I-Corps: Translation Potential of a Minimally Invasive Continuum Surgical Robot for the Eye/Ear

The broader impact of this I-Corps project is the development of a minimally invasive, robotic, surgical device for specialized procedures in the eye and ear. A delivery system that can more accurately navigate to the subretinal space has the potential to more safely and efficiently deliver and accurately position a stem cell sheet (or other therapeutic medium) in the eye. Accurate and safe delivery could lead to improvements in retinal degenerative diseases (which affect over 400 million people worldwide) making the procedure simpler and faster. The device also holds the potential for improved steering of cochlear implants or other therapeutics into the cochlea for restoring hearing loss. The ideal device would become a surgical tool for minimally invasive surgical steering maneuvers around the world. This I-Corps project utilizes experiential learning coupled with a first-hand investigation of the industry ecosystem to assess the translation potential of the technology. The solution is based on the development of a minimally invasive device made up of a disposable continuum manipulator for steering through anatomy, and a handle which can be either held or mounted. Various prototypes have been constructed and tested in various phantom mediums, such as gels and replicated three-dimensional printed anatomy. The device has also been mounted on other robotic arms for use as an end-effector manipulator in some of these tests. The device is being tested in animal cadaver models and further development is underway for refinement and improved steering characterization. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.