Potential use of robots in endoscopic neurosurgery.
A 6-axis stereotactic robot has been designed and linked to a stereotactic frame for routine use. Robot software allows the positioning of a probe holder in order to reach a given target. A calibration step enables the robot to compute the position of the x-ray beam and correct its final position to avoid parallax errors. The co-ordinates of the target are presently taken from anteroposterior and lateral X-rays using a digitizing table. Connection with a digitized angiography system is in progress and will allow direct sampling of numerical data from the x-ray data. Further steps will include connections with a 3D-reconstructed image from MRI and CAT as well as with a resident computerized atlas. Present experience after 14 months of daily practice represents 140 stereotactic procedures which can be extended to any special use, including endoscopic approaches.
Benabid
A L
AL
Unite INSERM U. 318, Neurobiologie Préclinique, UFR de Médecine, Université Joseph Fourier de Grenoble, France.
Lavallee
S
S
Hoffmann
D
D
Cinquin
P
P
Demongeot
J
J
Danel
F
F
D001927:Brain Diseases / Q000601:surgery*; D019723:Endoscopes; D004867:Equipment Design; D005103:Expert Systems; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted / Q000295:instrumentation; D008838:Microcomputers; D012371:Robotics / Q000295:instrumentation*; D012984:Software; D013118:Spinal Cord Diseases / Q000601:surgery*; D013238:Stereotaxic Techniques / Q000295:instrumentation*