know about the newly developed robot:
1. A medical team from a hospital of the Yonsei University Health System demonstrated a procedure that removed a brain tumor from a cadaver using the newly-developed next-generation active cannula robot in Seoul on Nov. 2.
2. The new robot did not require the skull to be opened, since the operation was done through the nose. "Previously, it was nearly impossible to remove a tumor located below the brain with existing surgical procedures using endoscopes and microscopes," said Dr. Kim Sun-ho from the hospital to Business Korea. "The newly-developed surgical robot will allow doctors to do surgery on areas where existing surgical instruments cannot reach."
3. For example, an existing surgical robot — the da Vinci Surgical System, a robot used for laparoscopic surgery — cannot be used for microscopic surgery. The robotic arm of the da Vinci system is 8 mm in diameter, but the arm of the new robot is only 4 mm. The new one can also support up to 500g and bend at a 90 degree angle, making it is possible to conduct microscopic surgery on the brain and spine.
4. The team is aiming to commercialize the product in the next three to five years, after conducting further clinical trials.
5. While the market for computer-assisted and robotic surgery tools has seen an increase in recent years, it is expected to remain to remain relatively flat over the next five to six years, according to a recent MarketOptimizer report. One of the key factors holding robotic surgical procedures back is cost-effectiveness — the technology currently doesn't have data justifying costs in today's healthcare market.
However, more surgeons are becoming comfortable using robotic tools for sensitive surgeries as proof of their safety and efficacy grows. Mazor Robotics now has 77 Renaissance Guidance Systems installed globally. In August, George Martin, MD, a spine surgeon at Foundation Surgical Hospital of El Paso performed his 200th minimally invasive spine surgery using the Renaissance system.
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