Fraunhofer: Robotic surgeon for laser cranial trepanation

2024: Product Announcement

On November 4, 2024, German scientists from the Fraunhofer Institute of Laser Technology in Aachen announced the development of a robotic surgical system that is capable of performing laser trepanation of the skull to patients in consciousness. The new technology is expected to help improve the effectiveness and safety of a number of procedures on the brain in the future.

To test complex brain functions during neurosurgical interventions, surgeons must operate on awake patients under local anesthesia. This allows doctors to interact with them and assess how the actions performed affect brain activity. However, during craniotomy - the opening of the skull - bone material is removed using mechanical tools that create noise and strong vibrations: this causes severe psychological stress in patients.

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Fraunhofer ILT, Aachen/Ralf Baumgarten

Therefore, conscious surgeries are usually performed if the procedure requires only a small hole in the skull, such as deep brain stimulation in the case of severe movement disorders. Larger interventions that are needed to remove brain tumors, for example, prove too stressful for conscious patients. However, if surgeons were able to interact with the patient during the removal of the brain neoplasm, they could at any time check whether the intervention causes any functional abnormalities. The new system eliminates existing limitations.

The developed complex is based on a carbon dioxide laser with short pulses. The procedure is performed using a robotic manipulator. The laser cutting process is controlled by the OCT (optical coherent tomography) measuring system. The robot leaves the cut edges clean and thermally unaffected. It is said that the transition from mechanical tools to laser technology is designed to make craniotomy almost silent, vibration-free and gentle. In addition, the rehabilitation process is accelerating.^[1]

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