MIT Making Surgeries Easier and Safer
Engineers at MIT have devised a remote means for surgeons to treat patients suffering from stroke and aneurysms. Surgeons can assume a different location from their patients with the aid of a robotic joystick. Even in critical situations, they may choose not to move. They can treat patients in an entirely different hospital. This fast response helps to enhance the brain functions of the patients and prevent death.
The entire movement and operations of the robotic system are under the control of a magnet. The robot was developed to assist with endovascular procedures. The procedure is performed in emergencies when a stroke is caused by a blood clot. The procedure naturally requires a surgeon to maneuver a thin wire into the clot. This means, the surgeon injects drugs or blocks the clot from disrupting other blood vessels.
One of the limitations of the manual procedure is the proximity of patients to these surgeons. Many neurovascular surgeons are situated in research institutions which is difficult for patients residing in remote areas. The MIT engineers propose that the robot can be assessed by small hospitals under the supervision of trained and experienced surgeons. With a joystick and live imaging, operators can guide the robotic arm to manipulate a thin wire through arteries and other blood vessels.
After an hour of training, surgeons could single-handedly operate the robot seamlessly. The research team also explored the robotic gear to open clots in turbulent areas. They achieve this by steering the wire through oblique corners and turns. The head of the research team, Professor Xuanhe Zhao has reiterated that the main aim of the new technological advancement was due to patient-doctor proximity.
He also restated surgeons at medical research centers can now treat patients through live imaging. The team has expressed their dream of achieving this relationship seamlessly without increasing the mortality rate due to strokes. Most of the death associated with the disease is due to a lack of talented medical attention. However, the surgery is an intricate one that involves twisting and turning the wire and avoiding other blood vessels in the process.
The robotic arm technology is being used as an assistive addition during endovascular surgeries. The work was created from a blueprint from 2019. Three years ago, a similar experiment was conducted but the results weren't appreciated. A magnetically operated thread was steered into a silicone model of the human brain.
The magnet, about a spoon size, was controlled manually, unlike the recent and more advanced procedure which consists of a magnet attached to the medical-grade robotic arm. Researchers navigate the arm using a joystick knob on a mouse. By trying and changing the directions with the joystick, so does the wire move according to the direction of the joystick. Some controls on the mouse allow the wire to move in a linear motion, both forward and backward. The wire is thin and mimics a traditional neuromuscular guidewire.
New hope for patients?
With the introduction of the robotic arm, researchers are hopeful that patients can now receive treatments easily even in critical situations. Neurosurgeons can control and conduct the operations without exposure to harmful X-rays. Stroke is one of the leading causes of death, especially in geriatric patients. However, scientists are hopeful that mortality rates will be minimal due to the impact of technology on global health.
Reference
● healthcare-in-europe.com
