| abstract |
Multi-component systems and methods for determining the proximity of surgical tools to key anatomical features are provided. The inventive systems and methods can be applied in any surgical procedure requiring precision to avoid damage to key anatomical features such as nerves, with a particular example being the robotic cochlear implantation minimally invasive approach to cochlear implantation. Use of purpose built surgical robots, electromyography and tissue impedance, stereotactic tracking and drilling force/bone density measurements are all key components, with inputs from these various modalities being dynamically weighted. In the example of robotic cochlear implantation, the inventive concepts are used to provide key surgical guidance so as to avoid damage to the facial nerve and the chorda tympani, among other anatomical features. |