Micro-neurosurgical system in the deep surgical field

Abstract

In neurosurgery, surgeons have to perform precise manipulations with poor visibility due to the presence of blood or cerebrospinal fluid and it is particularly difficult to operate in the deep surgical field. The authors have developed a microsurgical system for neurosurgery in the deep surgical field that addresses these difficulties. The authors succeeded in suturing the carotid artery of a rat under a glass tube 120 [mm] in depth and 50 [mm] in diameter. In this paper, the authors propose the concept of robotic-assisted micro-neurosurgery. The design and the system are presented. Furthermore, the performance of the system and in-vivo experiments on rats are also reported. © Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2004.