title: Development and preliminary assessment of a robotic platform for neuroendoscopy based on a lightweight robot.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Ventriculostomy is a widely performed neurosurgical procedure; some risk factors can be mitigated by computer/robot-assisted approaches. Platforms fostering synergistic robot-surgeon integration are pursued, for which lightweight robots with compliant controlled joints must be assessed (because compliance hampers accuracy).
  
  
  METHODS
  We developed a platform encompassing, in particular, a lightweight robot and an optical tracker also used to enhance robot accuracy. Based on specifications by neurosurgeons, we designed a neuroendoscope-handling interface and assessed targeting accuracy in a model ventriculostomy where the robot was operated both autonomously and in hands-on (i.e. co-operative) mode.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Targeting errors were systematically below the procedure accuracy threshold (1 mm); the rms targeting errors were 0.51 and 0.54 mm for autonomous and hands-on control, respectively. No significant difference was observed between the considered control modes. Very positive feedback was gathered from neurosurgeons.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Accurate tool targeting under both autonomous and hands-on control was achieved.
authors.affiliation: Center for Micro-BioRobotics@SSSA, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Viale Rinaldo Piaggio 34, 56025, Pontedera, Italy.
authors.forename: Marta
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Niccolini
authors.affiliation: Center for Micro-BioRobotics@SSSA, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Viale Rinaldo Piaggio 34, 56025, Pontedera, Italy.
authors.forename: Virginia
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Castelli
authors.affiliation: Center for Micro-BioRobotics@SSSA, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Viale Rinaldo Piaggio 34, 56025, Pontedera, Italy.
authors.forename: Costanza
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Diversi
authors.affiliation: Center for Micro-BioRobotics@SSSA, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Viale Rinaldo Piaggio 34, 56025, Pontedera, Italy.|The BioRobotics Institute, Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna, Viale Rinaldo Piaggio 34, 56025, Pontedera, Italy.
authors.forename: Byungjeon
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Kang
authors.affiliation: Neurosurgery Department, Meyer Pediatric Hospital, Viale Pieraccini 24, 50139, Firenze, Italy.
authors.forename: Federico
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Mussa
authors.affiliation: Center for Micro-BioRobotics@SSSA, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Viale Rinaldo Piaggio 34, 56025, Pontedera, Italy.
authors.forename: Edoardo
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Sinibaldi
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D044583:Neuroendoscopy / Q000379:methods*; D065287:Robotic Surgical Procedures / Q000379:methods*
keywords: lightweight robot; neuroendoscopy; surgical robotics