title: A robot for transnasal surgery featuring needle-sized tentacle-like arms.
abstract: This paper discusses a new class of robots known as concentric tube robots and their application to transnasal skull base surgery. The endonasal approach has clear benefits for patients, but the surgery presents challenges that strongly motivate the use of robotic tools. In this paper, the concentric tube robot concept is described, and preliminary experimental results for transnasal skull base surgery are reviewed. Just as the da Vinci robot has revolutionized many laparoscopic surgeries, we expect concentric tube robots will enable the advancement of skull base surgery and the development of other minimally invasive procedures that require access through constrained paths.
authors.affiliation: Vanderbilt University - Mechanical Engineering, 2301 Vanderbilt Place PMB 351592, Nashville, TN 37235, USA.
authors.forename: Hunter
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Gilbert
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Hendrick
authors.forename: Andria
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Remirez
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Webster
mesh_terms: D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D006801:Humans; D009339:Needles; D009666:Nose / Q000601:surgery*; D010911:Pituitary Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery; D012371:Robotics / Q000295:instrumentation*; D019291:Skull Base / Q000601:surgery; D025321:Surgery, Computer-Assisted / Q000295:instrumentation*